JOHN LENNON (The Beatles)

It happened to me when I heard rock 'n' roll in the Fifties. I had no idea about doing music as a way of life until rock 'n' roll hit me. What specifically hit me? It was "Rock Around the Clock." I loved it... it just grabbed me like mentally. That afternoon I borrowed a few 'bob' and bought the record. That was when I knew I wanted to go into pop music. Soon after my aunt bought me a guitar. (1980)

And a recollection by John Lennon's closest childhood friend - Pete Shotton:

"It never occurred to us that a mere record might affect our personal lives in any direct way - let alone further our never-ending quest for mischief and excitement - until that fateful day we heard "Rock Around The Clock." It was loud, crude and sexy like nothing we'd ever heard before and both John and I identified with it almost at once..." - Pete Shotton (1983)

PAUL McCARTNEY (The Beatles)

The first time I really ever felt a tingle up my spine was when I saw Bill Haley and The Comets on the 'telly.' Then I went to see them live. The ticket was 24 shillings and I was the only one of my mates who could go as no one else had been able to save up that amount - but I was single-minded about it, having got that tingle up my spine. I knew there was something going on here." (1984)

GRAHAM NASH (The Hollies - and Crosby, Stills & Nash)

I've still got the ticket stub in my wallet from when I went to see Bill Haley & The Comets play in Manchester in February 1957. My first-ever concert. Over the years I've lost houses... I've lost wives... But I've not lost that ticket stub! It's that important to me... (2005)

PETE TOWNSHEND (The Who)

The birth of rock 'n' roll for me? Seeing Bill Haley and The Comets in "Rock Around the Clock" with my best friend at the time. God, that band SWUNG! We were eleven years old... (2004)

I started to examine what was happening, listening to Elvis Presley like all my friends. But to be honest I never really liked him. (1990)

My father was a musician in a dance band. He took me to my first rock and roll concert. It was Bill Haley - when I was eleven and a half years old... (1993)

And a recollection by Pete Townshend's mother - Betty Townshend. (In summer 1956, 10-year-old Pete Townshend was on his summer vacation with his mother. She recalls that Pete wanted to go with a pal to see the new movie "Rock Around the Clock" starring Bill Haley and The Comets)

"Well, they wanted to see it the next day and the next day and in the end we were giving them the money or getting passes for them. They were seeing this film daily - practically every rainy day, anyway. Peter really absolutely adored music, and when this Bill Haley and rock and roll thing started, he was right into it. He was very little; he was ten. And he loved it." - Betty Townshend (1983)

ROGER WATERS (Pink Floyd)

What record changed my life growing up? Like everyone else in England, I listened to Radio Luxembourg, a pirate station. They played rock & roll like Bill Haley.... (2005)