Bob Wooler dies - February 8, 2002
From BeatlesWiki
| Event | |
| Date | February 8, 2002 |
| Short description | Bob Wooler dies. |
| Location | Liverpool |
Bob Wooler, Cavern Club compere who introduced The Beatles more than 400 times between 1961 and 1963 died at 76 after a long period of illness. Music promoter Joe Flannery, a close friend of Wooler's said this, "He was the gentleman of the Cavern. He was so loved by everybody. Bob never cashed in on being such a vital part of the Beatles scene, but his name will remain forever a vital part of that story.” Wooler, who had previously worked as a clerk at the railway dock offices, entered th music business in 1956, when he began managing skiffle groups. He booked all these groups in different clubs, and then began introducing them as well. He then became a DJ at those clubs, playing records in the time between when one group left and the next group came on stage. He first met George Harrison and Paul McCartney at a bus stop near the Holyoake Dance Hall in December 1960. Seeing that Paul and George had guitars, Wooler offered them a gig at Litherland Town Hall on December 27, 1960. Soon after, he worked for The Beatles during their first visit to The Cavern Club under the name Beatles on February 9, 1961. Wooler would later witness The Beatles being offered to sign with Brian Epstein on December 3, 1961. Wooler was one of the first to predict how big The Beatles would become, saying the Beatles were "truly a phenomenon. I don’t think anything like them will ever happen again." He came up with a catchphrase in the early days of The Beatles, declaring Beatles performances as "The Stuff That Screams Are Made Of."
