EPPYLOVER ~ MUSINGS
 Sculptor Jacob Epstein Photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 (the year Brian was born) |
Jews didn't get knighted in England? My complaint: Why that Eppy and not OURS? |
goddamn it all to hell!!!
 CLICK FOR 409x587 IMAGE |
From July 10, 2005 - Upcoming Book: Lennon Revealed By Larry Kane Excerpt from review: "...Kane also provides stunning new information about Lennon's relationships with Ono, his childhood soulmate Stuart Sutcliffe, his lover May Pang, and Beatles manager Brian Epstein." |
I remember
...I remember that John Lennon was not a big thing at all until after his murder.
It was just like, "oh...a former Beatle. Do you remember the Beatles?"
Then he's shot, and the Beatles are once again a Big Thing. Only different.
What affected me most, though, was when, a couple years later, Brian's "friend" Peter Brown capitalized on that Big Thing with his "The Love You Make" book. He deceitfully pulled confidential info out of the boys, taking advantage of their friendship by chatting them up and telling them the book was not about them. The book was to be about the swinging 60's revolution in general.
Not stopping at that, Peter Brown's worst sin was flagrantly OUTING Brian -- in those days before homosexuals were even moderately accepted -- to the majority of the highly judgmental public.
I'm grateful that this newer generation doesn't seem to have perpetuated the scorn, the disgust and the ridicule ... and, from the kindest people, the utter pity. That pity ~ to me, it only felt degrading. I was messed up because I could NOT bring myself to turn my back on Brian like everybody else did, like you were supposed to do.
In all fairness, Brian should have only been known as the great Brian Epstein, period: the softspoken, somewhat stuffy, gorgeous, shy, brilliant visionary who struggled out of his beloved yet restrictive background. That was the image he preferred to portray, the image he (through Derek Taylor) gave us with A Cellarful of Noise and his precious few interviews and stints as pop group announcer on Hullabaloo and elsewhere.
Too much information for that era, thanks, Mr. Brown. We really didn't need to know that much that soon. I feel that outing Brian too early kept him from being fully included in the adulation that the rest of the Beatles-related people received. He was shunned even in death. Even his manner of death brought remarks like, "If I was a f*ing fairy, I'd off myself too!" Not taking into consideration that all the evidence pointed toward an accidental overdose. Ohh no, man, he was a fag, it's gotta be a suicide.
Instead of being a symbol of deep devotion and innovative management, Peter Brown morphed Brian Epstein into primarily a symbol of kinky homosexuality. There's nothing wrong with that per se, but I'm afraid he's forever typecast as "the gay" Brian Epstein now.
I'm sorry, people, but I can never think of him that way. He is still, and always will be, to me, the Brian Epstein I adored -- without labels.
And I know that, despite everything people say, despite everything he was and did, Brian Epstein meant well and had a heart of gold. Beautiful, beautiful man.
 | If you haven't done so already, please click and sign for Brian at - ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ With the exception of some rare original items on display, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself greatly annoys me -- for an honest explanation of this statement, and why this petition is so very important for Brian's legacy nevertheless, please CLICK HERE. |
