Pete Best - On the Boards

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Pete Best

Pete Best. Born November 24, 1941 is a British musician, and was the original drummer for The Beatles. Born in India Best came to Liverpool in 1945, where his mother Mona started the Casbah Club in the basement of their home. The Casbah became a very popular hangout and it was here that Best first met the members of the band that was to become the Beatles. Pete's band "The Blackjacks", consisting of Pete Best on drums, Ken Brown on guitar/vocals, Chas Newby on bass/vocals ,and Bill Barlow on guitar, performed regularly in his mothers club, along with many other acts from the area, most notably the Quarrymen., which at the time consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Colin Hanton. It was here that Best became acquainted with the members of the "soon to be Beatles", and it was through this acquaintance that, when the Beatles Hamburg engagements were arranged, Best was asked to be their permanent drummer. Hanton, having left the band earlier, forced the Beatles to go through a succession of drum players, and just days before the Hamburg shows, they found themselves again in need of someone to fill the position, Best being familiar with the material, was the most qualified, and filled the slot the day before they left for Germany.

Best joined The Beatles on 12 August 1960, only one day before they were to go to Hamburg to play a season of concerts. He was dismissed from the group two years later, on 16 August 1962, but was never given a full explanation as to the reason why. Over the years speculation has arisen, concerning Pete's dismissal, "He was getting too much attention from the female fans and the others were jealous, He was not a team player, He didn't dress like the others, He wouldn't adopt the Beatle haircut, etc..", in Pete's own words ; "I was told they wanted a better drummer, I was anti-social, they didn't like my hair, but it is still very much a gray area and the reasons just don't hold water." One fact is certain in the whole affair, and that is the reaction of the fans over the dismissal, who were not shy in voicing their disapproval during the ensuing Beatle shows in the weeks that followed.

Whatever the real reason, Epstein tried to ease the tension by offering Best a position in another of Epstein's bands, "The Merseybeats" or to build another group around him, which Best turned down, he was also approached, in a turn of irony, by Rory Storm to take Ringo's place as drummer for the Hurricanes, which he also declined. After a few weeks of retrospection Pete finally joined up with "Lee Curtis and the All Stars", and in late 1962, Lee Curtis and the All Stars were the second most popular band in Liverpool, second only to The Beatles. After being signed to Decca Records and releasing two moderately successful singles , Lee Curtis was left behind, and the band continued on as Pete Best & the All Stars, and after moving to the United States, "The Pete Best Four, followed by "The Pete Best Combo with the addition of a fifth member.

Pete Best and the All Stars consisted of, Best , Tony Waddington on guitar/vocals, Wayne Bickerton on bass/vocals, and Tommy McGurk on guitar. After signing with Decca and, just before releasing their first single, the name changed to "The Pete Best Four", but, while they received warm receptions from the UK and German audiences , the single had little success. The next incarnation "The Pete Best Combo" saw the addition of a horn section consisting of Bill Burton and Trevor Browne, and the loss of guitarist McGurk. By the end of 1965 Bill Burton an Trevor Browne left the group, leaving the group as a trio which struggle on for a few months before disbanding. With a few more false starts and, after playing professionally for a decade, Pete decided that it was time to trade the music business for a more conventional family lifestyle with his marriage to Kathy in 1968.

After quitting the music world Best took sought simple work, until eventually landing a position as a civil servant where he remained until 1988. He is still happily married to Kathy, and they have two daughters Babs and Bonita, as well as four grandchildren. When asked today he will tell you that in his opinion he wound up with the better deal out of all the beatles. As of 1988 Best has a new band which continues to perform and tour worldwide, the current lineup of the re-incarnated "Pete Best Band " consists of Pete Best and alternately his brother Raog on drums, Paul Parry on bass/vocals, Chris Cavanaugh on vocals, Phil Melia on guitar/vocals, and Tony Flynn on guitar/vocals. On 6 July 2007, Pete Best was inducted into the All You Need Is Liverpool Music Hall of Fame as the debut Charter Member. His new album "Haymans Green"" was released on 16 September 2008.

Best with Beatles Pete Best Band