Beatles, Stones ex-manager Allen Klein dies

Record label executive Allen Klein, who once managed the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, has died at age 77.

Bob Merlis, a publicist for Klein's company, ABKCO Music & Records, said Saturday the music mogul died of Alzheimer's disease in his New York City home.

Klein was one of the most influential, and sometimes most reviled, figures in the world of music in the 1960s.

Known for his business acumen,he managed a high-performing stable of talent that included Bobby Darin, Connie Francis, Herman's Hermits and Sam Cooke.

His music company also produced the music of the Animals, Bobby Womack, Marianne Faithfull, Chubby Checker and the Kinks.

He is perhaps most famous for signing the Stones and then the Beatles.Both agreements, however, would end in acrimony and lawsuits.

Klein ended up owning the rights to the recordings of the Rolling Stones and the copyrights from the band's performances from the 1960s, including hit singles such as (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction and Jumpin' Jack Flash.

Klein was often described as ruthless. Stones guitarist Keith Richards would deem Klein's affiliation with the band as "the price of an education."

The New Jersey-born accountant admitted to his hard-boiled attitude.

"Don't talk to me about ethics," he once told Playboy magazine. "The man you beat is likely to call you unethical. So what?"

Kleinis also the person often accused of triggering the demise of the Beatles. John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison decided to bring Klein on their management team in 1969 over the protestations of Paul McCartney.

That disagreement led to a court battle and the eventual dissolution of the band.

During that time, a New York Times article called him "the toughest wheeler-dealer in the pop jungle."

A funeral for Klein will be held in New York City on Tuesday.