The Beatles are nicknamed “The Fab Four”, but they were in fact once a 5-piece band. This line up consisted of guitarists John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, and drummer Pete Best. Sutcliffe was a Beatle from January 1960, until he left the group in June 1961. With his departure, McCartney switched from guitar to bass to fill that vacancy. Best was a Beatle from August 12, 1960, until he was dismissed from the band on August 16, 1962, when he was replaced by drummer Ringo Starr.
Related posts: Who was the original bass player of The Beatles?
Who was the original drummer of The Beatles?
Stuart Sutcliffe was the original bassist of The Beatles from January 1960 to June 1961. Though Sutcliffe was much more of an artist/painter than a musician, his friend John Lennon convinced him to buy a Höfner bass guitar with money that Stuart earned from an art exhibit.
When the Beatles played in Hamburg, Germany, Stuart met and fell in love with fellow artist and photographer, Astrid Kirchherr. In November 1960, Stuart and Astrid got engaged. Sutcliffe decided to leave The Beatles and concentrate on painting again. He stayed in Hamburg with Kirchherr and enrolled at the Hamburg College of Art. Stuart lent Paul McCartney his bass until he could buy his own and Paul became the permanent bass player for The Beatles.
While he was studying in Hamburg, Sutcliffe started suffering from debilitating headaches. His condition worsened and he died of a brain hemorrhage on the way to the hospital on April 10, 1962. He was only 21 years old.
Related post: Who was the original drummer of The Beatles?
In birth order (as seen in the photo, L-R); Ringo Starr was born on July 7, 1940, John Lennon on October 9, 1940, Paul McCartney on June 18, 1942, and George Harrison on February 25, 1943. All four were born in Liverpool, England.
Incidentally, former Beatle Stuart Sutcliffe was born on June 23, 1940, in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Pete Best on November 24, 1941, in Madras, British India.
