History of BEATLES

1957–60: Formation

Main article: The Quarrymen

In March 1957, while attending Quarry Bank Grammar School in Liverpool, John Lennon formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen.^[3] Lennon met guitarist Paul McCartney at the Woolton Garden Fête, held at St. Peter's Church, on 6 July 1957; Lennon added him to the group a few days later.^[4] On 6 February 1958 young guitarist George Harrison was invited to watch the group, playing under a variety of names, at Wilson Hall, Garston, Liverpool.^[5] McCartney had become acquainted with Harrison on the morning bus ride to the Liverpool Institute, as they both lived in Speke. Despite Lennon's initial reluctance due to Harrison's young age, Harrison joined the Quarrymen as lead guitarist at McCartney's insistence after a rehearsal in March 1958.^[6][7] Lennon and McCartney both played rhythm guitar during that period, and had a high turnover of drummers. Lennon's art school friend Stuart Sutcliffe joined on bass in January 1960.^[8][9]

The Quarrymen went through a progression of names, including "Johnny and the Moondogs" and "Long John and The Beatles". Sutcliffe suggested the name "The Beetles" as a tribute to Buddy Holly and The Crickets. After a tour with Johnny Gentle in Scotland, the band changed their name to "The Beatles." Lennon's first wife Cynthia Lennon suggested that Lennon came up with the name The Beatles at a "brainstorming session over a beer-soaked table in the Renshaw Hall bar."^[10] Lennon, who was well known for giving multiple versions of the same story, joked in a 1961 Mersey Beat magazine article that "It came in a vision — a man appeared on a flaming pie and said unto them, 'From this day on you are Beatles with an A'".^[11] During an interview in 2001, McCartney took credit for the peculiar spelling of the name, saying that "John had the idea of calling us the Beetles; I said, 'How about the Beatles; you know, like the beat of the drum?' At the time, everyone was stoned enough to find it hilarious. It's funny how history is made."^[12]

In May 1960, the then-Silver Beetles toured northeast Scotland as a back-up band with singer Johnny Gentle, whom the band had met an hour before their first gig.^[8] McCartney referred to the tour as a great experience for the band.^[13] For the tour, the often drummer-less group secured the services of Tommy Moore, who was considerably older than the others.^[14] Moore left the band soon after the tour and went back to work in a bottling factory as a forklift truck driver.^[15] Norman Chapman was the band's next drummer, but was called up for National Service a few weeks later. His departure posed a serious problem, for the group's unofficial manager, Allan Williams, had arranged for them to perform in clubs on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg, West Germany