George Harrison meets the Quarrymen

George Harrison claimed the first time he saw the Quarrymen was at the Wilson Hall, opposite the bus depot in Garston, Liverpool. According to Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn, the date was most likely 6 February 1958.

However, accounts vary. Author Barry Miles noted the date as being the group’s booking at the hall on 7 December 1957. Conversely, Quarrymen drummer Colin Hanton recalled being introduced to the young guitarist on 13 March at the Morgue Skiffle Cellar. Harrison’s mother Louise, meanwhile, claimed they met in a local chip shop.

To add to the confusion, former Quarryman Pete Shotton maintained that Paul McCartney led the group to Harrison’s house at 25 Upton Green in Speke.

Regardless of the confusion over the dates, George himself said of the meeting:

I’d been invited to see them play several times by Paul but for some reason never got round to it before.

I remember being very impressed with John’s big thick sideboards and trendy teddyboy clothes. In a way, all that emotional rough stuff was simply a way for him to help separate the men from the boys, I think. I was never intimidated by him. Whenever he had a go at me I just gave him a little bit of his own right back.