The Beatles Bassist Dead At 81
Sad breaking news for music fans as the former bassist of The Beatles has been confirmed dead at the age of 81. Making the news even more tragic, this particular member of The Beatles is one many aren’t familiar with as his stint with the group as their bassists was so brief it flew under the radar for many. So, who was this former bassist of The Beatles that passed away? Keep reading for the details.
The Beatles Bassist Dead At 81
Per TMZ, Chas Newby passed away earlier this week. Unfortunately, music fans who don’t really know the history of The Beatles have no idea he contributed to this band. Just who was Chas Newby?
It was back in the 1960s that The Beatles started to create a name for themselves out of Hamburg, Germany. Performing regular gigs at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, the band consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Pete Best, and Stuart Sutcliffe. When Stuart made the decision to stay in Hamburg to pursue his art career, the band found themselves in need of a new bassist.
RIP Chas Newby, fill-in Beatle and fair chap. He deputised for Stuart on a few dates when the Beatles returned from Hamburg the first time, end-1960, including the momentous Litherland date. Latterly he’s been one of the Quarry Men too. A charming man, always a pleasure to meet. pic.twitter.com/f3EqtlIL3I
— Mark Lewisohn (@marklewisohn) May 23, 2023
This was when Chas Newby entered the picture. Turns out, Chas had been a part of John and Paul’s previous group called The Quarrymen. When they asked Chas if he would help out, he didn’t hesitate to step in. At the same time Chas Newby stepped in as a fill-in, The Beatles were on the rise. The popularity of this group exploded in both Liverpool and Germany. They got a recording contract and continued to grow from there.
Chas Newby’s interests, however, went far beyond music. He wanted to go to school and major in chemistry. So, he walked away from The Beatles. He graduated from school and scored a job making windshields for airplanes and trains.
At the time, Paul was playing rhythm guitar and piano for the Beatles. When Chas Newby made the decision to walk away from the group, Paul made some changes and ended up becoming the new bassist for the band.
Chas Newby, who played bass guitar for The Beatles during their early days, has died at the age of 81.
He also played with John Lennon in his first band, The Quarrymen, and note – he was the first left-handed bass guitarist in The Beatles. pic.twitter.com/8YCehk7Pd1— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) May 23, 2023
Chas Newby was once asked if he regret his decision to walk away from The Beatles given how wildly successful they went on to be. Turns out, he had no regrets as his passion was chemistry, not music.
Music was never going to be a living for me. I wanted to do chemistry. People sometimes don’t believe me when I say I’ve no regrets, but I really haven’t.”
Rest in peace, Chas Newby.
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