The Beatles
arguably the best group in the history of popular music, the musical appeal of the Beatles has spanned more than thirty years. Over the course of seven years during the 1960s, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr changed the face of the rock and roll world. Formed in 1957 in Liverpool, England, the band began as a skiffle group called the Quarry Men fronted by John Lennon. It was that year that Paul McCartney was introduced to Lennon at a Quarry Men gig. After a little audition consisting of "Twenty Flight Rock" and "Long Tall Sally,"McCartney was asked to join the band. The next year, George Harrison, a friend of Paul, joined the group. In 1960, John's art school friend, Stu Sutcliffe became the band's bass player and Pete Best joined as the drummer. Over the course of three years, the Quarry Men went through a number of name changes, but in 1960, the group finally settled on a name - the Beatles. The name was a tribute to Buddy Holly's Cricketts.The Beatles then headed to Hamburg, West Germany, where they played all-night sets in a number of seedy clubs. For three months, the group began to form an energetic stage performances of American rock and roll covers (with the help of amphetamines). Harrison, McCartney and Best were soon deported - George for being underage and Paul and Pete for setting fire to their apartment. John followed the band home, but Stu stayed behind with his German girlfriend Astrid Kirschherr, who helped create the famous Beatles haircut.Stu died of a brain hemorrhage in 1962. The style the Beatles picked up in Germany became a big hit back home in Liverpool. The group soon became a leader in the city's "beat" music scene. Once George came of legal age, the Beatles returned to Hamburg for another stint. It was during this time that they served as the back-up group for singer Tony Sheridan.
