Chas Newby
Chas Newby was born Charles Newby on the 18th of June 1941. In December 1960 he played bass for the Beatles on a handful of nights.
Then the job passed to someone else. How did a temporary player end up on stage with the band, and why did he leave? And what became of him afterward?
Stuart Sutcliffe was still in Hamburg, concentrating on his art career, when the Beatles came home from West Germany for the first time. That left the group without a bass guitarist. Pete Best, who had a band of his own, offered a name: Chas Newby.
The Black Jacks were Best's group, and Newby had been a member. By then he was attending university, but he happened to be on holiday, so he agreed to play with the Beatles. His agreement came with an obvious limit, since a holiday does not last.
The first of Newby's four engagements with the Beatles took place on the 17th of December at the Casbah Club in Liverpool. A week later, on the 24th of December, the band played the Grosvenor Ballroom in Liscard.
Litherland Town Hall hosted the third show on the 27th of December. The run finished on the 31st of December, back at the Casbah Club. John Lennon had one more request for Newby.
John Lennon asked Newby to travel to West Germany with the Beatles for the band's second trip there. Newby chose to go back to university instead.
That decision reopened the question of who would play bass. Lennon and George Harrison both declined to switch to the instrument. Paul McCartney, who until then had played guitar and piano, reluctantly took it on. The man who turned the offer down went on to a very different working life.
Droitwich Spa High School, in the town of Droitwich Spa, is where Newby taught mathematics. Later he lived in Alcester, where he played in a charity group called the Racketts.
In 2016, Newby began performing as a member of the Quarrymen, the band that was the precursor to the Beatles. A man who once filled in for the Beatles had ended up in the group that came before them. He died on the 22nd of May 2023, at the age of 81, seven years after joining the Quarrymen.
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Common questions
Who was Chas Newby?
Chas Newby was a British musician, born Charles Newby on the 18th of June 1941. He was briefly the bassist for the Beatles in December 1960 and later taught mathematics.
Why did Chas Newby play bass for the Beatles in December 1960?
The Beatles needed a bass guitarist because Stuart Sutcliffe was still in Hamburg focusing on his art career. Pete Best suggested Chas Newby, who was on holiday from university and agreed.
Which Beatles gigs did Chas Newby play?
Chas Newby played four engagements with the Beatles in December 1960. They were at the Casbah Club in Liverpool on the 17th, the Grosvenor Ballroom in Liscard on the 24th, Litherland Town Hall on the 27th, and the Casbah Club again on the 31st.
Why did Chas Newby not go to Hamburg with the Beatles?
Chas Newby chose to return to university instead. John Lennon had asked him to join the Beatles for their second trip to West Germany.
Who became the Beatles' bass player after Chas Newby left?
Paul McCartney became the bass player after Lennon and George Harrison both declined to switch to bass. McCartney had previously played guitar and piano and took on the role reluctantly.
What did Chas Newby do after playing with the Beatles?
Chas Newby taught mathematics at Droitwich Spa High School and later lived in Alcester, where he played in a charity group called the Racketts. In 2016 he began performing with the Quarrymen, the band that preceded the Beatles.
When did Chas Newby die?
Chas Newby died on the 22nd of May 2023, at the age of 81.
All sources
4 references cited across the entry
- 1The Story of Chas Newby, a Member of the Beatles for Two WeeksRyan Reed — Ultimate Classic Rock — 17 December 2015
- 2BookThe Beatles: The BiographyBob Spitz — Little Brown — 2005
- 4Chas Newby, one-time Beatles bassist, dies at 81Adrian Horton — 23 May 2023