Baby Steps

Paul joined John's Quarry Men almost right away and began playing small performances with them. He was a good fit with the group, since he shared so many of John's musical idols, all of them American rock and roll stars such as Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, the Everly Brothers, and especially Elvis. Paul soon introduced John to a school friend of his named George Harrison. George was nearly three years younger than John, but at fifteen knew far more guitar chords than John and Paul put together. John and George didn't hit it off immediately, most likely due to the age difference. But George was eventually asked to join the Quarry Men.

George was born on February 25, 1943, in Liverpool. His parents, Harold and Louise Harrison, were loving and supportive of him throughout his childhood. According to George, “My mum did encourage me, perhaps most of all by never discouraging me from anything I wanted to do.” At his request, his parents bought him a guitar at the age of fourteen, and from that point on they encouraged George to play. Practicing until his fingers bled, George picked out songs by the great skiffle bands of the time in his bedroom. After George joined the Quarry Men, they frequently used his parents’ house to practice. On George's addition to the band, John would later say, “Meeting Paul was just like two people meeting. Not falling in love or anything. Just us. It went on. It worked. Now there were three of us who thought the same.”