Beatles Days

[The Quarrymen, with John Lennon in center, checked shirt, July 6, 1957.]

A colleague asked if I celebrated Ringo Starr’s birthday. Alas, I did not, yet I was keenly aware that yesterday was Ringo’s 68th birthday. I countered by asking my colleague whether he celebrated the other great Beatle anniversary this week?

July 6, 1957, the day John Lennon met Paul McCartney. Everyone (OK – probably just Beatles geeks) knows the story. John had a band, the Quarrymen. Paul loved music but was not in a band. John’s band was playing at some village fete (or church fete). When I first really dug into the Beatles history – about age 15 or so – I always wondered what the hell a fete was. Ivan Vaughn, mutual friend of John and Paul agrees to introduce the two. 15 year old Paul bikes over from Allerton (the biking pre-Beatle – how quaint) to catch the show. Between shows, Paul shows John how to play – and proves he knows all the words to the song – Twenty Flight Rock (link - by Minnesota’s own Eddie Cochran). Remembering the lyrics to songs (even Beatles songs) proved difficult for Lennon throughout his career. Other stories have Paul showing John how to actually tune a guitar. Either way, John was impressed and one week later asks Paul to join the band. The rest is history.

Found a good article in a recent edition of the Liverpool Echo about the fateful meeting, including some interesting detail about former Quarrymen, and the guy who took the one iconic picture that day.



Back to Ringo – Hmm – I’ve just noticed that with my “summer short” haircut, I seem to sporting the same look as Ringo. If I grew a my facial hair, then all I’d need would be the nose. You may think it odd, but there is something comforting to know I have my very own Beatles hair-cut – albeit he’s a 68 year old beatle. Happy Belated Birthday Ringo – Peace and Love.