Chas Newby, former bassist of The Beatles, dead at 81

Chas Newby, who played as a bassist for The Beatles, is dead. The news of his demise was shared on Facebook by Cavern Club Liverpool. "It's with great sadness to hear about the passing of Chas Newby," the club said in a Facebook post. "Chas stepped in for The Beatles for a few dates when Stuart Sutcliffe stayed in Hamburg and latterly he played for The Quarrymen."

"Interestingly, he was also the first left-handed bass guitarist in The Beatles," the post added. "RIP Chas Newby thoughts and well wishes from everybody at The Cavern Club."

According to reports, Newby- a resident of the Blackpool, was 81 when he died earlier this week.

Newby, played with the band briefly in the 1960s during Sutcliffe's absence from the band when he focussed on his art career. Newby had previously played with John Lennon's original band, The Quarrymen. He rejoined the group later in his life, playing with the group from 2016 until his death.

Several fans honoured Newby after the devastating news was announced. Newby went on to be a math teacher and left a tremendous impact on his students.

Several fans and his former students paid rich tributes on social media as the news of his death was shared.