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From 1964 to 1970, the Beatles were the world’s most popular musical group. The Beatles were four musicians from Liverpool, England. They were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. None of them had any real music lessons. They pretty much taught themselves as they went along.
In the 1950’s when John, Paul, George and Ringo were growing up, Liverpool was a poor gloomy, seaport city. One good thing about growing up there was that local sailors returning home brought back rock-and-roll records from the United States. People who lived in Liverpool became the first people in England to hear the exciting new music.
Long before the Beatles met, each was inspired by rock-and-roll music. They were especially crazy about Elvis Presley.
John Lennon started the Beatles. He was born in 1940 during a Word War II bombing raid. John was a trouble maker in school. He was smart, but never got good grades. He went to art college and was a talented artist, but was really much more interested in playing his guitar. John started a band called the Quarrymen
Paul McCartney was two years younger than John Lennon. Even though music was always around Paul’s home while he was growing up, he wasn’t interested until he became a teenager. When Paul was fourteen, he started picking out his favorite tunes on the piano. Once he got his guitar, it was all he cared about.
One day at a church picnic Paul heard a local band play. It was John Lennon and his band. Paul noticed that when John forgot the words to a song he would just make up his own words. Later that day Paul met John Lennon and played the guitar for him. Paul could imitate famous rock-and-roll singers perfectly. John asked Paul to join the Quarryman.
George Harrison was born in 1943 and the youngest Beatle. George started out by teaching himself to play the guitar. When he became discouraged his mother told him to keep trying. By the time George was fourteen he could play very well. He went to school with Paul McCartney and they would practice the guitar at each other’s houses. George played the guitar for John Lennon and was soon asked to join the Quarrymen.
The last member to join the Beatles was Ringo Starr. He was born in 1940 and grew up in the roughest and toughest parts of Liverpool. Ringo’s real name was Richard Starkey. He changed his name because he thought it sounded better for someone in show business and he always wore a lot of rings.
Ringo was a drummer and joined a band that was very popular in Liverpool. Ringo’s band would play in the same places as John Lennon’s band which by now had changed it’s name from Quarrymen to Beatles. The Beatles had a drummer but John, Paul and George weren’t crazy about him. Finally Ringo was asked to join the Beatles.
The Beatles were becoming a big hit around Liverpool. Luckily a businessman named Brian Epstein convinced them that he could get their songs recorded by a big record company. He also set up concerts around England. The only thing Brian asked of the band was to not goof around so much and dress a little more neatly.
The Beatles were more popular than ever in England and the rest of Europe. The cheery “yeah, yeah, yeah” you can here in there song “She Loves You” helped make it the Beatles first million selling record. The Beatles were mobbed by screaming fans where ever they went.
The Beatles wanted their music to be popular in the U.S. Brian arranged for the Beatles to appear on the “Ed Sullivan Show”the most popular television show in America. The Beatles were a huge hit. The audience was screaming so loud with excitement that people could hardly hear the Beatles sing. They began touring all over the world.
Traveling ended up becoming a big problem due to the band’s popularity and many crazy fans. Finally the Beatles decided to stop traveling and spend more time making records.
The Beatles did things in their music that had never been done before. They tried putting echoes on their voices, recording their voices at different speeds and using different instruments. They experimented with the music of India and other cultures. In one of their greatest albums, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, you can hear all kinds of wonderful sounds and lyrics the Beatles invented.
In 1970 when the Beatles split up it was just because they wanted to try doing their own music. They all were successful. Paul started a group call Wings. George and Ringo recorded their own music and gave concerts. John wrote music with his wife Yoko Ono.
Many people thought the Beatles had done something no other popular band had done. They had made rock-and-roll music as important as classical or symphonic music.
