The History of Band Tees

In the mid-1950s, Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, began selling Elvis-related merchandise as part of a deal with a Beverly Hills company. The merchandise included t-shirts, scarves, sneakers, hats, and even lipsticks. (Colonel Parker secretly also sold “I Hate Elvis” buttons to people who weren’t fans of Presley to make more money.) However, it was Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles, who truly introduced the concept of the modern band tee. In 1963, Epstein entrusted the logistics to the band’s lawyer, David Jacobs, who in turn sought the help of a man named Nicky Byrne. The two men began issuing official licenses to companies that wanted to make The Beatles merchandise in exchange for 10% of the profits. This included t-shirts and other clothing items and helped make band tees popular. However, at the height of Beatlemania, the merchandising requests got somewhat out of control and included orders for dolls, wigs, Beatles-branded licorice, and more — one company even asked if they could sell the band members’ used bathwater! (Jacobs and Byrne said no.) Band tees were very popular throughout the 1960s and tie-dye designs were a common sight at festivals. In the 1970s, AC/DC became the first band to make more money from merchandise than concert tickets. The Ramones became famous for their t-shirts, which featured a special coat of arms designed by Arturo Vega, a Mexican-born artist and friend of the band. The design became so popular that it is still sold today and sales from the t-shirts helped keep the band afloat financially. In the 1990s, many bands followed suit, releasing t-shirts to help themselves stay financially solvent. (Some were even criticized for caring more about the merchandise than their music.) Around this time, band tees became a popular fashion trend and for the first time, people began wearing t-shirts advertising bands that they weren’t necessarily fans of. Today, band tees remain an important revenue stream for musicians and continue to provide a way for fans to look cool and show their allegiance to a particular musical act.