BEING BORN IN LIVERPOOL DURING WWII WASN'T THE BEST WAY TO START LIFE, BUT LENNON WAS BORN DURING AN AIR RAID. MY FIRST TRIP TO LIVERPOOL WAS IN LATE JUNE OF 1971,AND EVEN AT THAT LATE A TIME IT WAS STILL A PRETTY SCRUFFY CITY,BUT A CITY YOU HAD TO VISIT AS A BEATLES FAN.

IT WAS,HOWEVER PROBABLY ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE MUSIC OBSESSED YOUNG MEN WHO WOULD BECOME THE BEATLES. WITH VERY LITTLE TO DO,EXCEPT GET INTO TROUBLE ,THESE KIDS FOUND MUSIC,LIKE MANY DO IN SEARCH OF A WAY TO BELONG OR TO SURVIVE. LENNON WAS PROBABLY THE ONE WHO USED MUSIC AS A SHIELD AGAINST THE WORLD THAT HAD NOT SPARED HIM MUCH SADNESS IN HIS TEEN'S. WHILE JOHN GREW UP IN A VERY COMFORTABLE HOME WITH HIS AUNT MIMI,THERE WERE SOME PRETTY SERIOUS PERSONAL CRISIS ESPECIALLY WITH THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER JULIA,BY A DRUNK DRIVER. ONE OF THE MYTHS ABOUT THEIR EARLY LIVES IS THAT THEY CAME FROM WHAT ONE COULD ALMOST DESCRIBE AS NEARLY A GHETTO. JOHN HAD A VERY NICE HOME AS DID PAUL AND GEORGE. RINGO WAS THE ONLY BEATLE OF THE FOUR WHO'S EARLY LIFE WASN'T EASY,AND RINGO HAD SERIOUS HEATH PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH AS WELL.

I INCLUDE STUART AND PETE AS BEATLES BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM HAVING BEEN IN THE GROUP THE DIRECTION MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT OR AT LEAST DELAYED. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WHILE STUART WAS NOT A BASS PLAYER HE BROUGHT ARTISTIC SENSE TO JOHN AND THE BAND THROUGH ASTRID. WITHOUT HIS ARTISTIC SENSE AND ASTRID HELPING THINGS MAY HAVE TURNED OUT MUCH DIFFERENT. BOTH STUART AND PETE DESERVE TO BE IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. ONLY 6 PEOPLE ON EARTH KNEW WHAT IS WAS LIKE TO BE A BEATLE. PETE WAS FIRED JUST AS IT WAS STARTING TO REALLY GAIN MOMENTUM AROUND LIVERPOOL, AND STUART PROBABLY KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IF THE RESPONSE FROM THE HAMBURG FAN'S WAS ANY MEASURE.