Aspinall, Neil Stanley

▪ 2009

      British accountant and music company executive

born Oct. 13, 1941, Prestatyn, Wales

died March 24, 2008, New York, N.Y.

was often called “the Fifth Beatle” because of his distinctive clout as the road manager, trusted personal assistant, and, ultimately, corporate chief executive for the British rock group the Beatles. As a friend of drummer Pete Best, Aspinall began as a part-time driver for the Beatles in 1961. When Best was replaced by Ringo Starr in 1962, Aspinall stayed with the group as full-time road manager and general confidante. He quit the road in 1968 to join the band's newly formed record company, Apple Corps Ltd. As Apple's CEO from 1973, Aspinall mediated disagreements between the band members, monitored trademark and copyright issues (notably a long-running dispute with Apple Computer), and oversaw the remastering and rerelease of the Beatles' music catalog. He retired in 2007.

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