Beatles
Beatles, The British rock group, consisting of George Harrison (1943), John Lennon (1940-80), Paul Mc-Cartney (1942- ), and Ringo Starr (1940- ), real name Richard Starkey. The Beatles were formed in 1959 and in 1962 they appeared at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Soon afterwards they recorded ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘She Loves You’, which rose to the top of the record charts in 1963. The Beatles rapidly achieved world-wide popularity and revolutionized the pop world. They made a successful tour of the US, appeared in the films A Hard Day’s Night and Help! And in 1965 were awarded the MBE. Most of their best-selling singles were writ-ten by Lennon and McCartney. Their most original album, Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), reflected their experience of drugs and Eastern mysticism. The Beatles continued to record together until 1969 but thereafter disbanded to pursue their separate careers, with McCartney enjoying the greatest commercial success. Any hope of a reunion was shattered in 1980, when Lennon was shot dead by a demented `fan’. Nevertheless, ‘Free as a Bird’, a ‘new’ Beatles song featuring Lennon’s voice and backing from the surviving members, was released in 1995.
