Tony Barrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Barrow
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| Born | 11 May 1936 Crosby, Lancashire, England
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| Died | 14 May 2016 (aged 80) Lancaster, Lancashire, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Durham University |
| Occupation | Press officer |
| Known for | Work with the Beatles Coining the phrase "the Fab Four" |
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Tony Barrow (born May 11, 1936 – died May 14, 2016) was an English press officer. He worked with the Beatles from 1962 to 1968. Tony Barrow is famous for creating the nickname "the Fab Four." He first used this phrase in a press release.
Contents
Tony Barrow's Life Story
Growing Up and Early Career
In the late 1950s, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were starting their first band. At the same time, Tony Barrow was busy in Crosby, near Liverpool. He organized shows for jazz and folk groups at local dance halls.
Tony went to Merchant Taylors School. Later, he studied languages at Durham University. When he was just 17, in 1954, he got his first writing job. He reviewed pop-rock records for the Liverpool Echo newspaper. This was a very popular local paper in the UK.
Working at Decca Records
In the early 1960s, The Beatles were playing in clubs in Hamburg, Germany. Tony Barrow moved from Crosby to London. He started working for Decca Record Company. His job was to write the notes found on the back of LP album covers.
Even from London, he kept writing his weekly record column for the Liverpool Echo. In late 1961, Brian Epstein, a record store owner from Liverpool, signed The Beatles. He asked Tony for advice. Tony helped The Beatles get an audition with Decca. However, Decca turned them down.
After this, Tony started helping The Beatles part-time. He became their press and publicity helper. He promoted their first UK song, "Love Me Do." This song was released on EMI's Parlophone label in October 1962. Tony was paid £20 to create The Beatles' first press kit.
Joining NEMS Enterprises
Brian Epstein offered Tony Barrow double his salary from Decca. So, in May 1963, Tony left Decca. He joined Epstein's new company, NEMS Enterprises. Tony opened Epstein's first office in London.
As the head of public relations, Tony promoted The Beatles. He also helped other artists managed by Epstein. These included Cilla Black, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer with the Dakotas, and The Fourmost. Since he used to write album notes for Decca, he did the same for The Beatles.
Tony believed Beatlemania truly began on October 13, 1963. This was when The Beatles appeared on Sunday Night at the London Palladium. After that, Tony didn't need to call the press; the press called him!
The Beatles' Christmas Messages
It was Tony Barrow's idea for The Beatles to send Christmas greetings. They sent these messages to their fan club members. Tony thought this kind gesture would help. It would make up for delays in answering the huge amount of fan mail. The Beatles were three weeks behind in replying to new members.
Tony remembered that the Queen always sent holiday greetings. She did this every year on UK radio and TV. He decided The Beatles should "follow her fine example but in their own way." All fan club members received a special flexible record. It had messages from John, Paul, George, and Ringo. This idea started as a way to fix a problem. But it became a much-loved yearly tradition.
Touring with The Fab Four
In 1965 and 1966, Tony traveled around the world with The Beatles. He went with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. These were their biggest and most important international concert tours.
Tony held many press conferences every day wherever they went. He was with them during their private meeting with Elvis Presley. This meeting happened at Elvis's home in Bel Air, California. Tony also set up media interviews and photo shoots when they returned home. One of his last jobs as The Beatles' press officer was to create a cartoon story booklet. This was part of the "Magical Mystery Tour" record package in late 1967.
After The Beatles
In 1968, The Beatles started their own company, Apple Corps. This was after Brian Epstein passed away. Tony Barrow's job as their publicist was no longer needed. He left NEMS Enterprises to start his own company. It was called Tony Barrow International.
His company was in London. Tony Barrow International and its sister company helped many British entertainers in the 1970s. These included the Kinks, the Bay City Rollers, the New Seekers, and Hello. He also managed European tours for American artists. These included David Cassidy, Gladys Knight, David Soul, the Monkees, Tony Bennett, the Jackson Five, Andy Williams, and Neil Sedaka.
In 1980, Tony Barrow stopped working in public relations. He didn't like the new punk bands of that time. He went back to being a freelance writer. He wrote several books. These included Inside The Music Business and John, Paul, George, Ringo & Me. The second book was about his time in the 1960s.
By 2007, Tony was the last professional writer left from The Beatles' original team. He continued to take on writing and broadcasting jobs. Some of these were directly related to his years with The Beatles.
Tony Barrow passed away on May 14, 2016, in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. This was three days after his 80th birthday.
Books by Tony Barrow
- The Making of the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour (1999) ISBN: 0-7119-7575-2
- John, Paul, George, Ringo and Me: The Real Beatles Story (2006) ISBN: 1-56025-882-9
See also
In Spanish: Tony Barrow para niños
