The 5th Beatle, producer Sir George Martin passes away
March 9, 2016
Sir George Martin, producer of the Beatles, has died aged 90. Sir Paul McCartney paid tribute to a “great man”, saying : “He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me. He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family. If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George.”
Martin signed the Beatles to Parlophone records when others had turned them down and produced all but one of their albums. He became and remained one of the most influential producers in popular music history and was often described as the “fifth Beatle”. His reputation stretched well beyond his 23 US and 30 UK No 1 singles.
The news first emerged in a tweet from Ringo Starr and was later confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter by Universal Music Group and by Martin’s management.
