'Her Gift To The Beatles Was Immeasurable': Photographer Astrid Kirchherr Dies At 81

Before they became world-famous mop-top icons, the Beatles looked like a bunch of greasers. And photographer Astrid Kirchherr is often credited as the first to capture the band's fashion evolution as well as influencing their new direction.
Kirchherr, who met the group after a 1960 show in Hamburg, Germany, died on Wednesday at the age of 81, after a short illness, German news outlets reported.
"Intelligent, inspirational, innovative, daring, artistic, awake, aware, beautiful, smart, loving and uplifting friend to many," Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn tweeted. "Her gift to the Beatles was immeasurable," Lewisohn wrote, adding that she'd died "a few days before turning 82."