The Beatles

The Beatles grew from a small Liverpool band into a worldwide sensation, and were one of the most influential music groups of all-time. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote some of the best music ever, whether together or on their own. Some songs, such as "I Am the Walrus," composed by John Lennon, bring listeners on a psychedelic trip. Others, like Paul McCartney's opus, "Hey Jude," have captivated audiences, uniting every person whilst they sing, "Na, na, na...Hey Jude." Ringo Starr and George Harrison also wrote songs for The Beatles, but far less than Lennon and McCartney. In the long run, it was always a "Hard Day's Night" for The Beatles, but throughout their career it all seemed to be a "Magical Mystery Tour." Whether crossing "Abbey Road," frolicking in an "Octopus' Garden" beneath the sea in a "Yellow Submarine." The Beatles "Let It Be," and did most everything. They dominated the music scene, visited foreign countries, and set many records along the way. The unofficial founder of the group, John Lennon, that we all know and love today was brought up living a simple lifestyle. He always had a strong interest in music.

As a boy John Winston Lennon aspired to be a musician. He was raised by his Aunt when, at four, his parents went through a divorce. When speaking of his mother, in The Beatles Anthology, he once said, "My mother was a housewife, I suppose. She was a comedienne and a singer." However, John soon forgot his father, he once said, "It was like he was dead" and it is easy to say that he never had a good relationship with either parent. When John was born, on October 9, 1940, his father, Alfred was away overseas. His mother, Julia, gave birth to him during World War II, during a quiet period in Liverpool when the bombings let-up. Julia's sister, Mary Smith was overjoyed at the arrival of her new nephew and their relationship quickly strengthened. Soon, Julia Stanley Lennon came to the realization that having a child burdened her free-living lifestyle, (Ewing). She then asked her sister and her husband, George Smith, if they would be willing to take little John beneath their wings. They gladly accepted the challenge, and throughout John's childhood, he was very much influenced by his Aunt Mimi, as he affectionately called her. It was not until 1957 that John met Paul McCartney, who was the second born Beatle.

James Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942 at Walton Road Hospital in Rice Lane, Liverpool. He was the first born to Mary and James McCartney, with a younger brother Peter Michael McCartney, born one year and six months after Paul. Paul's mother was a midwife, who died of breast cancer in 1955. During Paul's childhood, his father was a cotton salesman for A. Hannay Co., but was a jazz musician at night performing with Jim Mac's Jazz Band. His father was a self-taught pianist, and encouraged Paul to become a musician. As a child, Paul and his younger brother played in "bomb-sites," and Paul once said, "I grew up thinking the word 'bomb-site' almost meant 'playground,'" (The Beatles Anthology, 18). John and Paul quickly forged a strong friendship after Paul's mother passed away, as John's mother also passed when John was a boy. According to the George Harrison Biography, Paul McCartney met the fourth born Beatle, George Harrison at the Liverpool Institute, which was the city's best high school for boys.

George Harold Harrison was born on February 25, 1943 in Liverpool to father, Harry, and mother, Louise. In The Beatles Anthology George said:

My father had been a seaman, but by then he was driving a bus. My mother was from an Irish family called French, and she had lots of brothers and sisters. My mother was Catholic. My father wasn't and, although they always say people who weren't Catholics were Church of England, he didn't appear to be anything.

His family lived in poverty in 12 Arnold Grove, Liverpool, in a "two up, two down" apartment (The Beatles Anthology, 25). Harrison lived in cramped quarters, along with his two brothers Harold and Peter. Paul rode the same bus as George to school, and, as luck would have it, both boys were interested in music. The third born Beatle, Richard Starkey, or Ringo Starr, had no previous relations with John, Paul, or George. However, Ringo had a similar upbringing - a rough one.

Richard Starkey was born on July 7, 1940, and was the only child of Richard Starkey, Sr. and Elsie Gleave (Gary Schultz). Richard Starkey Sr. left his only son and wife in 1944, and Elsie Gleave, determined to raise a child on her own, was a barmaid. "I have no real memories of my Dad," Ringo said, "I never really got on with him because I was brainwashed by my mother about what a pig he was," (The Beatles Anthology, 32). Ringo, who was called Ritchie at the time, did not have a very good education, due to medical issues that arose. At the age of six, he developed appendicitis, which led to his appendix rupturing. He was then hospitalized with peritonitis , which is the inflammation and infection of the peritoneum, or the membrane lining the abdomen (Gary Schultz), which also resulted in a ten week long coma. The doctors told Ms. Gleave that her son would not survive, but to the doctor's surprise, Ritchie slowly began to improve. However, Ritchie fell

out of the hospital bed, which led to an additional six months of treatment. When released from the hospital, Ritchie was far behind with his schooling, and a neighbor began to tutor him. In 1953, Ritchie developed pleurisy, which is the inflammation of the pleura, or the thin layers of tissue covering the lungs and the chest cavity, resulting in another hospitilaztion (Gary Schultz). Two years later, at the age of fifteen, Ritchie had regained the strength to leave the hospital, and subsequently, he felt he had missed to much in terms of an education, and felt that continuing was out of the question (Gary Schultz). Needless to say, Richard Starkey never completed high school. The four "Beatles boys" basically met through affiliations, and developed from a small band, to a worldwide pop culture icon.

In the March of 1957 John Lennon formed a skiffle band called the Black Jacks. Skiffle was a popular genre of music in Liverpool, that can be compared to folk music. The band, which was later re-dubbed "The Quarry Men," named after their school, Quarry Bank (The Beatles Anthology, 54), and along with friends, John Lennon "jammed" with a guitar, washboard, drums, and a banjo. John Lennon met Paul McCartney at an annual St. Peter's Woolton Parish Church gathering on July 6, 1957, through their mutual