Horst Fascher made his name in St. Pauli as a boxer before turning a brothel into a venue that would become part of music history. In his Star Club, according to the German obituary, the Beatles achieved their breakthrough. The headline of the remembrance puts his role bluntly: without him, the Beatles would still be in Liverpool.
Fascher came up in 1950s St. Pauli, when youth gangs fought with stones and clubs and state authority was not yet firmly established in the district. He relied on his fists, describing himself as someone with a big heart who took on anyone. He boxed his way through, becoming Hamburg featherweight champion at 17 and, by his account, unbeatable on the Reeperbahn.
The obituary presents Fascher as a figure who helped push rock'n'roll forward, not least by giving the Beatles a stage at the Star Club after transforming the St. Pauli brothel into a music venue. His life story moves from street fights and boxing rings to the club that became a landmark in rock history.
Sources: Süddeutsche Zeitung.