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The story of the Beatles spans many decades, but the band itself existed for only 10 years. During this time period they gained status of being the "greatest band on earth." The band's beginning were humble, as John Lennon started the group, The Quarrymen in 1956. In 1957 his friend Paul McCartney joined the group, and later George Harrison completed it. The band still needed a drummer and a bassplayer, so Pete Best joined and Stuart Sutcliffe joined. The band moved to to Hamburg where gigs were common. In 1961 they recorded their first record, My Bonnie under the band name The Beat Brothers. In 1962 Best left the band and Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) joined. That year, Sutcliffe died in Hamburg and Paul McCartney began to play bass. The band also changed their name to The Beatles. In late 1962 the band found a manger by the name of Brian Epstein. The band also released their first single, "Love Me Do." They soon starting touring the country, and released "Please Please Me" which made it to the top of the British charts. It is during this perios that Beatlemania started. The band released new songs and began to tour in France and Switzerland. The band refused to play in the United States until they had a number 1 record there. They didn't have to wait long, and soon were playing tours in the States. Soon after their US tour, the band began recording their first movies, "Help" and "A Hard Day's Night." In 1965, the played at the Shea Stadium in New York, and broke all records for concert attendance. Their music continued to evolve as the band played the world over and were subject to different types of music. In the end of 1966 they played their last official gig and settled down to begin a pure recording career. The next few years saw the release of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, the White Album, and Let It Be. They intended Let It Be to be their last recording, but decided that they didn't want to leave off on a sad note, so released a new album, Abbey Road. In 1970 the band officially broke up due to solo projects, clashing egos, and family life. Lennon was tragically killed in 1980, ending the possibility of a reunion of the band.
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John Lennon (guitar, vocals) Paul McCartney (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals) George Harrison (guitar, vocals) Ringo Starr (drums)
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