Allen Klein, the former manager of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, has died in New York at the age of 77. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Klein’s career began in 1963 as manager of Sam Cooke. He later took on the Rolling Stones. He had a bad reputation in the entertainment world and the image of a hardened businessman.

He was one of the reasons the Beatles split up in 1969. The group disagreed on who should replace thier former manager Brian Epstein, after his death. Paul McCartney wanted his father-in-law Lee Eastman, but the other three Beatles wanted Klein. The row led to a number of court cases.