Home / Arts and Entertainment / Kemp Bought Epstein's Secrets for £10k
Kemp Bought Epstein's Secrets for £10k
14 Oct
Summary
- Gary Kemp paid over £10k for Brian Epstein's address book.
- The book details 404 contacts from the swinging 60s London.
- It reveals intimate details of Epstein's unravelling life.
Gary Kemp, songwriter for Spandau Ballet, purchased Brian Epstein's 1967 address book for £10,710 at auction. This black Twinlock binder contains 404 entries, cataloging Epstein's social and business network during the year of his death.
Kemp collaborated with filmmaker Simon Halfon to co-author "1967: The World of Brian Epstein and the Beatles." This work uses the address book's contacts to explore Epstein's complex life and struggles, including juggling the Beatles' expanding affairs and his own personal challenges.
The book details Epstein's anxieties as the Beatles stopped touring and his business dealings became more complex. It touches on his struggles with addiction, gambling, and his feelings of being an outsider due to his Jewishness and homosexuality.
Despite mapping Epstein's extensive network, the book portrays him as a lonely figure. It delves into his volatile relationship with John "Dizz" Gillespie and the impact of betrayal and blackmail threats on his mental state.
Epstein died at 32 from an accidental overdose. Kemp imagines him reaching for the address book in his final moments, seeking reassurance. The book offers a vivid, three-dimensional portrait of Epstein, aiming to bring him into the foreground beyond the shadow of the Beatles.
