Peter Shotton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Shotton
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| Born | 4 August 1941 Liverpool, England
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| Died | 24 March 2017 (aged 75) Knutsford, Cheshire, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Education | Dovedale Infants School Quarry Bank Grammar School |
| Occupation | Businessman, author |
| Known for | Childhood friend of John Lennon Entrepreneur and founder of Fatty Arbuckle restaurants |
Peter ("Pete") Shotton (born August 4, 1941 – died March 24, 2017) was a very close friend of John Lennon. John Lennon was one of the founders of the famous band, The Beatles. Pete Shotton later wrote a book about his life with John Lennon. The book was first called John Lennon "In My Life". It was later renamed The Beatles, Lennon and Me.
Contents
Pete Shotton's Early Life
Pete Shotton and John Lennon first met when they were young boys. They lived in Woolton, a town near Liverpool, England. At first, they had a fight, but they quickly became best friends. They went to school together and often got into trouble. They even formed a small group of friends, like a "gang."
Teenage Years and Music
When Pete and John were teenagers, rock and roll music became very popular. Folk music and skiffle music were also big hits. Many young people in England started their own skiffle bands. John Lennon got a guitar from his mother. He and Pete, along with other friends from their school, Quarry Bank, formed a band. They called themselves the Quarry Men.
Pete's job in the band was to play percussion on a washboard. He also sang harmony with the others. John Lennon was very good at music, but Pete was not a skilled musician. He did not really enjoy playing music. When Paul McCartney joined the Quarry Men, he and John started writing songs together. Paul was also very talented. Pete felt like he did not fit in the band anymore.
John Lennon eventually told Pete he was "fired" from the Quarry Men. This happened after they played at a party. John even broke the washboard over Pete's head! But they stayed good friends. They still spent a lot of time together. After high school, John went to art college. Pete decided to train to become a police officer. The Quarry Men changed their music style to rock and roll. They also changed their name a few times before becoming The Beatles.
Pete's Connection to The Beatles
When John Lennon became famous with The Beatles, he often invited Pete to visit him. John and George Harrison, another Beatles member, bought a supermarket. They used some of their earnings to buy it. They asked Pete to manage the store for them. Pete got married and had a son. He spent most of his week with his family. But he would visit John's home on weekends. John trusted Pete to be a true friend. He knew Pete was not just around because he was famous or rich. Pete got along well with John's wife, Cynthia. Sometimes Pete would take Cynthia out when John needed to work on music.
Helping with Music and Business
Pete also helped The Beatles with their music sometimes. He would help them think of new ideas for songs. He also gave his opinion on their music. Sometimes, he even played the tambourine or other percussion instruments on their recordings. Later, The Beatles started their own company called Apple Corps. Pete Shotton became the first person to manage this company.
Apple Corps had many problems and was not very successful. This caused stress for The Beatles and the people who worked there. The problems were not Pete's fault. But he felt a lot of pressure. He decided to leave his job at Apple. John Lennon then tried to hire Pete as his personal assistant. But this did not work out well. John's new relationship with Yoko Ono also caused some problems between John and Pete.
Pete decided it was best to step away from John for a while. He wanted their friendship to stay strong. He went back to managing his supermarket. He and John did not see each other for some time. After John and Yoko Ono moved to America, Pete visited them in New York City. They were very happy to see each other again.
Pete Shotton's Later Life
John Lennon was sadly murdered in late 1980. When Pete heard the news, he drove to George Harrison's home. He spent the day with George. Later, Pete wrote his book about his life with John.
Pete eventually sold his supermarket business. He then started a chain of restaurants called Fatty Arbuckle's. These restaurants became very successful. He later sold this business too. Pete then retired and moved to Ireland. In the 1990s, some of the original Quarry Men members got back together. They played old songs for fun. Pete performed with them sometimes. He later sang the song "Imagine" at a special event. This event was a tribute to John Lennon and The Beatles in Woolton.
Pete Shotton's Death
Pete Shotton passed away on March 24, 2017. He died in Knutsford, Cheshire, England. He was 75 years old. Doctors think he died from a heart attack.
See also
In Spanish: Peter Shotton para niños
