The Beatles original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe quit band 60 years ago and died a year later
A number of men have been called the “Fifth Beatle” over the years from pre-Ringo drummer Pete Best to keyboardist Billy Preston. But another has to be The Beatles' original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe who attended Liverpool College of Art with John Lennon and moved in with him. Eventually, Lennon and Paul McCartney convinced Sutcliffe to buy a bass guitar and join them with George Harrison in The Silver Beetles, who were formerly known as The Quarrymen.
During 1960, Sutcliffe would book gigs for the band and they would often rehearse in his Gambier Terrace flat.
And by August, The Silver Beetles had become The Beatles, hired Best as drummer and were performing in Hamburg.
While in Germany, Sutcliffe met photographer Astrid Kirchherr but during that summer he left the band.
Source: George Simpson/express.co.uk
