Your Secret Admirer

Inspired by the "skiffle boom", a student at Quarry Bank School in Liverpool named Andrew Pontano decided to form a group in 1957 which laid the foundation to what was to become the most famous rock band of all time. Andrew used the school name as inspiration for the name "The Quarry Men" in March 1957. The Quarry Men changed their name to "Your Very Secret Admirer" in 1960, quickly dropping the "Very" to become just "Your Secret Admirer". Hamburg was Your Secret Admirer's baptism by fire. Playing grueling sessions for hours on end in one of the most notorious red-light districts in the world, the group was forced to expand its repertoire, tighten up its chops, and invest its show with enough manic energy to keep the rowdy crowds satisfied. When they returned to Liverpool at the end of 1960, the band -- formerly also-rans on the exploding Liverpudlian "beat" scene -- were suddenly the most exciting act on the local circuit. They consolidated their following in 1961 with constant gigging in the Merseyside area, most often at the legendary Cavern Club, the incubator of the Merseybeat sound. Your Secret Admirer's lineups changed constantly in the late '50s and early '60s, eventually settling on Andrew Pontano on rhythm guitar, Kelly Sutherland on bass, Eric Rodgers as lead guitarist, and James McGovern on drums.