George HarrisonGeorge Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Known as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison played a significant role in shaping the band's musical direction and established a successful solo career, particularly through his interest in Eastern musical influences. Although most of the band's songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, most Beatles albums contained at least one Harrison composition. These inc...
Mary HopkinMary Elizabeth Blodwen Hopkin (born 3 May 1950), credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti from her marriage to Tony Visconti, is a Welsh singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were the Days". She was one of the first artists to be signed to the Beatles' Apple label. Life and careerEarly life and singing careerMary Elizabeth Blodwen Hopkin was born into a Welsh-speaking family in Pontardawe, Glamorgan, Wales. She took weekly singing lessons as a child and began her musical career as a folk...
Ringo StarrSir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. He sometimes sang lead vocals on the group's recordings, usually for one song on each album; these include "Yellow Submarine" and "". He also wrote and sang the Beatles songs "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden", and is credited as a co-writer of three others. Starr was afflicted by life-threatening illnesses during childhood, with...
Apple CorpsApple Corps Limited is a British multimedia company that was established in London by the members of the Beatles in the 1960s to form a conglomerate. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in 1968. Other divisions included Apple Electronics, Apple Films, Apple Publishing, and Apple Retail, with the latter's most notable venture being the short-lived Apple Boutique on the corner of Baker Street and Paddington Street in London. The company's name is a pun on "apple core". Apple's headquarters duri...
Jeff Jones (music industry executive)Jeff Jones is a music industry executive best known as the former CEO of Apple Corps, the company founded by The Beatles. Jones was formerly an executive vice president at Sony/BMG, where he managed Sony's recorded catalogs, including repackaging classic albums. At Apple Corps he has overseen Beatles projects such as the launch of TheBeatles.com, the release of the band's remastered catalog on CD, iTunes, and vinyl, the DVD and Blu-ray releases of , Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles: Rock Ba...
BadfingerBadfinger were a British rock band formed in Swansea in 1961. Their best-known lineup consisted of Welshmen Pete Ham (rhythm guitar and lead vocals), Mike Gibbins (drums), and Englishmen Tom Evans (bass), and Joey Molland (lead guitar). Initially known as the Iveys, the band renamed themselves Badfinger, after the working title for the Beatles' 1967 song "" ("Bad Finger Boogie"). From 1968 to 1973, Badfinger recorded five albums for Apple Records and toured extensively before they became embroiled in the chaos o...
Neil AspinallNeil Stanley Aspinall (13 October 1941 – 24 March 2008) was a British music industry executive. A school friend of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, he went on to head the Beatles' company Apple Corps. The Beatles employed Aspinall first as their road manager, which included driving his old Commer van to and from shows, both day and night. After Mal Evans started work for the Beatles, Aspinall was promoted to become their personal assistant, later becoming chief executive of their company, Apple Corps. He wa...
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band in popular music and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. They also explored styles ranging from folk and I...
Record label"Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. A record label can also be a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing, promotion, and enforcement of copyright for sound recordings and music videos, while also conducting talent scouting and development of new artists, artist financing and maintaining contracts with recording artist...
Allen KleinAllen Klein (December 18, 1931 – July 4, 2009) was an American businessman whose aggressive negotiation tactics affected industry standards for compensating recording artists. He founded ABKCO Music & Records Incorporated. Klein increased profits for his musician clients by negotiating new record company contracts. He first achieved monetary and contractual gains for Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen, one-hit rockabillies of the late 1950s. He then managed Sam Cooke before becoming the manager of the Rolling Stones a...
Billy PrestonWilliam Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, the Everly Brothers, Reverend James Cleveland, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. He gained attention as a solo artist with hit singles "That's the Way God Planned It", the Grammy-winning "Outa-Space", "Will It Go Round in Circles", "Space Race...
James TaylorJames Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the No. 3 single "Fire and Rain" and had his first No. 1 hit in 1971 with his recording of "You've Got a Friend", written by Carole King in the same year. Taylor's 1976 Greatest Hits album was certified Diamond and has sold 11 million copies in the US alone, making it one of the best-selling albums in US history.Following his 1977 album JT, Taylor has retained a large audience o...*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.