Who influences them?

With all this talk about their influences on the world, we forget that the Beatles are human beings also! They were once influenced by someone else. Its amazing to think that anyone as great as them could be influenced by someone else. But everything had to have started somewhere.

John Lennon:
As Philip Norman writes in his book "SHOUT!", at the age of 15, Lennon first heard "Heartbreak Hotel" and immediately fell in love with Elvis Presley. From there on out, it was Presley, everyday, all day. Since the BBC wouldn't broadcast rock 'n' roll, the only way to listen to it was the Radio Luxembourg, a commercial station. The Elvis records came through, but blurry and static. Still, Lennon listened to them at night under the bed sheets. There were other artists as well that Lennon loved. For example, Little Richard, Bill Haley, and Freddy Bell and the Bellboys. They also played on the Luxembourg.
Along with the others boys of Britain, Lennon begged his aunt Mimi for the national craze, thanks to Presley, a guitar. So his aunt finally gave in and gave up 17 pounds to buy him a little Spanish model guitar. Lennon would sit in his room and just strum it, singing words that came to his head, and eventually creating a tune. Mimi had always told him, "The guitar's all very well John, but you'll never make a living out of it." Look at him now.

Paul McCartney:
Paul's home was always involved in music. Norman writes that before the war, his father Jim McCartney, had his own band, the Jim Mac Jazz Band, and like all other families, they had a piano in the house.
In 1956, Paul had seen Lonnie Donegan and his Skiffle Group in Liverpool at the Empire theater. It was then that Paul had always thought of being a star and wanted to a guitar. He bought his own guitar, a sunburst colored 'cello, for 15 pounds. It was the first thing he woke up to, and the last thing he saw at night. He discovered that he played better strumming as a lefty, and got his chords put on reverse. From then on, the guitar was his passion. As he progressed on, he learned to play his favorites: Little Richard, Carl Perkins, and Elvis. He bought every album of theirs and the Everly Brothers, and continued advancing his skill and love for music.

George Harrison:
Growing up, George was known as the would-be guitarist that never played with any group. George however, when went on his own guitar craze after hearing Lonnie Donegan, but had trouble learning because of his lack of music ability. One morning, on his way to Liverpool, George ran into Paul and their guitar passion drew them together. Paul would go over to George's and they would practice together. Paul would make fun of George because he had his own style, he played very "raunchy". George too, listened to a lot of Presley and him and Paul bonded over him.

Ringo Starr:
Richard Starkey is his real name. He grew up playing the drums, and was even apart of a more glamorous, bigger rock band before joining the Beatles. When Paul, John, and George heard him play however, they asked to borrow him for a recording and eventually he decided to join permanently, replacing the former Beatles drummer, Pete Best. Richard was given the nickname Rings because he wore so may rings on his arms, which eventually turned into "Ringo" because it sounded more cowboyish. Starkey shortened into Starr.

Yes, the Beatles as great as they were, were influenced by artists once better then them. As they idolized Elvis Presley, and their love for him brought them together, they would've never thought they would become an even bigger world figure than him.

Norman, Philip. SHOUT! Fireside Edition ed. Great Britain : Sidgwick & Jackson, 2003. N. pag. Print.