9 Worst Moments in The Beatles' History

Who hasn't heard of The Beatles? The band was formed when four young men from northern England came together to create music. Over time, luck, hard work, and sheer brilliance propelled them to sell hundreds of millions of albums, top the charts, and become one of the most influential bands of all time. Their popularity remains undiminished even as the years go by.

However, despite their apparent career success, The Beatles' lives were fraught with difficulties and challenges. They faced numerous issues and often found themselves entangled in legal troubles. After their breakup, the tragic deaths of two Beatles members further marked the band's history. Nevertheless, these controversies only served to solidify their legacy in the annals of history.

1. Traumatic Events in John Lennon's Life

One of The Beatles' members, John Lennon, was born in 1940. His father, Alfred, was absent during his upbringing. This conflict stemmed from the differences between Lennon's mother, Julia, and his Aunt Mimi. These two women had substantial emotional and social status disparities. They often quarreled over the custody of John since his early years.

According to The Guardian, when John was just 5 years old, his father, Alfred, forced him to choose between staying with him or his mother. Initially, John chose to go with his father, but as he left his mother, he ran back to her in tears. Alfred disappeared from his life after that incident and was never heard from again until The Beatles gained fame.

These experiences had a lasting impact on John Lennon's life, leaving him with deep emotional scars. As he entered his teenage years, Lennon became a leader of a gang, engaging in petty theft and intimidating fellow students, even his teachers. His rebellion and delinquency continued into adulthood.

2. Ringo Starr's Troubled Childhood

Apart from John Lennon, Ringo Starr, The Beatles' drummer, also had a difficult childhood. Richard Starkey, Ringo Starr's father, left when Starr was only 4 years old. Starr also suffered from various health issues during his early years, including appendicitis and peritonitis (requiring a 12-month hospital stay), as well as tuberculosis that led to a 2-year stay in a sanatorium.

However, his stepfather recognized Ringo Starr's interest and talent in music while he was in the sanatorium. Starr received his first drum kit as a Christmas gift in 1957, two years after leaving the sanatorium. A few years later, Starr joined his first band and adopted the name Ringo Starr. During a tour in Germany, he encountered a group of talented young musicians living in Hamburg who called themselves The Beatles. This marked the beginning of his connection with The Beatles.

3. Loss of Two Beatles Members

While in Hamburg, one of The Beatles' members, Stuart Sutcliffe, met a photographer named Astrid Kirchherr. They got engaged and married within two months. However, Sutcliffe left The Beatles in 1961 to live with Astrid and focus on his career as a painter. He tragically passed away in 1962 due to a brain hemorrhage at the age of 21.

In the same year of Sutcliffe's death, The Beatles secured a recording contract with EMI and met their producer, George Martin, to discuss their future. Another Beatles member, Pete Best, was forced to leave the band. This left Best in a state of depression, and he even attempted suicide a few years later.

Fortunately, Best managed to recover with the support of his mother and siblings. Best and the other Beatles members never communicated after his dismissal. However, Best continued to play in his own band to this day, finding his own path forward.

4. The Beatles' career struggles in America

The Beatles are famous for being predicted as one of the most successful bands overseas. However, that success did not come easily. At first, the band couldn't even secure a contract with their own label in America. However, when their music was finally released in America, The Beatles noticed there were many errors, such as the printing of their first American album misspelling the band's name, namely "Beattles".

However, The Beatles' songs made it onto the morning radio broadcast on CBS, which aired on November 22, 1963. "Please Please Me", "From Me to You", and "She Loves You" were commercial failures. . Several listeners who called the CBS radio station did not make their song requests. It wasn't until their legendary debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 that the Beatles broke America forever.

5. The Beatles were in trouble with the law

As a 60's rock band, members of The Beatles have been in trouble with the law due to several problems. Paul McCartney and Pete Best were deported from Germany for burning condoms. The Beatles' basecamp was also frequently raided by the police thanks to the investigation of a police sergeant named Norman Pilcher, who was the head of the UK's drug enforcement group. The Beatles were caught in possession of illegal drugs.

However, Swedish police finally arrested a member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney, and his wife, Linda, for possession of marijuana in 1972. They were both fined US$2,000 or the equivalent of IDR 30.6 million. Both of them continued to have problems with narcotics until they were arrested several times, including by police in Japan and Barbados.

6. Members of The Beatles slowly left the band

Tensions had already started to build between the Beatles after John Lennon allowed an outsider, namely Yoko Ono, into the band's recording sessions. The relationship between these two lovers and the rest of the group soured when Ono and Lennon were both using heroin. Suddenly, this is very disruptive to the activities of The Beatles.

Meanwhile, Paul McCartney dominated the band, often belittling the other band members. Moreover, George Harrison felt that he was not considered by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. There was also Yoko Ono who made the group a mess. Finally, Harrison decided to leave the band on January 10, 1969. Actually, there had been deliberations between Harrison, Lennon, and Yoko, but things remained tense.

The Beatles' last live performance was performed on the roof of their label office in London on January 29, 1969. At the end of 1969, after many problems and disputes over the band's finances, John Lennon chose to leave the band. Paul McCartney also left and in 1971. The Beatles ended.

7. Disputes Among Former Members of The Beatles After Their Breakup

The dissolution of The Beatles shattered each of its former members, including Paul McCartney. In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Paul McCartney confessed that he experienced depression after the breakup of The Beatles. He turned to alcohol to cope with his depression. However, he found his way back after his wife, Linda, convinced him to embark on new projects.

George Harrison and Ringo Starr also ventured into solo careers, though not as successful as their time with The Beatles. Tensions persisted among some band members post-breakup, such as when John Lennon sent a letter to Paul McCartney's family. In the letter, Lennon criticized The Beatles and praised his and Yoko Ono's success since leaving the band. "By the way, we had more intelligent interest in our new activities in 1 year than we had in the Beatles era."

8. The Tragic Death of John Lennon

On the evening of December 8, 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono had dinner near their apartment in New York. They then returned home to put their son, Sean, to bed. Later, as they stepped out again, they encountered a man named Mark Chapman, who held a .38 caliber pistol. Chapman fired four shots at John Lennon from behind. Tragically, John Lennon passed away before midnight at a local hospital.

Lennon's murder shocked the world. Despite Yoko Ono's decision not to hold a public funeral, a wave of mourning swept across the globe. Tens of thousands gathered in Liverpool and New York to observe a 10-minute moment of silence in memory of John Lennon. Even radio stations in New York ceased broadcasting. This brutal death solidified John Lennon's reputation as an unforgettable global icon.

9. The Death of George Harrison

In 1997, George Harrison was diagnosed with throat cancer, likely a consequence of his years of smoking. In 2001, he underwent treatment for a brain tumor in Switzerland. In the same year, he received radiation therapy in New York for lung cancer that had metastasized to his brain.

On November 29, 2001, George Harrison passed away at the age of 58 in Los Angeles. Paul McCartney regarded him as a true brother. Ringo Starr, whose daughter later underwent similar treatment for a brain tumor, visited Harrison in the hospital shortly before his passing. With Harrison's death, only two former members of The Beatles remained. Ringo Starr released his latest album in September 2019, and Paul McCartney continued to be one of the most prolific solo musicians.

We never know how many hardships or unfortunate fates await us. Just like the formation of The Beatles, this legendary band had its fair share of issues. Nevertheless, The Beatles' songs remain timeless and impervious to the passage of time. Across generations, many still admire the music and the former members of The Beatles.