Founding member of the Quarrymen dead age 64
by Martin Lewis
Eric Griffiths - a schoolmate of John Lennon - and fellow founding
member of the Quarrymen (the group which eventually became the Beatles)
has passed on at the age of 64.
Eric was born in October 1940 - the same month and year as John Lennon
- and at the age of 11 they were both enrolled in Quarry Bank Grammar
School in Liverpool. Eric was in the same school 'house' as John. In
1956, when John became interested in skiffle music (an English hybrid
of folk, country, and blues music played primarily on homemade
instruments - that was the precursor of British rock 'n' roll) Eric was
one of the schoolmates who John invited to form a band with him. The
others were fellow Quarry Bank schoolmates Rod Davis and Pete Shotton;
Len Garry who went to school with Paul McCartney at the Liverpool
Institute - and another local lad - Colin Hanton.
Eric was playing guitar alongside John in that original 6-piece lineup
on the fateful day in July 1957 when Paul McCartney came to see the
band - and formed the friendship with John that would result in him
(and subsequently George Harrison) joining the Quarrymen - the group
that eventually metamorphosed into the Beatles.
As the Quarrymen became more driven musically toward becoming a serious
rock 'n' roll band the original schoolmate members - who had joined
their mate John mainly for a lark - slowly dropped out - and in 1958
Eric left the band.
Eric reunited with the other surviving founders of the Quarrymen in
July 1997 for a special 40th anniversary celebration in Liverpool of
the Woolton Village church fete where John Lennon and Paul McCartney
met for the first time. Following that reunion - the five founding
members of the Quarrymen reformed and ever since have been playing
their music all over the world - recording two albums in the process.
Eric became an enthusiastic member of the reformed Quarrymen (though 40
years had elapsed since he'd played the guitar!) and he became very
popular among those who saw the group perform over the past 7 years.
The author Hunter Davies (who in 1968 had written the authorized
biography of the Beatles) was so impressed with the story of the
reformed group that he wrote a biography of them published in 2001 -
titled simply "The Quarrymen."
With no prior symptoms to warn him, Eric was diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer last November. He spent his last months very courageously
putting his affairs in order to lessen the burden on his family. He
died at home in Edinburgh, Scotland on Saturday January 29th.
Eric is survived by his wife of 40 years Relda (who he married at
Woolton Parish Church in 1964) and three sons. Eric and Relda moved to
Edinburgh, Scotland in 1972 - and had lived there since then.
Funeral arrangements are pending - with next Monday (February 7th)
being the probable date.
A tribute page will be set up soon on the Quarrymen's official website:
http://www.OriginalQuarrymen.co.uk
Eric Griffith's biography can be viewed at
http://www.OriginalQuarrymen.co.uk/html/eric.html
John Lennon was very picky about his school friends and surrounded
himself with those who were smart and funny. Eric Griffiths was shyer
and more introverted than Lennon - but no less sharp. And he retained
a dry mordant wit all his life. He will be missed - not just by his
family and close friends - but also by the worldwide extended family of
Beatles fans who know that the Beatles had its earliest roots in 1956
when John Lennon press-ganged his closest schoolmates into a little
skiffle group called the Quarrymen. John's schooldays pal Eric
Griffiths was a part of that fabled history...
Published January 31, 2005
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