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During the few years just before becoming they Beatles, the boys were finding their way in the music world. (We'll focus on the youth of the boys individually later.) In 1955, a two-man band called the Quarry Men was formed by John Lennon. (He went to Quarry Bank High School). The other member was schoolmate, Pete Shotton. Many boys joined and left the Quarry Men. It wasn't until 1957 that Paul McCartney joined the group. George Harrison arrived in 1958. It was in 1960 that the quartet most of us have heard of called the Quarry Men consisted of John, Paul, George and Stuart Sutcliffe. There was no drummer in the group. They were constantly borrowing or hiring a new drummer.
The group was inspired by artists such as Elvis, Lonnie Donegan Bill Haley and His Comets, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Little Richard Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry.
In 1960, Larry Parnes and Allan Williams auditioned bands to work with Billy Fury (a local boy who made it big.) It was at this audition that Lennon identified the band as the Silver Beetles. On June 2, the Silver Beetles appeared at the Neston Institute. A review in the Heswall and Neston News and Advertiser accidentally referred to them as the Beatles.
In August, the Silver Beatles (Lennon had a dream they were to be the Beatles with an 'a') were promised a gig in Hamburg, Germany. They had no drummer. Pete Best had played occasionally with the Quarry Men in 1959. Paul McCartney called Pete and auditioned him on August 15. He became a Beatle on the spot. (“Silver” had recently been dropped from the Beatles name.)
The boys departed Liverpool about 10:00 AM on August 16 to launch themselves as The Beatles.
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