THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY AUGUST 18,2008
ENTERTAINMENT
5C
MUSIC
Beatles contract may sell for big bucks
BY ROBERT BARR ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — Brian Epstein's copy of his management contract with The Beatles, a pact that proved to be worth millions, is being offered for sale in London next month.
The four-page document, signed Oct. 1, 1962, by John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Richard Starkey — Ringo Starr's real name — carries an estimated price of $480,000. The Fame Bureau auction house said Tuesday it had scheduled the sale for Sept. 4 at the Ide Generation Gallery.
The contract, also signed by Harold Hargreaves Harrison and James McCartney on behalf of their underage sons, gave Epstein a 25 percent cut of the band's earnings, provided they made more than $400 each per week.
"The word is that he made more money than the Beatles did during his period of time," said Ted Owen, managing director of The Fame Bureau.
He said the contract was offered for sale by a northern England businessman and Beatles collector who has asked to remain anonymous.
Brian Epstein's copy of his management contract with the Beatles, a pact that proved to be worth millions, is being offered for sale in London next month. The four-page document, signed on Oct. 1, 1962, by John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Richard Starkey — Ringo Starr's real name — not shown, carries an estimated price of 250,000 pounds (US$480,000). The Fame Bureau auction house said last Tuesday it had scheduled the sale for Sept. 4 at the Idea Generation Gallery.
The contract marked the moment when all the pieces were in place for a global outbreak of Beatlemania.
Epstein first heard of The Beatles when a customer went to his record store in Liverpool asking for "My Bonnie," in which the group backed
singer Tony Sheridan.
After arranging to hear the group perform at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, Epstein was impressed.
"They were fresh, honest and had, what I thought, a sort of presence and star quality, whatever that is," Epstein later recalled.
Epstein had been guiding the group since December 1961, and had secured a recording contract with EMI. With a nudge from producer George Martin, Epstein fired drummer Pete Best in August 1962 and brought Starr into the group, and their first big hit, "Love Me Do," was ready for release.
"Brian put us in suits and all that and we made it very, very big." Lennon once said. "But we sold out, you know."
"We were in a daydream till he came along. We had no idea what we were doing."
Epstein died from a drug overdose in 1967, at age 32.
According to the Brian Epstein Web site, http://www.brianepstein.com, a first, five-year contract was signed by the group on Jan. 24, 1962, but Epstein did not sign it.
Epstein managed several other successful acts from Liverpool, including Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas and Cilla Black.
Also up for auction: a Bechstein grand piano that can be heard on The Beatles' "White Album" and "Hey Jude."
Owen estimated the piano will sell for $570,000 or more.
MUSIC
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to broaden its reach
BY SARA KUGLER AND JOE MILICIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is going on the road to New York — the city that spawned hip-hop and gave Bob Dylan and the Ramones their start.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg was expected to announce Wednesday that the Cleveland-based museum is opening an annex in downtown Manhattan. It is the first of several planned outposts that will take its collection of artifacts to a wider audience, possibly as far as the Middle East.
Billy Joel and Clive Davis were expected to join the mayor at the location in SoHo.
The 25,000-square-foot annex will house Bruce Springsteen's 1957 Chevy and will feature a number of different exhibits, including one with New York City sites that have musical significance.
revenue streams, attract more philanthropy dollars and entice more people to visit the hall of fame in Cleveland.
Museum officials are counting on the branches to provide new
Another annex being planned for Las Vegas will be located on or near the Strip and will be less focused on rock artifacts and more entertainment oriented, according to Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the rock museum. A city has not been selected for the proposed Middle East branch.
The annexes mark the museum's first effort to build a presence outside of Cleveland. The concept follows a trend set by other museums like the Guggenheim and the Louvre, and comes in a year when the hall has announced some notable changes, including a major interior renovation of its lakefront museum and the return of the induction ceremony to Cleveland in 2009 after more than a decade-long absence.
The New York annex will be open for a minimum of two years, longer if it proves successful. It's backed financially by
Running Subway Productions, a New York-based entertainment company known for "Bodies ... The Exhibition" and the Broadway production of "How the Grinch
Among the planned exhibits is "New York Rocks" which is dedicated to Big Apple artists such as Joel and the Talking Heads' David Byrne.
The exhibit will feature an interactive map of musically significant Manhattan locations such as Studio 54 and the landmarked Chelsea Hotel, whose guests and residents have included many famous artists and musicians including the Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious. The front awning and cash register of the recently closed club CBGB will be on display.
A number of exhibits that appeared in Cleveland will also make their way to New York, beginning with the museum's look at the Clash.
Other exhibits will give visitors a sample of the hall's collection and prod visitors to either visit the
main museum or provide philanthropic support.
For the most part, the rock hall's induction ceremonies are held in New York City.
Attendance at the rock hall was 451,000 in 2007, up 8 percent from 2006, but still way down from the 872,700 who visited in 1996, its first full year in operation.
Admission at the New York annex will be $26 for adults. The Cleveland museum charges $22 for adult admission.
Actor, comedian Bernie Mac dies at 50
Comedian Bernie Mac died at age 50 from complications of pneumonia. The award-winning star marred in his own TV series, "The Bernie Mac Show," and several movies, including "Ocean's Eleven" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OBITUARY
Childress, 30, is his only child, and has a 1-year-old daughter. She said her mother, Rhonda McCullough, and Mac were married for 32 years.
"He was a hard man and he made no apologies for that," Childress said. "When it came to me and my mother and my daughter he was the softest."
"Initially when he was hospitalized we expected him to come back home, but as the weeks went on, I kind of knew," Childress told The Associated Press.
Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him some flak when he joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Obama's campaign later said the jokes were "inappropriate."
Mac also suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease, but he had said the condition went into remission in 2005. His publicist, Danica Smith, has said the pneumonia was unrelated to the sarcoidosis.
Mac, born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago, got his start doing standup as a child. His successful career included his own Fox television series, "The Bernie Mac Show" and starring roles in "Ocean's Eleven," "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."
Childress said Mac was a loving father, husband and grandfather.
"I kind of figured he was going to get a lot of backlash." Childress said. "Telling that joke at that time probably wasn't the best idea, but that's him."
CHICAGO — Comedian Bernie Mac's family had expected him to fully recover from the bout of pneumonia that put him in a hospital three weeks ago, his daughter said last Sunday.
Childress said Mac had been at Northwestern Memorial Hospital since the middle of July.
crossword 3
Childress said there was always laughter in their home.
"I think he will always be remembered so one of the original kings of comedy," Childress said. "I think what made him special to people was that even though he was a celebrity he just seemed so down to earth and so much like a part of your family."
She said funeral arrangements were pending.
However, Jeniece Childress said that as time passed she and her mother braced for the possibility that he could die.
BY JENNY SONG ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mac, 50, died Aug. 9 from what his publicist said were complications from pneumonia.
ACROSS 35 Think (over) DOWN 21 Information
1 Jason's ship 36 Tears 1 Regis and 22 Reed instrument
5 Tibetan beast 37 The 24 in Kelly's network
8 Hurried "36-24-36" 2 Carnival city 23 Isinglass
12 Actress Jessica 38 Thread holders 3 Solidify 24 Dog bane
13 — out a living 41 Foundation 4 Trite 26 XXX-rated entertainment
14 There-fore 42 Matador's op-ponent 6 Alias abbr. 27 Needle case
15 Chris Martin's band 43 Common instance 28 Puncturing tools
17 Bellow 41 Foundation 8 Boston news-paper 29 Lummox
18 With it 48 Memo abbr. 9 Press 31 Dr. McGraw
19th Amendment benefi-ciary 49 Sphere 10 "Zoundsl" 34 Flaccid 35 Wild and crazy
24 Young horse 51 Depend (on) 11 Flat-bottomed boat 37 Marry 38 Constellation component
25 Last notice 52 Method 20 Beams of light
26 Defend yourself, possum-style 53 History
30 Sinbad's bird
31 Jurrors, e.g.
32 Pair
33 Jerry Garcia fan answers for all puzzles on page 10
39 Sit for a snapshot
40 Verbal
41 Infant
44 Mound stat
45 Eggs
46 Fleur-de- —
47 Banned bug spray
Today's Cryptoquip Clue: X equals L
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