Guitar band formed in Liverpool, UK. Former line-up comprised Paul McCartney (guitar, vocals), John Lennon (guitar, vocals), George Harrison (guitar, vocals), Stuart Sutcliffe (bass) and Pete Best (drums).
Known as one of Tony Sheridan's backup bands in Hamburg, Germany and performers on his single "My Bonnie" and on his debut album with the same title. The bands origin name The Beatles was judged to sound too similar to the German "Pidels" (pronounce peedles), the plural of a slang term for penis, hence the album was credited to "Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers".
In 1960 Stuart Sutcliffe left the band before they achieved their success and was replaced by Paul McCartney. In the spring of 1962, Sutcliffe died from a cerebral hemorrhage.
In 1962 the drummer Pete Best was replaced by Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr).