Maureen Cleave, British journalist who championed the Beatles, dies aged 87

After befriending the band, Cleave influenced their lyrics and prompted John Lennon’s infamous comment that they were ‘more popular than Jesus’

Maureen Cleave, the British journalist best known for her profiles of the Beatles, has died aged 87 after a short illness.

As one of the few young journalists given scope to write about the pop explosion of the 1960s – and with her inquiring, non-deferential tone – Cleave helped to kickstart the British music journalism that flourished in her wake.