Career
He is the maternal grandfather of potter Heather McCartney, photographer Mary McCartney, fashion designer Stella McCartney, and musician/sculptor James Louis McCartney. Eastman was also the friend and longtime lawyer for and collector of the works of the Abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning. When the Beatles" company Apple Corps was in business trouble early in 1969, Eastman and Allen Klein were both considered to take the reins of the company, and of the band"s careers.
John Lennon favoured Klein.
Lennon said he was impressed that Klein knew Lennon"s lyrics, and understood them, and that Klein was very intelligent. George Harrison and Ringo Starr chose Klein, though Lennon said in 1970 that he maneuvered Klein into Apple.
McCartney wanted Eastman, but was out-voted 3-1. Foreign a short period, Klein managed Apple and the personal careers of Lennon, Harrison, and Starr while Eastman was the corporate counsel and managed McCartney.
The Klein/Eastman combination did not work, and after a contentious meeting, Eastman was out.
Klein made some successful deals for the Beatles, and they made more money during their short tenure with Klein than they did while managed by Brian Epstein. Lennon, Harrison, and Starr eventually soured on Klein, and after a series of suits and countersuits, Klein left Apple with a multimillion-dollar buyout. In 1984, McCartney cited one example of advice he received from Eastman:
McCartney"s music publishing investments have paid official
In 1984, he estimated that half his income came from recording, and half from his music publishing business.
