It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Brian Epstein in the saga of the Beatles . Prior to his arrival into their world, they were a rudderless rock band without a record deal or any real plans for the future. But after they inked a deal with him to serve as their manager in late 1961, everything changed. And all the big events that followed – signing with EMI, appearing on Ed Sullivan , the creation of their publishing company – were a product of Epstein’s vision and relentless work