by John “Buzz” Bezzini
Who was Paul Drew? As many of the blog subscribers know, I love to collect the signatures of individuals who played a role in the Beatles story. Several years ago, I was able to obtain a document on eBay that presented in a small portfolio-type document that presented many photos of radio personality Paul Drew’s associations with many significant celebrities during his prominent radio career. The part of the portfolio that deals with his Beatles association will be the focus of this post. The photos presented from the portfolio cover the 64-66 early part of their worldwide fame and extending that beyond to their solo years in the 70s.
Under the fair use fair use clause of the copyright law I am going to share with you a few samples of Paul’ Drew’s ‘association with the Beatles that are present in the Paul Drew document that I purchased. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I have!
Based on my copy of the portfolio, they apparently made 1,000 signed copies of the Drew photographic portfolio. I am only going to isolate some of the Beatles-related photos in my copy of the small document:
The cover signed and numbered by Paul Drew
Some of the Beatles-related photos in the document:
Paul Drew talking to John in the 70s:
Interviewing John in the 60s:
Paul interviews Paul in the 70s/80s
Paul interviews Paul in the 60s:
Paul Drew with George Harrison and Ringo Starr:
My numbered copy of the signed Paul Drew portfolio. This is the copyright information for the document. Highly recommend you pick this up for your collections if you see it being offered somewhere:
A FEW PAUL DREW INTERVIEWS WITH JOHN LENNON AND A FEW ITEMS OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE BEATLES AND PAUL DREW THAT WERE AUCTIONED:
A letter from George Harrison, Revolver at Stax Studio | Beatles Archive
Beatles: Rare letter signed by Fab Four fetches £13,000
John Lennon remembers the early days of the Beatles (1975 RKO interview with Paul Drew)
1974 09 25 John Lennon Interview with Paul Drew at RKO Radio Promoting Walls and Bridges
Letter John wrote and left for Paul in Japan, 1978 : r/beatles
Who is Paul Drew? Background Information:
Paul Drew is best known as a pioneering American radio personality, program director, and broadcasting executive whose career spanned decades in both U.S. and Canadian radio. He made notable contributions to international media opportunities.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Paul Drew was born March 10, 1935, in Detroit, Michigan. Attended Wayne State University and began his radio career in 1954 at WDET-FM in Detroit. He later worked at WHLS-AM (Port Huron, MI), WGST-AM (Atlanta, GA), and WAKE (Atlanta, GA)
Radio Career and accompanying the Beatles on tour
In 1964, Drew joined WQXI in Atlanta. He served as music and program director and earned a national reputation for selecting hits. He became known as “the Fifth Beatle” for traveling with The Beatles on all their U.S. tours, producing live reports and a 1964 Christmas Eve special from London
Executive Work
Drew was vice president of programming for RKO General Broadcasting in the 1970s, overseeing diverse formats from talk to classical music . He also directed Radio Marti (1984–85), establishing Voice of America broadcasts to Cuba, and founded several companies, including Paul Drew Enterprises and partnerships linking U.S. and Japanese entertainment ventures
Legacy and significant accomplishments
Paul Drew is remembered for:
- Shaping teen radio culture in the South with a conversational, music-focused style.
- Bridging U.S. and international media through ventures and broadcasts.
- Mentoring and influencing the broadcast industry through executive leadership and on-air presence
- The Beatles obviously respected and admired Paul Drew!
He passed away in 2013, leaving a legacy as one of the most influential figures in mid-20th-century American radio
In short: Paul Drew was a trailblazing radio DJ, program director, and media executive whose work shaped both U.S. radio culture and international broadcasting.
Concluding remarks:
Hope you enjoyed this perspective of one of the early radio personalities that followed the Beatles throughout the years. They obviously admired and respected Paul Drew very much as his interviews spanned a solid 10years + with them. I recommend that you obtain a copy of this document if you see it being offered somewhere as it offers another piece to the puzzle and legacy of the Beatles story
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
OUR FEATURED AUTHOR OF THE WEEK – KIT O’TOOLE
KIT’S FANTASTIC BOOK ON THE BEATLES SONGS
Songs We Were Singing
Take A “Magical Mystery Tour” through the Beatles’ Deep Tracks. The Beatles’ music has become so ingrained in our culture that their songs have become an integral part of our everyday lives. Who doesn’t know the words to “Hey Jude” or “Let It Be”? Who hasn’t been moved by the poetry of “Eleanor Rigby” or energized by that opening chord of “A Hard Day’s Night”?
