The Beatals

Never having been in a band, I can’t say for sure; but it seems to me that choosing just the right name has to be a major decision.  Many bands go through several names before settling down.  The Beatles, for instance, cycled through a long list of names beginning in March 1957, many totally unknown to their fans:  the Blackjacks, the Quarrymen, Johnny and the Moondogs, the Beatals, the Silver Beetles, the Silver Beatles, and finally the Beatles in mid-August 1960.  It was Stu Sutcliffe who, in January 1960, came up with the name “the Beatals” – as a tribute to the name of Buddy Holly’s band the Crickets – so he should rightly be credited with the name we all knew them by.  (Another British band was more direct in their honoring of Buddy, the Hollies).  By the way, Pete Best was hired as the permanent drummer for the Beatles on August 12, 1960 – within days of their starting to use the name without “Silver” – and Ringo Starr wouldn’t be brought in for two more years.