“My dear old mate…” — Paul McCartney bids an emotional farewell to a friend from his earliest days Music sometimes begins with the simplest friendships. And for Paul McCartney, one piece of that memory has just come to an end as Len Garry, a childhood friend and one of the first members of The Quarrymen, has passed away at the age of 84. Len Garry played tea-chest bass in the original lineup of The Quarrymen — the band that existed before The Beatles were formed. During those early years, they played music together, laughed together, and shared musical dreams in Liverpool. When he heard the news, McCartney wrote a short but deeply emotional message: “My dear old mate from the Quarrymen… I’m sad to see him go.” It was not just a farewell to a former bandmate — but a final goodbye to a friend who had been there since the very beginning of a musical legend. The lesser-known memories of Len Garry and his role in the earliest days that eventually led to the creation of The Beatles are told in full in the article.

Sir Paul McCartney has paid homage to his childhood friend, fellow Liverpool musician, and former bandmate, Len Garry, whose death was announced today.

Garry, who was born in 1942, was the same age as McCartney, and both attended Liverpool Institute High School for Boys together from 1953. The pair were introduced to one another by their mutual friend, Ivan Vaughn. Vaughn would later introduce Paul McCartney to another friend, his future Beatles bandmate and songwriting partner, John Lennon.

From 1957, Len served as the tea-chest bassist for the Quarrymen, following the departure of former member, Bill Smith. Garry served as a member of the original line-up of the group when the band started to become a serious act, along with Lennon, Rod Davis, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton, and Pete Shotton. McCartney would later join the group from October 1957. Garry formally quit the band due to tubercular meningitis, which caused a 7-month hospital stay.

By 1960, the group had formally evolved to become The Beatles, with Lennon and McCartney joined by George Harrison and Ringo Starr as the principal original members — although some Beatles historians would assert that drummer Pete Best and bassist Stuart Sutcliffe also count as former Beatles.

McCartney paid tribute to his former Quarrymen bandmate on social media following the announcement of his death at the age of 84 on Tuesday morning. “My dear old mate from the Quarrymen, Len Garry, has passed away,” he wrote, as a caption for an early image of the Quarrymen performing together. “He was a lovely guy, and I’m sad to see him go, but glad that we had so many fun times together. Rest in Peace Len. Love Paul”

Following his departure from the group, Garry worked as an architect in his home city of Liverpool. In 1997, Garry reunited with the surviving non-Beatle members of the Quarrymen to perform a concert in Liverpool to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the group. The group remained active to this day, although with various member lineups, touring across the world and performing the skiffle and traditional rock and roll songs they had performed during their original formation.

This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Mar 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.