Colin Hanton

Colin Leo Hanton (born 12 December 1938) is an English musician, best known as the drummer for the 1950s skiffle band The Quarrymen, led by a young John Lennon. He currently plays for the reformed version of The Quarrymen.

Early life Hanton was born in Bootle and moved to Woolton, Liverpool when he was eight in 1946. Hanton's mother (Ethel Jones b.1913) died of tuberculosis in 1950, when Colin was a child, and he and his siblings moved into their grandparents' house. Colin left school and worked trained as a carpenter, before moving to working as an upholsterer in Speke. Shortly after, they embarked on a tour which took place in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and Japan, among many others. Hanton has participated on all Quarrymen releases since; including their three albums; Get Back – Together (1997), Songs We Remember (2004), and Grey Album (2012). Their recent material primarily consists of rock and roll and skiffle songs from the 1950s.

Hanton was portrayed by actor Sam Wilmott in the 2009 biopic Nowhere Boy.

The Quarrymen performed in New York City, for what would have been Lennon's 70th birthday, in 2010.

As of 2025, Hanton still tours with Rod Davis.

Later life Hanton married his wife, Joan, in 1965. Together, they had two children. Hanton continued to work for the Guy Rogers carpentry company until it shut down in 1979. Afterwards, he opened his own upholstery business, which he still runs today. Colin still lives in Liverpool.

Discography With the Quarrymen Studio albums

Live albums

Singles TitleYear"That'll Be the Day"1958"In Spite of All the Danger"1958