Former Beatles manager Williams celebrates 80th birthday in Wirral

Feb 24 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

“THE man who gave The Beatles away” celebrated his 80th birthday in Wirral on Sunday.

Allan Williams’s birthday party took place at The Grosvenor Ballrooms, Wallasey – the scene of the first-ever gig he got for the band.

Mr Williams is generally acknowledged as being instrumental in the development of the whole Merseybeat scene.

Apart from developing The Beatles and taking them to Hamburg, he also ran the Blue Angel nightclub, which played host to The Rolling Stones, Tommy Steele and Tom Jones.

Nine bands from the Merseybeat era played at the party, including The Undertakers.

As well as cutting ties with The Beatles just before they became a global phenomenon, Williams also famously ejected Judy Garland from the Blue Angel club and refused entry to Bob Dylan.

In 1958 Williams opened the Jacaranda on Slater Street, where Lennon and Sutcliffe painted a mural for the ladies room.

In 1961 Williams and the Beatles parted company over money and in 1962 he famously told their new manager Brian Epstein "Don't touch them with a bargepole; they will let you down.”

Despite the fall out, years later, Williams and the Fab Four spoke fondly of one another.