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Former owner of the Cavern Club, Ray McFall, passed away last night (7th January), aged 88. The cause of death is unknown.
McFall is a Liverpool legend who turned the Merseybeat scene into one of the most popular musical movements of the 1960s.
He launched the Beatles’ career by booking them to play the venue. The very first time they played at The Cavern Club was a lunchtime session on February 21, 1961.
Liverpudlians, and the rest of the world, can thank Ray McFall for pursuing The Beatles’ and for his huge role in the Merseybeat explosion which “moved the club forward [changing] The Cavern completely and [allowing] rock ‘n’ roll into the club,” as told to the BBC by Cavern Club director, Jon Keats.
Ray McFall said at the time, “The Beatles were sensational and I was smitten. Completely. Absolutely. Instantly.”
In total, The Beatles played at The Cavern 292 times. Other popular bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Yardbirds performed at the club also.
The original venue closed in 1973. In 1984 a replica was built on the same site.