London - The veteran record producer, Sir George Martin, the man known as the Fifth Beatle, yesterday challenged record companies to boycott artists who take drugs. Sir George, the guru behind most of The Beatles' hit records, accused pop stars and the fashion industry of glamorising drug-taking and putting young people at risk.
"I do hope that people recognise what the problems are and that they will make it very clear that they will not knowingly, wittingly, use people who are known to be drug abusers," he told a conference of British police chiefs. Sir George (72), criticised Noel Gallagher, the brains behind the British rock band, Oasis, for portraying drug use as normal. --(Reuters)