#mtnpod

This week, Meg and Roy talk to Vivek J. Tiwary.  Vivek is the author of the Graphic Novel, the Fifth Beatle.  The Fifth Beatle is the story of Brian Epstein.  Epstein is the original manager of the Beatles.  He found them when they weren’t even very popular in Liverpool, cast a vision, shaped their image, and released them to the world.  Epstein had three qualities that made him an anomaly in the music industry.  As Vivek puts it, “He was gay, Jewish, and from Liverpool.”  He grew the brand bigger than anyone could imagine, but it came at a price.  Epstein lived a life in the closet and compounded the problem by hiding a drug problem.  The story is largely how Epstein rose above his circumstances to create a cultural phenomenon and the price he paid to make it happen.   Thanks to Vivek, we now know the story of the Beatles’ manager, and we can now appreciate the price Epstein paid to introduce the Beatles to the world.

The film version of the Fifth Beatle is currently in production.  Vivek shares details about the script, director, and a surprise that has never happened in a historical Beatles film!