Len Garry, an early musician who played with Paul McCartney and John Lennon before they became famous, has died at 84. Garry was a founding member of The Quarrymen, the Liverpool band that preceded The Beatles. His daughter announced his death on social media.

Garry was born on January 6, 1942, in Liverpool. While attending the Liverpool Institute High School, he became friends with Paul McCartney. Through that friendship, he later met John Lennon. In 1956, Garry joined The Quarrymen. The band played a style of music called skiffle before leaning into early rock and roll.

The Quarrymen played many shows around Liverpool in the late 1950s. One of their most important early performances was at the Cavern Club, a venue that would later become famous as a stage for The Beatles. Garry played with McCartney and Lennon at that show, a performance that is considered a key moment in the early history of what would become one of the most influential bands in rock music.

In 1958, Garry was diagnosed with tubercular meningitis, a serious illness that forced him to spend months in the hospital and leave the band before it became The Beatles. Despite his early departure, he remained part of the group’s history.

After leaving the band, Garry worked in architecture in Liverpool. Later in life, he returned to music by performing in a touring rock and gospel musical called “Come Together.” Garry also shared his memories of the early days of the band in a book titled “John, Paul & Me: Before the Beatles.”