Pete Best : The Beat Goes On

Ever heard of Wally Pipp? He played first base for the New York Yankees a long, long time ago. In 1925 Wally decided to take a day off ,and a young kid by the name of Lou Gehrig stepped into the lineup. Gehrig went on to play the next 2,130 straight games and became the most heralded first baseman in the history of baseball, while Wally Pipp…well, you know. Ever heard of Pete Best? Pete Best played drums for the Beatles from 1960-62, and bears a tale of both triumph and woe that makes Wally Pipp look like chicken shit. Let’s go back to 1959, to the West Derby Village of Liverpool, England. Eighteen-year-old Pete Best lives with his family at the cavernous Victorian residence of 8 Hayman’s Green. At Pete’s request, his mother, Mona Best, agrees to transform their unfurnished basement into a coffee shop/live music venue for local talent. Shops of this ilk were commonplace in the cultural hub of London, but atypical to the sea-faring, blue-collar city of Liverpool. A friend of Pete’s by the name of Ken Brown helped build the bar, and was promised a gig with his group, the Les Stewart Quartet (featuring George Harrison), at the club’s opening in return for his help. By evening of curtain-raise, The Casbah, as it came to be known, was packed to the brim with frenzied teenagers thirsty for a taste of the burgeoning rock ‘n’ roll scene. ...more...