document: Tony Barrow represented the band between 1962 and 1968 and also wrote sleeve notes for their early albums, as well as the strip cartoon for the Magical Mystery Tour booklet.
  Mr Barrow died on Saturday night, aged 80, at his home in Morecambe.
  He had also represented other Merseybeat acts such as Gerry and the Pacemakers and Cilla Black.
  Born in Crosby in 1936, Mr Barrow was poached from the Decca record group in 1962 by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein.
  Beatles expert Spencer Leigh said he was an unassuming cog in the band's success and had the "unusual" task for a press officer of reining in the publicity they received.
  "The majority of press officers are trying to get publicity for their performers but The Beatles had so much publicity that he was trying to draw it back at times."
  "He had to be with Brian Epstein, who was a very temperamental manager - Tony told me that he'd been sacked at least a dozen times by Epstein, but he always took him back the next day", he said.
  Mr Barrow was with the band when they met Elvis Presley for the first and only time, at his Beverly Hills mansion on 27 August 1965.
  He said they were "initially put off by the fact that the press might be involved" but ended up jamming with the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
  Mr Barrow went on to set up his own PR company, representing Wings and managing Lyn Paul of the New Seekers and Helen Shapiro, before retiring in 1980.
  He is survived by his widow, Corinne, and his two sons.
summary: The Beatles' former press officer, who coined the term 'The Fab Four' to describe the band, has died.