6th February 1958* - 60 Years Since George Joined The Quarrymen
George became one of the Quarrymen on 6th February 1958, shortly before his 15th birthday, and 60 years ago today!
“I told John and the other Quarrymen about this guy at school called George: 'He is a real good guitar player, so if you're thinking of guitar - this is your boy.' [...] George could play 'Raunchy' so well it really sounded like the record. We were all on the top of an empty bus one night and I said, 'Go on, George.' He got his guitar out and sure enough he could play it, and everyone agreed, 'You're in. You've done it.' [...] George was like our professional guitarist from then on.”
[Paul, Anthology]
"Paul introduced me to George and I had to make the decision whether to let George in. I listened to him play and said, 'Play "Raunchy".' I let him in and that was the three of us then, and the rest of the group was thrown out, practically."
[John, 1970]
“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.”
[George, The Beatles Diary, Barry Miles]
* The exact date is disputed, Barry Miles notes it as the 7th February, and Colin Hanton, the drummer for the Quarrymen, says it was March 1958.