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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Beatles Anthology summary
The Beatles
An Unprecedented Look at the Most Influential Band of All Time
21 mins
Table of Contents
The Beatles Anthology
Summary of 11 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 11
Chapter 1. Boys
John Lennon’s first memories come from a three-bedroom red-brick house on Newcastle Road, in a Liverpool suburb called Penny Lane. But his parents split when he was four, and John moved to a wealthier part of town to live with his Aunt Mimi.
A trendy young boy, always the ringleader, he would lark about with his friends and sell lemonade in Strawberry Field, around the corner. Then he discovered rock’n’roll, guitars, and girls. As he got older, he reconnected with his mother, Julia – but tragically, she was killed in a drunk-driving accident when John was 17.
Losing his mother was a bond he shared with Paul McCartney, who was 14 when his mum died of cancer. His family was poorer than John’s, but warmer – and more musical, especially his dad, a trumpeter who passed on his love of brass bands and piano music.
With a little help from a mutual friend, Ivan, Paul met John one day at a local fair, and Paul impressed enough to get into John’s group, the Quarry Men – even though he was playing his guitar upside down. But Paul found he got stage fright when he tried a solo, so he roped in a kid he got the school bus with, George Harrison.
George was from a similar background to Paul – his dad was a bus driver and former seaman – but he was in the school year below; nine months younger than Paul and more than two years younger than John. But there was something in the way he played guitar – he was obsessed with them – so he too joined the Quarry Men.
There were other band members in those days, but when the musically gifted trio of John, Paul, and George came together, it felt good. There was just one problem: they were all guitarists.
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What is The Beatles Anthology about?
The Beatles Anthology (2000) is the story of the Beatles, told in their own words. Through original and archive interviews, the band and those closest to them recount the tale of their spectacular and influential career.
Who should read The Beatles Anthology?
- Beatles fans, old and new
- Memoir lovers who enjoy the inside story
- Cultural history enthusiasts interested in the 1960s
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