Leslie Charles Maguire-Dec 27, 1941. Born in Wallasey, Cheshire, Les attended Goresdale Secondary Modern.

  Gerard Marsden-Sept 24, 1942. Freddie's little brother attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Liverpool.

  John Leslie Chadwick-May 11, 1943. The baby of the band was born in Liverpool, grew up in the Aigburth section. Went to school at St. Michael's Primary and the Liverpool Institute.

Freddie remembers dragging little Gerry by the hand to school. Their father played the banjo in a local pub, The Windsor Castle, and even their mum had a fling with entertaining when she donned blackface for a charity event. Fred was a studious boy, even doing Gerry's homework when Gerry needed help and/or wanted to run off to play! Fred's first try at drums was with a biscuit tin over which drawing paper tightened over it. Gerry and Fred would sing in the local church choir, and once when Gerry was pretty young, he soloed on "Ave Maria." A woman, in tears, gave Gerry a half-crown, she was so touched by his talent. Actually Gerry started to sing very early, and would even entertain people in air-raid shelters during the war years! Gerry also wanted to play guitar, but his first shot at it, using household string, didn't sound too good. Eventually he talked his dad into a Spanish guitar, and he and Fred would learn and play together. They tried the bugle whilst in the Boy Scouts (7th Toxteth Troop) but were only making raspberry sounds!
Meanwhile on the other side of the Mersey in Wallasey, Leslie was becoming a piano prodigy. He also played the sax and euphonium, and by 14 he was the youngest in his brass band. After finishing school he became a cabinetmaker. Les always liked woodworking and mechanics. When that job stopped he went to work selling sheet music.
Back in another section of Liverpool, "Chad" was dreaming of playing the trumpet in front of a big audience, and worshipped Eddie Calvert. Chad's parents wouldn't indulge him though, as he showed no interest in their piano. Chad did eventually get a guitar for his 13th birthday! When Chad was at the Liverpool Institute, George Harrison and Paul McCartney were there also, and Chad saw even then how good they were, and it inspired him to do better himself. He loved English, Literature, and math, and when he graduated he went to work at the Garston Branch of the Liverpool Bank.
Gerry and Fred formed the Gerry Marsden Quartet with Brian O'Hara (later with the Fourmost). Fred recalls bringing home many records to play, especially Jimmy Rodgers' "If I Had A Girl." They then played gigs with Arthur Mack on piano, and soon met Chad.
Chad remembers the early days, and how he and Fred would have to sing if Gerry broke a string. He and Fred knew three songs, so if Gerry took longer than about 10 minutes to change the string, they were lost!
Les joined later, replacing Arthur Mack, and Les originally played the sax, but gravitated towards the piano.
Of course then came the gigs in Hamburg with people like Little Richard and Bill Haley, and the local clubs like The Cavern, Iron Door, Tower Ballroom, etc. When Brian Epstein signed them, and they went into a recording studio in January of 1963, they hit it and hit it big! Their first three singles went to number one, a record which I think still stands!

Next page is gear color photos!