On This Day in 1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney Met for the Very First Time

Every great band has an early era. For The Beatles, the most famous rock band of the 20th century, those early years involved a little band called The Quarrymen. This skiffle group was formed by John Lennon in 1956. Paul McCartney would join shortly after meeting John Lennon on July 6, 1957. The Quarrymen, in just a few short years, would evolve into The Beatles.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met on this day in 1957, when they were both music-loving teenagers in Liverpool, England. According to lore, the two future superstars met for the very first time at an auditorium at a local church. Just seven years later, they would form the final lineup of The Beatles with George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

It was inevitable. The two future famous songwriters lived in the same town and ran in similar circles. However, on a warm Saturday that fell on July 6, a mutual friend of theirs chose to introduce the two to each other. John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s First Meeting Was About as Casual as You Could Get.

Lennon and McCartney had a lot in common from the start. They lived in different neighborhoods and attended different primary schools, but they were close in age (just two years apart) and loved music.

On that day as well, Lennon was supposed to perform at the once-a-year event known as the Woolton Parish Church Garden Fete. It was a parade and outdoor block party of sorts. The original lineup of The Quarrymen performed, in between a dog show and a marching band. Despite it being a local gig, it was a pretty big deal, as Lennon and his band got to perform for a few hundred teens.

The 15-year-old McCartney was in attendance and liked what he heard. Later, when the two were introduced, McCartney played the guitar for Lennon. Allegedly, he played “Twenty Flight Rock” by Eddie Cochran and “Be Bop A Lula” by Gene Vincent. He also played a few Little Richard tunes.

Lennon wasn’t easy to impress, but he was definitely impressed by McCartney. From there, McCartney helped Lennon tune his guitar and wrote some chords out from the songs he played. And just two weeks later, John Lennon invited Paul McCartney to join The Quarrymen. The rest is history! It’s wild to think that such an enormously famous band would start with such humble, casual beginnings.

Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena