Departures of note

Horst Fascher was a German music manager and promoter best known as co-founder and managing director of the Star-Club in Hamburg's St. Pauli district. The club, which opened in a former cinema at Große Freiheit 39 in April 1962, became one of the most famous rock venues of its era, hosting the Beatles as well as stars such as Gene Vincent, Little Richard, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimi Hendrix.

Fascher first encountered the young Beatles in the early 1960s when the band from Liverpool played the Hamburg club circuit. As bouncer, club manager and friend, he protected and befriended the group during their formative Hamburg residencies, then lured them away from the rival Top Ten Club for the Star-Club's opening night. He even appeared as a guest vocalist with the band, singing lead on the 1977 release Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962.

Earlier, Fascher had been a promising boxer and Hamburg featherweight champion until his career was cut short. He later reopened a new Star-Club II in Hamburg in 1976 and remained active as a music promoter into the 1980s and 1990s. In 2006 he published his autobiography, Let the Good Times Roll!, with greetings from Paul McCartney and Ray Charles.