The Beatles

THE BEATLES (CURIOUS FACTS)

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. Who became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music. Formed by John Lennon (John Ono Lennon, but born John Winston Lennon), Paul McCartney (James Paul McCartney), Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) and George Harrison.

The Beatles were formed in March of 1957 by 16-year-old John Lennon and several friends. First called the Blackjacks, and later the Quarrymen, Paul McCartney joined the band later the same year, after hearing them play at a church social. By early 1958, George Harrison had joined. Shortly after this, the Quarrymen, now going by the name The Beatles, left for Germany where they were slated to play as the house band in a number of clubs operated by the same owner.

Both Paul McCartney and John Lennon lost their mothers to early and untimely deaths - a fact that no doubt helped unite them. McCartney's mother died of a blood clot following surgery for breast cancer in 1956. John's mother was struck by a car and killed while walking along the street in 1958. Neither lived to see their sons become world-renowned musicians.

The Beatles before 1962 were: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best and Stuart Stucliffe.

The first member to leave the band was Ringo Starr - in 1968. He rejoined several months later, however. The following year, in late 1969, John Lennon left the band, although he agreed not to make his departure public, because Abbey Road was being released the following week. In early 1970, just before Let It Be was released, Paul McCartney left the band, released a solo album, and publicly announced that The Beatles were breaking up. Lennon was incensed by this, feeling that McCartney had conned him into keeping his departure quiet so that McCartney could get the "credit" for breaking up the band, and so he could use the break-up to promote his own solo album. Lennon later said: "I started the band. I disbanded it. It's as simple as that."

Following their break-up, all four Beatles embarked on solo careers, with each releasing a solo album in 1970. All four recorded #1 hit songs as solo acts. Everyone but Ringo had a #1 album. The best-selling solo album among ex-Beatles in George Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass, which has been certified 6-times platinum in the United States. The most enduring single by an ex-Beatle is John Lennon's song "Imagine." The overall best-selling ex-Beatle is Paul McCartney.

CURIOUS FACTS:

-The famous song; 'Yesterday', written by Paul McCartney had its music written before its lyrics. It is said that Paul used the words 'scrambled eggs' to fill the lyrics,

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