Do You Like the Beatles?

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The Fab Four, the Mop Tops, the Beatles did not become a success overnight, although it seemed that way. Here's a synopsis of what changes the group went through: 1956 - John Lennon formed a skiffle group (skiffle - "a kind of folk music with a blues or jazz flavor that was popular in the 1950s, played by a small group and often incorporating improvised instruments such as washboards".) with friends from his high school. The name was changed to the Blackjacks and then the Quarrymen. 1957 - Paul McCartney, 15, joined the group. 1958 - Paul invited his friend, George Harrison to join. 1959 - The others had left the group; and only John, Paul and George remained. They called themselves Johnny and the Moondogs. They performed when they could find a drummer. 1960 - Stuart Sutcliffe joined the group as their bass guitarist. Stuart suggested changing the name to the Beatals which later became the Silver Beetles and then the Beatles. 1960 - Pete Best joined as the drummer. 1962 - Pete Best died from a brain hemmorhage. The Beatles during this time were playing clubs in Hamburg and Liverpool. 1962 - Pete Best is replaced with Ringo Starr on the drums. The Beatles record "Love Me Do", "Please, Please Me" and "P. S. I Love You". Brian Epstein, their manager, tells them to maximize their commercial appeal, they must stop eating on stage, stop swearing and stop smoking. The Beatles have their first hit in the UK - "Love Me Do". 1964 - The Beatles have their first hit in the US - "I Want to Hold Your Hand"; and Beatlemania begins; and the Beatles become International stars. I used to listen to their music under the covers on my transistor radio when I was supposed to be asleep. :-) I was lucky enough to attend their concert in Cleveland in the 60s. The Beatles are the best-selling musicians of all time, selling 600 million units worldwide. They've had many awards, including 7 Grammys and 1 Academy Award. They are the most influential band of all time and brought a whole new style of music. They had experimented with many different types of music over the years and continued to evolve. 1970 - The group dissolves but they continue on in solo careers. 1980 - John Lennon is murdered. 2001 - George Harrison dies of lung cancer. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr continue to perform. Here is the Beatles first US hit: "I Want to Hold Your Hand". It seems so primitive when compared to their later music. Do you have a favorite Beatles song? Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons