Paul McCartney And John Lennon’s Friendship In Photos Shines A Light On Their Special Connection

By common consent Paul McCartney and John Lennon are among the greatest songwriters in history. But the chief hitmakers of The Beatles had a complex relationship, and there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than many knew at the time. So, let’s take a time machine back to the Swinging Sixties and the chaos of Beatlemania and delve deeper into what made the music legends tick. These candid photos really illustrate the love, respect, creative tension, and occasional ire between two of rock’s greatest icons. Take a look for yourself!

Curious about the Quarrymen

The tale of Lennon and McCartney’s storied friendship began on July 6, 1957, when a 15-year-old McCartney overheard his future songwriting partner playing with his skiffle band The Quarrymen at a church in Liverpool, England. McCartney stopped by to watch and was mesmerized by Lennon’s stage presence and ability to work the crowd, if not his limited guitar-playing skills.

First meeting

Lennon met McCartney after the show; the pair were introduced by the latter’s friend Ivan Vaughan. This first moment was, of course, a hugely significant moment in music history, but obviously it didn’t seem like it at the time. No, in that moment, it was just two music-obsessed teenagers from different sides of Liverpool sitting on folded chairs and talking. Not that Lennon showed much interest in his future songwriting partner McCartney in the very first instance.

McCartney makes his mark

It took the then-15-year-old McCartney to take the guitar he was carrying off his back and start playing Eddie Cochran’s “20 Flight Rock” and Gene Vincent’s “Be Bop A Lula” for Lennon to take notice. He was suddenly transfixed by McCartney’s musicianship, and in an interview a few years later conceded, “I dug him.”

An undeniable chemistry

The chemistry between the pair soon became apparent once McCartney had shown his talent. One of the Quarrymen would later claim that on the day they met, Lennon and McCartney had “circled each other like cats.” Maybe, like their feline counterparts, they were trying to figure each out at this early stage.