Former Beatles bass player Chas Newby dies aged 81, with tributes pouring in for The Quarrymen musician
- The musician was a member of John Lennon’s first band, The Quarrymen
- Chas stood in for the Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe in Germany in the 1960s
Former Beatles bass player Chas Newby has died at the age of 81.
The musician was a member of John Lennon‘s first band, The Quarrymen, and news of his passing was announced by The Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles first rose to prominence.
A spokesperson wrote in a Facebook post: ‘It’s with great sadness to hear about the passing of Chas Newby.
‘Chas stepped in for The Beatles for a few dates when Stuart Sutcliffe stayed in Hamburg and latterly he played for The Quarrymen.
‘Interestingly, he was also the first left-handed bass guitarist in The Beatles. RIP Chas Newby thoughts and well wishes from everybody at The Cavern Club.’
Farewell: Former Beatles bass player Chas Newby has died at the age of 91, it was announced on Tuesday
Hitmakers: John Lennon reportedly wanted Chas to continue on tour with the band when they headed to West Germany in the 1960s (L-R: the Beatles members Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon in 1963)
Sad news: News of his passing was announced by The Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles first rose to prominence
Beatles historian Mark Lewishon has also taken to social media to pay tribute to the musician.
Mark explained that he deputised for Stuart ‘on a few dates’ and he described Chas as a ‘charming man’.
He wrote on Twitter: ‘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. (sic)’
John Lennon reportedly wanted Chas to continue on tour with the band when they headed to West Germany in the 1960s.
However, Chas declined the offer to tour with the Beatles and he instead returned to university.
Speaking to the Sunday Mercury in 2012, Chas explained: ‘Music was never going to be a living for me. I wanted to do chemistry.
‘John, Paul [McCartney] and George [Harrison], they just wanted to be musicians.’
Staying home: Chas declined the offer to tour with the Beatles and he instead returned to university
Tribute: Beatles historian Mark Lewishon has also taken to social media to pay tribute to the musician
Chas eventually became a school teacher and later insisted that he didn’t have any regrets about his career choice.
He said: ‘People sometimes don’t believe me when I say I’ve no regrets. But I really haven’t.’
Chas also joked that his claim to fame was becoming the Beatles first left-handed bass player.
He said on the Beatles City podcast: ‘I borrowed a bass from a guy called Tommy McGuirk, but of course Tommy was right handed, so I got this bass guitar and it’s not as difficult as it sounds but I just played it upside down.’
Content: Chas eventually became a school teacher and later insisted that he didn’t have any regrets about his career choice
