On 6 July 1957, one of the most consequential meetings in the history of popular music took place in the quiet Liverpool suburb of Woolton. It was the day that John Lennon met Paul McCartney for the first time — a chance encounter at a church garden fete that would, within a few years, give birth to The Beatles.

The Quarrymen at the Woolton Village Fete

That afternoon, Lennon's skiffle group, The Quarrymen, were booked to play at the garden fete of St Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool. The line-up that day included John Lennon (vocals, guitar), Eric Griffiths (guitar), Colin Hanton (drums), Rod Davies (banjo), Pete Shotton (washboard), and Len Garry (tea chest bass).

The group arrived on the back of a lorry, which crawled ceremoniously through the village as part of the opening procession. Alongside the music, the fete featured craft and cake stalls, hoop-la games, police dog demonstrations, and the traditional crowning of the Rose Queen. For the residents of this sleepy Liverpool district, it was the highlight of the year.

"The boys were up there on the back of the moving lorry trying to stay upright and play their instruments at the same time. John gave up battling with balance and sat with his legs hanging over the edge, playing his guitar and singing. He continued all through the slow, slow journey as the lorry puttered its way along."

— Julia Baird, Imagine This

The First Meeting: Ivan Vaughan's Introduction

That evening, the Quarrymen were due to play again at the Grand Dance in the church hall on the other side of the road, alternating on stage with the George Edwards Band. Admission was two shillings, and the show began at 8pm.

It was while the group were setting up their equipment that Ivan Vaughan — the Quarrymen's sometime tea-chest bass player — introduced the band to one of his classmates from Liverpool Institute: the 15-year-old Paul McCartney.

McCartney wore a white jacket with silver flecks and a pair of black drainpipe trousers. The pair chatted for a few minutes, and McCartney demonstrated how to tune a guitar — Lennon and Griffiths had their instruments in G banjo tuning. McCartney then performed Eddie Cochran's 'Twenty Flight Rock', Gene Vincent's 'Be-Bop-A-Lula', and a medley of Little Richard songs.

"I remember coming into the fete and seeing all the sideshows. And also hearing all this great music wafting in from this little Tannoy system. It was John and the band. I remember I was amazed and thought, 'Oh great', because I was obviously into the music. I remember John singing a song called 'Come Go With Me'. He'd heard it on the radio. He didn't really know the verses, but he knew the chorus. The rest he just made up himself. I just thought, 'Well, he looks good, he's singing well and he seems like a great lead singer to me.' Of course, he had his glasses off, so he really looked suave."

— Paul McCartney, Record Collector, 1995

McCartney at the Piano — and Lennon's Beery Breath

Lennon was equally impressed with McCartney, who showed a natural talent for songs the Quarrymen had worked hard to master. McCartney also recalled performing on the church hall's backstage piano:

"I also knocked around on the backstage piano and that would have been 'A Whole Lot Of Shakin'' by Jerry Lee. That's when I remember John leaning over, contributing a deft right hand in the upper octaves and surprising me with his beery breath. It's not that I was shocked, it's just that I remember this particular detail."

— Paul McCartney, quoted in John Lennon by Philip Norman

McCartney later recalled the moment with characteristic wit in his introduction to Lennon's first book, In His Own Write:

"At Woolton village fete I met him. I was a fat schoolboy and, as he leaned an arm on my shoulder, I realised he was drunk. We were twelve then, but, in spite of his sideboards, we went on to become teenage pals."

— Paul McCartney, introduction to In His Own Write by John Lennon

The Grundig Tape: The Earliest Known Recording of John Lennon

Remarkably, the Quarrymen's afternoon performance was captured by an audience member, Bob Molyneux, on his portable Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder. The tape contained scratchy recordings of the band performing Lonnie Donegan's 'Puttin' On The Style' and Elvis Presley's 'Baby, Let's Play House' — making it the earliest known recording of John Lennon's voice.

Molyneux, by then a retired policeman, rediscovered the tape in 1994. It was sold on 15 September 1994 at Sotheby's for £78,500 — at the time, the most expensive recording ever sold at auction. The winning bidder was EMI Records, who considered it for release as part of the Anthology project but ultimately chose not to, citing substandard sound quality.

The Dilemma: Should Lennon Invite McCartney to Join?

After the show, the group — along with Ivan Vaughan and McCartney — went to a Woolton pub, where they lied about their ages to get served. Later, Lennon and Pete Shotton discussed the young McCartney and whether to invite him to join the Quarrymen.

For Lennon, it was a genuine dilemma: should he admit a talented musician who might challenge his own leadership of the group, or persist without McCartney and likely consign the band to failure? They decided McCartney would be an asset. Roughly two weeks later, Shotton encountered McCartney cycling through Woolton and extended the invitation. Paul mulled it over — and eventually agreed to join.

"To this very day, it still is a complete mystery to me that it happened at all. Would John and I have met some other way, if Ivan and I hadn't gone to that fête? I'd actually gone along to try and pick up a girl… All these small coincidences had to happen to make The Beatles happen, and it does feel like some kind of magic. It's one of the wonderful lessons about saying yes when life presents these opportunities to you. You never know where they could lead."

— Paul McCartney, The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present

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FAQs

How did John Lennon and Paul McCartney first meet?

John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met on 6 July 1957 at the Woolton village fete in Liverpool. They were introduced by Ivan Vaughan, a mutual friend who played with the Quarrymen and attended Liverpool Institute with McCartney.

Where did John Lennon meet Paul McCartney?

They met at the garden fete of St Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool. The evening performance — where the introduction took place — was held in the church hall on the other side of the road.

What song did Paul McCartney play for John Lennon when they first met?

McCartney performed Eddie Cochran's 'Twenty Flight Rock', Gene Vincent's 'Be-Bop-A-Lula', and a medley of Little Richard songs. He also played 'A Whole Lot Of Shakin'' by Jerry Lee Lewis on the backstage piano.

Who introduced John Lennon to Paul McCartney?

Ivan Vaughan, a friend of both Lennon and McCartney, made the introduction. Vaughan attended Liverpool Institute with McCartney and occasionally played tea-chest bass with the Quarrymen.

Is there a recording of the Quarrymen from 6 July 1957?

Yes. Audience member Bob Molyneux recorded the afternoon performance on a Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder. The tape, featuring 'Puttin' On The Style' and 'Baby, Let's Play House', was sold at Sotheby's in 1994 for £78,500 — then the most expensive recording ever sold at auction.

When did Paul McCartney join the Quarrymen?

McCartney was invited to join roughly two weeks after the Woolton fete, when Pete Shotton encountered him cycling through Woolton. McCartney accepted and joined the Quarrymen, beginning the partnership that would eventually become The Beatles.

Explore more Beatles history:
The Beatles Knowledge Hub | On This Day in Beatles History | 5 July in Beatles History | 4 July in Beatles History | Lennon & McCartney Reunite in Santa Monica (1974) | Final Meeting of Lennon & McCartney (1976)