Former Beatles bass player Chas Newby dies aged 81

Chas Newby, a bass player who once performed with the pioneering British pop group The Beatles, has died at the age of 81.

The musician was a member of John Lennon’s first band The Quarrymen, and news of his death was announced by The Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles first rose to prominence in the early 1960s.

A spokesperson wrote in a Facebook post: “It is with great sadness to hear of the passing of Chas Newby.

Chas filled in for The Beatles on a few dates when Stuart Sutcliffe was in Hamburg and later 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 everyone at The Cavern Club.’

Beatles historian Mark Lewishon has also taken to social media to pay tribute to the musician.

Mark explained that he had replaced Stuart ‘on a few dates’ and described Chas as a ‘charming man’.

He wrote on Twitter: “RIP Chas Newby, Beatle substitute and honest chap. He replaced Stuart on a few dates when the Beatles first returned from Hamburg in late 1960, including the memorable Litherland date.

“He’s also been one of the Quarry Men lately.

‘A charming man, always nice to meet. (sic)’

John Lennon reportedly wanted Chas to tour with the band when they left for West Germany in the 1960s.

However, Chas turned down the offer to tour with the Beatles and returned to college instead.

Talking 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.’

Chas eventually became a school teacher and later insisted that he did not regret his choice of career.

He said, “Sometimes people don’t believe me when I say I have no regrets. But I really don’t.’

Chas also joked that his claim to fame was to become the Beatles’ first left-handed bassist.

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 and it’s not as hard as it sounds, but I just played it upside down.”