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One of the
biggest musical acts in history, The Beatles were John Lennon (guitar), George
Harrison (guitar), Paul McCartney (bass) and Ringo Starr (drums). Lennon and
McCartney began playing together in The Quarrymen in 1957; Harrison joined later
that year. Before they became The Beatles, they were also Johnny and the
Moondogs and The Silver Beatles, joined at times by bandmates including bassist
Stuart Sutcliffe (23 June 1940 - 10 April 1962) and drummer Pete Best (b. 24
November 1941); Best was replaced by Ringo to form the final foursome. The early
Beatles performed shows in Hamburg, Germany and Liverpool, England, playing
covers of early American rock and roll plus original songs by Lennon and
McCartney. With hits like `Love Me Do`, `She Loves You` and movies `A Hard Day`s
Night` (1964) and `Help!` (1965) Beatlemania was boosted with a worldwide
celebrity status. In December of 1970 McCartney brought a lawsuit to dissolve
The Beatles as a legal entity, and the group broke up. Their hits are too
numerous to mention, and their impact on pop music can't be overstated. |
