Chas Newby, popularly known for being a one-time bassist for the Beatles, has passed away at the age of 81.
According to the Guardian, the musician is known to be the group's first left-handed bassist. The tragic news was confirmed by Roag Best on social media.
"Both Pete and I and the whole Best family absolutely devastated to hear the very sad news with regards to one of the families closest friends Chas Newby passing last night," he wrote on Tuesday.
As of this writing, Newby's cause of death remains a mystery as it was not publicly announced by his family.
Who Was Chas Newby?
Per the outlet, the famed musician was born in Liverpool in 1941. He became popular after joining the Beatles for a short time.
He played bass with the band's original lineup featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison in a few gigs. The reason why he joined the group was because he wanted to earn money for Christmas during his college break. (via Birmingham Live)
He earned over £1 for each of the four shows.
Lennon wanted him to continue playing for the band as they embark on their tour in West Germany, but he declined the offer as he wanted to continue his studies.
At the time, he didn't think that the Beatles will make it big and be known worldwide.
"To me then it was just four gigs with a different band... Music was never going to be a living for me," e told Sunday Mercury in a previous interview.
Despite missing the opportunity to be a member, Newby said he never got upset when his former bandmates went on to become successful.
But he never thought they would become so big to the point that female fans would chase them.
"You've got to understand that the chances of them making it were miniscule. From when I left them to when Love Me Do came out was nearly two years," he told the outlet.
Chas Newby Recalls The Beatles Gigs
At the time of the interview, his recollection of the Beatles is still on point as he remembered each date of their performances.
He noted that they played at the Casbah on December 17, 1970, before performing at Grosvenor Ballroom and Litherland Townhall.
The last time he performed with the band was on New Year's Eve at the Casbah. Days later, he returned to college to study chemistry.
He never met anyone from the band ever again except for George Harrison whom he randomly encountered on the street two years after they got together.
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