The Beatles Liverpool, EnglandAs the Beatles once joked on one of their annual Christmas messages to their fans: "You can take a boy out of Liverpool, but you can never take Liverpool out of the boy." Even though none of the Beatles stayed in Liverpool, England once they became famous, they all were greatly influenced by the working class town they grew up in. As hard as it is for a rock band to stick together, the common bond of coming from Liverpool played a large part in their ability to work together and form a brotherhood over 13 years (1957 to 1970). One character trait that seems to distinguish Liverpudlians from the rest of Britain is their unique sense of humor. The Beatles charmed their fans and the press with their good-humored personalities. How did the Beatles "Come Together"? It all started in July 1957... The Quarrymen
John Lennon's first band was called The Quarrymen.
The skiffle craze popularized by Lonnie Donnegan's hit "Rock Island Line" swept Britain in 1956. John Lennon was 16 years old. He decided to form his own skiffle group with schoolmate Pete Shotton. They called themselves the Quarrymen. They recruited other friends of theirs to join the band, so that by July 1957 they had a five-piece lineup. Skiffle was the poor man's pop music, such that everyday household items were now used as instruments. As a result, skilled guitarists in skiffle groups were hard to find. On July 6, 1957, the Quarrymen played a gig at the Garden Fete at St. Peter's Church. Ivan Vaughn, a mutual friend of John and Paul McCartney's, brought Paul to hear the Quarrymen play. After the gig, Paul was introduced to John, and played "Twenty Flight Rock" for him on the guitar. John was impressed. A few weeks later, Paul was asked to join the Quarrymen. John was 17 and Paul was 15, and thus, the greatest songwriting union in rock music was born. Meanwhile, Paul knew George Harrison because they rode the same bus to school. They struck up a friendship over their common interest in guitars and rock and roll. George was not immediately asked to join the group because he was much younger. In the early days, George idolized John, and would follow the group around. Due to his persistence, he wound up filling in when one of the guitarists was absent. George finally became part of the group in 1958. The group's first recording was made in mid-1958. Buddy Holly's "That'll be the Day" and "In Spite of all the Danger" by Paul McCartney and George Harrison were recorded. Since the recording was more for themselves, they only made one copy. Both recordings appeared on "The Beatles Anthology 1" released in 1995. The other members of the Quarrymen eventually left the group, until it was just John, Paul and George, and whatever drummer was available. Read how Ringo Starr joined the group in 1962 and replaced the Beatles original drummer, Pete Best Fun Fact: The original members of the Quarrymen reunited in the 1990s and are still performing
For further reading on the Quarrymen, read Hunter Davies' book, "The Quarrymen" MEMBERS ONLY: Read an interview with Rod Davis of the original Quarrymen
The Beatles ChildhoodIn addition to their love of rock and roll, another thing that bonded John Lennon and Paul McCartney at least on a spiritual level was that they both lost their mothers.Paul was 14 when his mother, Mary, died in 1955 of breast cancer. John was 17 when his mother, Julia, died from being hit by a car in 1958. Although rarely discussed on the surface, the emotional effects from their tragic loss possibly brought them closer together on a subconscious level. All four Beatles came from a different family situation: John was raised by his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George since his mother wasn't able to care for him and his father was estranged; after his mother died, Paul was raised by his father who re-married in the early '60's; George was raised by both parents; and Ringo was raised by his mother and stepfather. The dynamics of John, Paul, George and Ringo's relationships with each other can be examined in a number of ways, but the fact that they all came from a town with character like Liverpool had a profound effect on their career together.
Liverpool Pays Tribute to The BeatlesThe Beatles were proud of their heritage, and were happy to share their childhood hometown with the world through their songs like "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever".The Beatles and their songs have inspired the world to come visit this relatively unknown city put on the map by their beloved four sons. In fact, over the years, the "Penny Lane" street sign had to be painted on the wall, since anonymous fans kept stealing the physical signs off the street. Now over 50 years after John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met, their hometown of Liverpool, England has become a mecca for Beatles fans. The annual Beatles Week held every August has grown into a massive festival with hundreds of thousands of Beatles fans attending. In 1982, four streets in Liverpool were named after the Beatles: In 1984, the Cavern Club on Mathew Street was reopened. In 1990, a Beatles museum called The Beatles Story opened at the Albert Dock in Liverpool. In 1998 and 2003, respectively, the childhood homes of Paul McCartney and John Lennon were declared National Trust landmarks and were opened to the public. In 2002, the Liverpool Airport was renamed Liverpool John Lennon Airport. In 2008, a Beatles hotel called A Hard Day's Night Hotel opened on John Street in Liverpool.
For a virtual tour of Liverpool, check out the DVD: "The Concise Beatles Liverpool" Return from Beatles Liverpool England to Beatles Please Please Me
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