Former music manager Allen Klein, an aggressive businessman who bulldozed his way into and out of deals with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, has died aged 77.

A publicist for Klein's company, ABKCO Music & Records, says Klein died on Saturday at his New York City home of Alzheimer's disease.

Klein became one of the most powerful figures in music world in the 1960s. Known for his tenacity in tracking down royalties and getting better record deals, he garnered clients including Sam Cooke, Bobby Darin and Herman's Hermits.

But he was most famous for signing on the Rolling Stones and then the Beatles. Both arrangements eventually spurred lawsuits, with some Beatles fans blaming Klein for contributing to the tensions that broke the Beatles apart.

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