John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon,MBE (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, and peace activist who co-founded the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. He stood at the center of the British mid-1960s “Teddy Boy” and “Merseybeat” music scenes. After leaving the Beatles in 1968, Lennon pursued a solo career that produced five albums of popular music, including the acclaimed 1971 album ‘Imagine’, and the political anthem ‘Give Peace a Chance’.
Lennon was initially involved in the formation of the Beatles, forming the core of the group writing their lyrics and melodies. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful and celebrated in the history of popular music. His solo career was marked by inventive lyrics, universal themes and musical experimentation, although his reputation continues to be determined by the work he wrote and recorded with the Beatles.
Lennon’s contentiousness and political convictions defined his public image. His Beatles relationship became strained from 1968, and he pursued a career independently. His firstborn son, Julian, said that his father’s album ‘Walls and Bridges’ (1974) was about reconnecting with him, and Lennon’s life ended in 1980 when he was murdered outside his apartment in Manhattan.
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney CH MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and record and film producer who gained worldwide fame as co-lead vocalist, bassist, and one of the original members of the Beatles. His songwriting partnership with John Lennon was one of the most successful and celebrated in the history of popular music. After the group disbanded, McCartney started a solo career, while Lennon pursued his own. McCartney’s most successful solo album is ‘Band on the Run’ (1973).
McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time. He has written or co-written 32 No.1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, more than any other artist, and has sold over 500 million records worldwide. He is also one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with a fortune estimated at $1.2 billion as of 2020.
In addition to his musical career, McCartney has advocated for animal rights and vegetarianism, as well as being an active supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Greenpeace. He is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and the Animal Rights charity PETA.
George Harrison
George Harrison MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English singer, songwriter, and producer who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist and occasional vocalist of the Beatles. He composed songs for the band’s albums, led the band as Music Director on their significant Indian tour and for their rooftop concert of 1969, sang with Lennon on the band’s ‘You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away’, and wrote ‘The Inner Light’, featured on their ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ album.
Following the band’s break-up, Harrison released a triple album, All Things Must Pass (1970), and embarked on a three-year tour, the Concert for Bangladesh (1971) – alongside Dylan and Clapton – to contribute money and awareness for the refugee crisis. During this period he released a solo album, Living in the Material World (1973), and founded both the record label Dark Horse and the production company HandMade Films. Harrison authored the book I Me Mine (1980) and many other works in the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2002, Harrison’s life was celebrated through his own words and music at the Concert for George, an all-star tribute to mark the first anniversary of his passing. Harrison’s image and spirit remain in the memory and music of his fans and his work with the Beatles and solo are preserved in archives worldwide.
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey MBE (born 7 July 1940), better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter, singer, and actor. He gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles, alongside whom he collaborated on popular singles such as ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’, ‘She Loves You’, and ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’. He has also released various solo works such as ‘Sentimental Journey’ (1970), ‘Ringo’ (1973), ‘Goodnight Vienna’ (1974), and ‘Ringo the 4th’ (1977).
Ringo Starr is known for his eccentric style, wit, and charming cult of personality. He has been the subject of humorous comments in several films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Yellow Submarine (1968), and The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978). He is viewed as one of the greatest drummers of all time. After the Beatles disbanded in 1970, Ringo Starr launched a successful solo recording career highlighted by the hit singles ‘It Don’t Come Easy’ (1971), ‘Back Off Boogaloo’ (1972), and ‘You’re Sixteen’ (1973).
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein (19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was an English music entrepreneur, best known for managing the Beatles from 1962 until his death. Epstein first discovered the Beatles in November 1961 during a lunchtime performance at The Cavern Club. He was instantly impressed and saw great potential in the group, later saying, “I saw something in the group; I had a tremendous ‘SMA’, I suppose”.
Epstein was formally appointed as the Beatles’ manager on 24 January 1962, and with Epstein’s guidance and management, the Beatles achieved worldwide fame and subsequently revolutionised the contemporary music industry. Along with that, Epstein also accepted the responsibility of finding the Beatles a record label, since no-one was interested in signing them up. Epstein eventually managed to secure a record deal with EMI Records.
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, composer, conductor, arranger, and audio engineer. He was referred to as the “Fifth Beatle”, including by Paul McCartney, in reference to his extensive involvement on each of the Beatles’ original albums. He worked as producer, arranger, & composer of 200 senior projects, producing more than 700 songs for the Beatles.
Martin initially tried to discourage the Beatles from recording original material. He later changed his mind when he realised that music had changed and the Beatles had grown. He worked with the group to hone their sound on recordings such as ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. In 1984, Martin returned to music, producing the album ‘Give My Regards to Broad Street’ and afterwards becoming a classical music producer, winning awards for albums such as ‘Live at the Last Night of the Proms’.
Mal Evans
Malcolm Frederick “Mal” Evans (27 May 1935 – 5 January 1976) was a British road and record manager for the rock and roll band the Beatles from 1962 to 1968 as well as a customer of Apple Corps, the Beatles’ multimedia corporation. In addition to co-writing a song and being a frequent background vocalist for the Beatles, he was known as the assistant of producer George Martin, engineer Geoff Emerick, and the Beatles themselves.
Evans initially worked as a radio operator, engineer, and road manager for the Beatles. He was present at several of their Abbey Road recording sessions and also provided road management for their final live concert, at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, in 1966. Following their break-up, Evans ran Apple Records’ International branch until 1969.
Pete Best
Randolph Peter “Pete” Best (born 24 November 1941) is an English musician, principally known as the Beatles’ drummer from 1960 to 1962, when he was replaced by Ringo Starr. He is also known for the same name being given to him, owing to his good looks. He was the only Beatles performer who had followed them since their initial formation, and he has continued as a musician since being fired.
Best is the only original Beatles member not to receive Commonwealth KB or MBE honors after the break-up of the group in 1970. Many believed that this was testament to John Lennon’s negative opinion of Best, who was replaced in 1962 after Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had complained to their manager Brian Epstein about his drumming. Best’s mother, Mona Best, opened The Casbah Coffee Club in 1959, which became the Beatles’ foundation.
Gus Dudgeon
Angus ‘Gus’ Dudgeon (22 October 1942 – 22 July 2002) was a British record producer and sound engineer, and was part of the production team behind a number of successful albums by Elton John. He was also the producer behind a number of albums by other artists
