Chas Newby, a guitarist who briefly stepped in to play bass with the Beatles for a few dates early in their career, has died. He was 81.
A cause of death has not been revealed.
His death was announced by The Cavern Club music venue in Liverpool where the Beatles first rose to public prominence.
“It’s with great sadness to hear about the passing of Chas Newby,” the club said in a Facebook post. “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,” the post added. “RIP Chas Newby thoughts and well wishes from everybody at The Cavern Club.”
“RIP Chas Newby, fill-in Beatle and fair chap,’ said Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn 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. pic.twitter.com/f3EqtlIL3I
— Mark Lewisohn (@marklewisohn) May 23, 2023
Newby joined the group in December 1960 when Stuart Sutcliffe decided to stay in Germany on the band’s return to the UK, the Gold music outlet reports.
The outlet detailed Newby had been suggested by the group’s then-drummer Pete Best, having previously played in Best’s previous band The Black Jacks.
The bassist was on holiday from university at the time, and played a quartet of Beatles 1960 shows at the Casbah Club in Liverpool (December 17), the Grosvenor Ballroom in Liscard (December 24), Litherland Town Hall (December 27) and again at the Casbah on New Year’s Eve.
While John Lennon had asked Newby to join the group on their return to Germany, Chas reportedly decided to go back to university instead.
Newby later became a mathematics teacher at Droitwitch Spa High School and played in a group called The Rackets.
“Music was never going to be a living for me,” Newby told the Sunday Mercury in 2012. “I wanted to do chemistry. John, Paul and George, they just wanted to be musicians.”
In later life he did return to music, the Gold report states, as he joined skiffle group The Quarrymen.
The band, which had previously included Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Sutcliffe, reformed in 1994 and has had a shifting lineup over the years since, usually made up of a core group of original Quarrymen.