I am told by my parents that when I was a toddler in my playpen, I'd pay a lot of attention to my toys when the news was on the radio, but as soon as a Beatles song came on, I'd be dancing around like a fiend. My aunt had a Beatles album, and we'd visit her every week or two, and EVERY time we visited, I'd ask her to put that album on. When I was four, she finally just gave me the bloody thing! I remember thinking that when I grew up I could replace one of the original members if they retired. Shades of Menudo...Anyway, got a guitar at twelve, got a Beatles songbook at thirteen, got a better (ie "more accurate") Beatles songbook at fourteen, learned my first lessons in song structure from those books, hated disco, was overjoyed when all those new-wave/power-pop bands surfaced in the early 80s, stayed home from school December 9th and 10th 1980 because I couldn't be bothered dealing with the world, bought a Rickenbacker, bought a Hofner, and I'm STILL playing those songs at gigs...Incredible the influence those four total strangers can have on one, isn't it...