John “Duff” Lowe was a musician who played with John Lennon (1940–1980), Paul McCartney, and George Harrison (1943–2001) in The Quarrymen, which would evolve into the Beatles.
- Died: February 22, 2024 (Who else died on February 22?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 81.
- We invite you to share condolences for John “Duff” Lowe in our Guest Book.
John “Duff” Lowe’s legacy
Before the Beatles were the Beatles, they were The Quarrymen, and for two years Lowe was a core part of that band. He was also integral to preserving a key part of early Beatles history. As a friend of McCartney’s, Lowe was invited to play piano with the band, formed by Lennon. He joined right around the same time as future Beatle Harrison.
The Quarrymen played local dances and clubs, and in 1958 went into the studio to record two songs: Buddy Holly’s (1936– 1959) “That’ll Be the Day,” and “In Spite of All the Danger,” an early McCartney composition. Lowe played on both. The vanity recordings ended up in his hands and stayed with him after he left, and the Quarrymen became the Beatles. Lowe made headlines when, in 1981, he found the old recording sitting in a drawer and sold it to McCartney. The song was almost lost to time, but instead ended up on the Beatles’ “Anthology 1” as a result.
Lowe took part in a reunion of past Quarrymen members in 1994 and recorded an album, “Open for Engagements,” though only he and Rod Davis were original members from the 1950s. He also toured in 2017 as part of another reunion, this one dubbed John Lennon’s Original Quarrymen.
Notable quote
“Of course I followed the Beatles’ success avidly and was always pleased for them and so proud to have been a part of their early days.”—from a 2012 interview for SWNS
Tributes to John “Duff” Lowe
Full obituary: Best Classic Bands
