Most teenagers that learn to appreciate music will experiment by listening to the Beatles. My own grandchildren included. Amazingly, it seems to become "their" music for a short time and they are able to sing along and enjoy it almost as much as I did.

"Love Me Do" was the Beatles first record, recorded in June 1962. From then on the Fab Four from Liverpool, England (Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) went on to become an international success with one great hit record after another. With every appearance, the Beatles, with their tailored suits and mop haircuts, created hysteria among their fans, especially in Britain.

Girls would scream and cry with emotion just at the mere sight of them and it did not take long before "Beatlemania" spread right across the globe. Schoolgirls would have their favorite Beatle, baby face Paul McCartney or witty John Lennon were top favorites, though mine was sultry George. Some of the early hits that followed Love Me Do were; Please, Please Me, I Want to Hold Your Hand, From Me to You, All My Loving, Can't Buy Me Love, She Loves You, and with each album, the list went on and on until the group disbanded in December of 1970. Today, only two former members of the Beatles remain; Paul McCartney, who recently celebrated his 70th Birthday, and Ringo Starr, who is 72.

John Lennon tragically died after being shot outside his apartment in New York on December 8, 1980 and George Harrison passed away on November 29, 2001 due to cancer of the throat.

Another British group immerged around the same time as the Beatles. In contrast to the suit clad Fab Four, the Rolling Stones were more on the wild, rough and tough side, wearing torn jeans, tee shirts and long hair. Initially named the Rollin Stones, named after the title of a Muddy Waters song, the group made their first debut at the famous Marquee Club in London on July 12, 1962. Original members of the group were Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Dick Taylor and Ian Stewart. After a few months, Taylor and Stewart were replaced with Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. By 1963, this new rhythm and blues group had their first hit record titled "Come On." A song written and first released by Chuck Berry.

By the mid sixties the Stones were the number two rock band behind the Beatles. Some of their most popular early hits were; I Wanna Be Your Man, Not Fade Away, It's All Over Now, The Last Time, I Can't Get No Satisfaction, Get Off of My Cloud, Let's Spend the Night Together, and Jumpin Jack Flash. Though all members of the group were great blues-rock musicians, it was lead singer Mick Jagger, known for his large mouth and sexy moves, that got most of the attention. Now 69 years old, and still energetically performing international concerts, Jagger has become the Granddaddy of rock.

Sadly, Brian Jones, one of the original Rolling Stones, died in 1969 after a drug overdose, he was replaced a few years later with current member, Ron Wood. Another original, Bill Wyman left the group in 1993.

However, it seems Mick Jagger, Keith Richard, Ron Wood and Charlie Watts with their ongoing 2012, 50 year concert tours, will "Not Fade Away."

Two of the brothers, Dennis and Carl, have since passed away, but their music lives on. New members, Dave Marks and Bruce Johnston, have enabled the group to continue making records, their most recent album released this year, "That's Why God Made The Radio." Celebrating 50 years of summer music, the Beach Boys are on tour internationally and "just can't wait to get back to states, back to the cutest girls in the world," where they will make an appearance in Los Angeles, California.

To many of our readers, remembering these groups as they were in the early 60's will probably seem like just yesterday, so to put things into perspective, in 1962, 50 years before that was 1912!  Now wasn't that a long time ago.

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