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In LIFE's Remembering John Lennon, I read an article called "The Fab Four," which talked about one of the most important days in Beatles history, July 6th, 1957... the day John Lennon met Paul McCartney.

At age 16, John Lennon formed a band called the Quarry Men, (also written as Quarrymen), named after his high school Quarry Bank, after being inspired from first hearing Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." The band wasn't very good at first, knowing how to play only a few simple songs and chords, but the band managed to play at parties, school dances, cinemas and amateur contests. There was one gig that changed the Quarry Men's future forever.

On Saturday, July 6th, 1957, the Quarry Men performed at St. Peter's Church Rose Queen garden fete in Woolton. The bassist of the band, Ivan Vaughan invited a friend of his named Paul McCartney to the show. During a break, Vaughan introduced Lennon to McCartney. Paul showed John how he tuned a guitar, and performed a few songs he knew on guitar. McCartney later joined the band two weeks later, and made his debut with the Quarry Men on Friday, October 18, 1957 at a Conservative Club social at the New Clubmoor Hall.

Paul McCartney later introduced the next member of the band, George Harrison, who was a bit younger than all the members, (fourteen to be exact). He knew quite a bit of chords on the guitar, and was appointed to lead guitarist of the Quarry Men. 

Brian Epstein, who ran a music store, listened to one of the band's performances and later became their manager, landing them a recording session under one condition- drummer Pete Best was to be replaced. He was replaced by a fellow Englishman the band had all had come to know; his name was Ringo Starr.

The Quarry Men soon went by different names, one of which was the Silver Beatles, a tribute to Buddy Holiday and the Crickets. John changed the e to an a to give off the idea of a Beat group. The band finally changed their name to the Beatles for their performances in Hamburg during a Scotland tour with Liverpool singer Johnny Gentle. 

Questions:

What do you think would happen if Paul McCartney was not introduced to John Lennon? Where do you think the future of the Beatles would be if that important event had never happened?

In what way do you think the removal of Pete Best, and the addition of Ringo Starr affect the band?

Loengard, J. (2010, November 19). The fab four. Life: Remembering John Lennon, 10(10), 128.