Brian Epstein death location (27^th August 1967)

Here I am in London near Buckingham Palace at the end of terraced houses where Brian lived when he was in London (he also had a place in the countryside.) He died here from a drugs overdose aged 32 in 1967. Thanks to strict laws the house has not changed since his death.

What happened before he took his last breath on Sunday 27^th August 1967? He'd been at this house for a few days and attended a Beatles recording session nearby. Afterwards he drove out to his other home in rural Sussex for weekend. While there he invited two friends to visit and stay - also a group of homosexual rent boys. When the rent boys didn’t turn up he returned home to London for reasons unknown (the rent boys arrived later on.) The next day he phoned the friend staying at his country home but was groggy. His friend said the rent boys had arrived and suggested he get the train back out to country house (rather than drive.) Brian said okay, that he’d have a meal, read his mail, watch television and then ring back to say which train he’d catch. This was the last time anyone spoke to him (unless his butler was there.)

At some point he went into his bedroom, locked the door and took six Carbitral tablets (a type of sleeping pill.) He was found by his butler who became worried about the silence behind the locked door. Forcing himself in he found Brian lying on a single bed in his pyjamas with mail strewn across another bed. The inquest ruled death was by accident caused by the tablets combined with alcohol. Being famous I’m sure the coroner fell on the side of leniency as Brian was a troubled man who'd made previous attempts to kill himself. He may have been awfully low as only a month before his death his dad had died and before that he’d stayed in the Priory clinic for addiction to amphetamines.

I'd guess he swallowed the tablets and thought “If I die then I die” and had he lived he’d probably have killed himself another day. He'd never found happiness; whether his hidden homosexuality was the main root of his drug-taking and gambling addictions we'll never know. It never fitted comfortably within his family, upbringing and the cultivated carapace of middle-class respectability. When Brian’s dad found out about the homosexuality many years before he'd wanted his son to leave Liverpool. Nobody knew him well. Though kind, caring and attentive to his family and business circle (he was John’s best man when he married Cynthia - and godfather to their son Julian) he hid a life of drug-taking, gambling and violent sex with "rough trade" men. There was never a main love, "the other half", a bit of a rock.

I stood across the road from number 24 and thought to myself, “Blimey, the man I’ve read so much about died up there in behind those windows.” What a waste. I doubt The Beatles would have existed in the way they did had it not been for him. The talent was theirs but without Brian’s administration and salesmanship they might have split up after two years, been conned by unscrupulous managers, never got beyond Britain, taken much longer to get known globally. He gave them self-belief, organised and protected them.

They didn’t last for long after his death - about two years and were profoundly upset when they learnt he'd died (if you see news footage of John at Bangor Station being told the news he’s shocked and nearly speechless.) Perhaps he committed suicide as The Beatles - probably his only love - refused to tour again and may have signed to new management. We’ll never know. There’s no plaque on the house. There’s a nice price tag though - these houses now go about £7 million. The ex-politician Norman Tebbit and his wife live on this street. After the IRA bombing in Brighton 1984 the Duke of Westminster gave a house to Norman and his wife.

I'd loitered around enough and thought it best move on. I sat on the step of number 24 and touched the rail. The Beatles launched the Sergeant Pepper album from here and on the internet you can find photos of them at the doorway. They knew Brian was fragile and were shocked at his death but not surprised. They all knew a friend had once found a suicide note written by Brian ending saying “I can't take it anymore." Oh well, time to move on. I did a salute and left.

Things haven't changed much...