Questions about Bill Harry
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who was Bill Harry and what did he do?
Bill Harry is a British journalist born on the 17th of September 1938 in Liverpool, who founded Mersey Beat, a fortnightly newspaper launched on the 6th of July 1961 that covered the Liverpool music scene. He is credited with introducing Brian Epstein to the Beatles and with giving the early career of the group its first major press coverage. He later worked as a public relations officer for artists including David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, and wrote or co-wrote dozens of books about the Beatles and British rock music.
How did Bill Harry start Mersey Beat?
Bill Harry founded Mersey Beat in 1961 after borrowing £50 from a local civil servant named Jim Anderson, introduced to him by photographer Dick Matthews. The first 5,000 copies of the debut issue, dated the 6th of July 1961, sold out quickly. Harry edited the paper from a small attic office at 81a Renshaw Street, Liverpool, renting the space for £5 a week above a wine merchant's shop.
How did Bill Harry connect Brian Epstein to the Beatles?
Bill Harry persuaded Epstein to stock Mersey Beat at his North End Music Stores, and the 12 copies of the first issue sold out in a single day. Harry then arranged for Epstein and his assistant Alistair Taylor to attend a lunchtime Beatles concert at the Cavern Club on the 9th of November 1961 without queuing, which is widely regarded as the moment that led Epstein to become the Beatles' manager.
What is the origin of Cilla Black's stage name and how is Bill Harry connected?
Cilla Black's stage name originated from an error by Bill Harry. When Harry wrote an article called Swinging Cilla about singer Priscilla White, he remembered her surname was a colour but wrote Black instead of White. White chose to keep the name Harry had given her by mistake. Two years later Harry arranged for her to perform for Brian Epstein at the Blue Angel club, leading to a management contract.
What did John Lennon contribute to Mersey Beat?
John Lennon wrote a short comic history of the Beatles for the first issue of Mersey Beat, which Harry published under the title Being a Short Diversion on the Dubious Origins of Beatles, Translated From the John Lennon. Lennon was grateful that Harry printed it without editing it, and later gave Harry a collection of approximately 250 drawings, poems and stories to publish under the pseudonym Beatcomber.
How large did Mersey Beat's circulation grow?
Mersey Beat launched with 5,000 copies in its first issue in July 1961, all of which sold out quickly. As Harry expanded coverage to groups in Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield and Newcastle, circulation grew to 75,000. The paper became known among its readers as the Teenagers Bible.