R.I.P.: George Martin (1926-2016), first among “fifth Beatles”

There have been numerous people nicknamed (by fans, critics, etc.) “the fifth Beatle” over the 45+ years since The Beatles broke up, but the assessment can fairly apply to several people (as mathematically awkward as that may be), and they can be parsed, with their special distinctions, this way:

Fifth Beatle in terms of securing the business deals of the first five-or-so years of their career, including (as far as I understand) some kind of ~10-year arrangement with Capitol Records and/or EMI starting in 1967: Brian Epstein, their manager.

Fifth Beatle in terms of being a factotum in their early years, and an essential linchpin in keeping their business affairs as a group “together” and able to produce future profits (per their old group identity, not as individual post-breakup artists) after Epstein’s 1967 death and after their business dalliance with Allen Klein: Neil Aspinall (who died in 2008).

Fifth Beatle in terms of being a lovable roadie: Mal Evans (who died in 1976).

But….

Fifth Beatle in artistic terms, in being essential to their development on various levels on records and their control of their art, to the point where, in their latest albums (except for Abbey Road), he could let them manage their own recording sessions more: George Martin.

The obituaries will say as much authoritative stuff as I could on the fly, so check them out (especially, though I haven't read much of it yet, Allan Kozinn’s in The New York Times).