A lot of people aren't too familiar with Tony Sheridan but he was piviotal in The Beatles rise to becoming one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. He was the frontman of a band called Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers. The Beatles were the backing band. This was during the crucial point in their career in which they were playing clubs in Hamburg. Here's his obituary in the UK Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9876075/Tony-Sheridan.html