It's 1960, and a group of young teenagers with dreams of success arrive in Hamburg, Germany. They’re only there because Liverpool bands were way cheaper to hire than local acts, but at that age, they were just thrilled to be paid musicians. They may not have thought much about it at the time, but those relentless shows were a crash-course in craft-honing.
Any band, new or old, would be lying if they told you they weren’t out for recognition in some way, but The Beatles reached a level of fame that most people can’t even fathom. Fame that came with consequences and amplified personal issues and faults.
As otherworldly as they seemed, The Beatles were indeed very human. Here are 15 of the stranger, less-flattering Beatles facts that they probably wouldn’t want in the limelight.
1
They once left a pool of George’s vomit on the floor for two weeks.
Since everyone refused to clean it up, they made the vomit an honorary member and named it The Thing. They even threw things like cigarettes and trash into it.
2
A 'Wicked Dentist' Tricked The Beatles Into Trying Acid
Dentist John Riley spiked John and George’s coffee with LSD. They had never experimented with LSD before, and this enraged John. It had a profound and positive impact on George’s life, and would influence his later artistic explorations.
3
Come together (Almost)
The closest the group came to a reunion was when Paul, George, and Ringo played at Eric Clapton's wedding in 1979. John didn’t attend, and would sadly die a year later.
4
George was brutally attacked.
Michael Abram, a 34-year old paranoid schizophrenic broke into Harrison’s house and stabbed him 40 times. Despite sustaining severe injuries, George survived the attack.
5
Fans vandalized a sculpture
Vandals cut Ringo's head off a topiary sculpture of the group in Liverpool, most likely because of statements that he missed nothing about his hometown.
6
John claimed to have encountered aliens twice.
On August 23, 1974, he saw a flying saucer hovering "no more than 100 feet away" from him. In NYC, he was awakened on night by a "blazing light" at his bedroom door, and when he went to open it, he said he found four small aliens waiting for him.
7
The other members watched George lose his virginity
George lost his virginity in a bunkbed, with the other Beatles present. They apparently applauded when he finished.
8
John Lennon abused women.
John Lennon was an icon of the peace-and-love movement that took over the 1960s. But behind closed doors, his temper got the best of him. He once said, “I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically – any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself and I hit.”
9
The White Album Inspired Charles Manson's Heinous Acts
The Beatles' lyrics were an intricate part of Manson's twisted theology. He saw them as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and claimed they provided direct inspiration for the manner in which his “Family” carried out the murders.
10
The "Paul is Dead" Conspiracy
Many fans believed that Paul died in a car crash on November 9, 1966, and was replaced by look-alike William Shears Campbell — an orphan who won a McCartney look-alike contest.
11
John hated his voice.
John was insecure about his own voice and frequently asked producer George Martin to disguise it on Beatles records.
12
Ringo thought he'd be fired.
On Ringo’s first day at the Abbey Road Studios, George Martin said he’d prefer using a session drummer and hired 32-year-old Andy White. Ringo was worried about being replaced.
13
John Was Legally Blind
John's eyesight deteriorated so badly that doctor's deemed him legally blind.
14
George got the band deported from Hamburg for being underage
After a dispute with a club owner, German police deemed him "an unaccompanied minor" and deported them back to the UK.
15
Ringo lived as a tax exile in Monte Carlo.
He was only allowed to live at his home in Los Angeles six months per year.
