History of Beatles adds to the history of all time

By Lauren Gross
THE POST

From Muzac to Ann Murray, the Beatles have been a popular influence for many genres of music. A brief look at the history of the Beatles provides much insight into how they became popular.

1956 - John Lennon starts the band Quarrymen with some mates of his; July, he encounters Paul McCartney at a church garden party.

1957 - George Harrison, a pal of McCartney's, is introduced to the Quarrymen and picks up lead guitar.

1958 - Aug., the band is strictly the three of them and they play in a music cellar called the Casbah Coffee Club.

1959-Pete Best becomes the drummer of the newly named Beatles.

1960 -Aug., the band (along with bassist Stuart Sutcliff) move on to Hamburg where they play at skeezy joints.

1961 - March, back in Liverpool (Sutcliff stayed in Hamburg but died in '62 due to a brain hemorrhage), the boys become popular at the Cavern Club.

1961- Dec. 3, the Beatles sign Brian Epstein as their manager.

1962 - June, the Beatles audition for producer George Martin. They get accepted but Martin insists on a new drummer because Pete Best just didn't cut it. Aug., goodbye Pete, hello Rory Storm's drummer Richard Starsky (a.k.a. Ringo Starr). Ringo just wanted to make enough money to start his own beauty salon. And thus we have the start of the Fab Four; Lennon marries his first wife (and teenage sweetheart) Cynthia Powell (mother of Julian), the Beatles record their first single "Love Me Do"; the single hit number 17 on the charts.

1963 - Feb. 11, they record the ••Please Please Me•• album in just thirteen hours. They skyrocket in England (the album's title track becomes their first #1 hit in the United Kingdom), but record companies in the states thought they were just a fad.

1963 - Nov., their second album ••With The Beatles•• is released.

1964 - Jan. 13, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There," become the first American singles; Feb.9, performance on ••The Ed Sullivan Show•• and over 73 million Americans tune in, giving that evening one of the lowest crime rates ever. Two days later, they play their first U.S. concert in Washington, D.C. By mid-August, the Beatles begin round two on their American tour. Concluding their incredible year, the band releases ••Beatles For Sale••.

1965 - Ringo marries Maureen Cox. At this time, the boys were introduced to the psychedelic influence that changed the course of their music, first apparent in their December release of ••Rubber Soul••.

1966 - George Harrison marries Patti Boyd in England (three out of four are married now); March 4, 1966, London Evening Standard publishes an interview where Lennon claims the Beatles are more popular than Christ; Aug., the ••Revolver•• album is released and they begin their final U.S. tour, which ends on Aug. 29, 1966, at Candlestick Park; Nov. 8, John meets Yoko Ono.

1967 - June 1, introduction of the ever-famous ••Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band••; Aug., the boys are off to Wales to study meditation under the Maharishi Mahseh Yogi. Two days later, manager Brian Epstein is found dead due to a sleeping pill overdose. After the loss of their manager, John, Paul, George and Ringo decide to manage themselves while forming their own label, Apple, wrapping up 1967 with the release of ••The Magical Mystery Tour••.

1968 - mid-Feb., the band and their wives are all in India studying meditation with the Maharishi. After the sabbatical, they release their first (and best selling) single on Apple, "Hey Jude/Revolution"; Nov. 8, John and Cynthia's divorce is finalized. A day later, Apple releases John and Yoko's ••Unfinished Music Volume 1: Two Virgins••; Nov. 22, hail to the ••The White Album••.

1969 - Jan. 30, the Beatles perform live for the last time on the roof of Apple; March 12, Paul marries Linda Eastman and eight days later John marries Yoko; Sep. 26, ••Abbey Road•• is released. Because Paul wears no shoes on the album's cover and his involvement in a car crash, WKNR radio in Detriot broadcasts a rumor that Paul is dead.

1970 - April witnesses the release of both Paul and Ringo's first solo albums, which is followed by the group's ••Let It Be•• album. And so it was let to be on Nov. 15 when Paul filed a lawsuit to officially break up the Beatles;

1975 - Jan. 9, (five years after they last recorded together) the Beatles are officially dissolved. But this is nowhere near the end of the legacy, which survives today and may very well continue 'til the end of time.