British music legend Billy J. Kramer has launched a new campaign to get his late manager Brian Epstein into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The rocker, who shared Epstein with his pals the Beatles and recorded a handful of John Lennon and Paul MCCartney-penned songs, is determined to seek recognition for the manager, who died in 1967.

If Kramer is successful, Epstein will become the first manager inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He tells UltimateClassicRock.com, "Brian Epstein brought the biggest band to the world. They’re the biggest band that’s ever been and ever will be... They brought so much great music, so much enjoyment, and he was the one that did it. He was the man that pounded the pavements in London when nobody wanted to know about the Beatles, and he was responsible for making them what they were.

"They could have well been overlooked. They could have stayed in Liverpool forever."

Kramer admits he's puzzled why he is having to fight for Epstein's inclusion in the Hall of Fame - because the Beatles manager should already be in there.

He adds, "It’s something that I can’t explain. I just think it’s sad that he’s become this kind of forgotten man, and he shouldn’t be.

There’s a perception that the voters are this 'old-boys network' of cronies, with all the politics that comes with that. So what can we, as Beatles fans, do to alert them to this oversight?"