The Beatles’ future bassist Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe was born on 23 June 1940 at the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was incorporated into the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
His father Charles was a naval officer, and his mother Millie was a school teacher. The Sutcliffe family moved to Liverpool in 1943.
Sutcliffe later became firm friends with John Lennon, a fellow student at the Liverpool College of Art who invited him to join his band. Although he was never a talented musician, Sutcliffe did help contribute to a key part of The Beatles’ story: their name, which was a tribute to Buddy Holly’s band The Crickets.
Sutcliffe died of a brain haemorrhage in Hamburg on 10 April 1962.
utcliffe
Also on this day...
- 2018: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Menora Mivtachim Arena, Tel Aviv
- 2016: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Fox Theatre, Detroit
- 2015: Paul McCartney live: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville
- 2012: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Circus Maximus Theater, Atlantic City
- 2011: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow
- 2006: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Cache Creek Casino Resort, Brooks
- 2000: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: House Of Blues, West Hollywood
- 1992: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Jones Beach Theatre, Wantagh
- 1990: Paul McCartney live: SECC Arena, Glasgow
- 1976: Wings live: Forum, Inglewood
- 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono holiday in Wales
- 1968: Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman spend time together in Los Angeles
- 1967: Recording: All You Need Is Love
- 1965: Travel: Lyon to Milan
- 1964: The Beatles live: Town Hall, Wellington, New Zealand
- 1963: Television: Summer Spin
- 1962: The Beatles live: Memorial Hall, Northwich
- 1961: The Beatles live: Top Ten Club, Hamburg
- 1961: Recording: My Bonnie, The Saints, Why, Cry For A Shadow
- 1960: The Silver Beetles live: The Institute, Neston, Wirral
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Stuart actually was a talented musician and according to Klaus Voormann, Stuart actually taught him the basics of the bass guitar. Additionally, Stuart asked David May of The Silhouettes to teach him how to play bass the right way and he sincerely made the effort to learn how to play properly, even writing in a letter to that they had improved significantly after arriving in Hamburg.
He had a diverse musical background: singing in the church choir, piano lessons, playing bugle and guitar chord tuition from his father Charles.
Stuart didn’t just have two sisters named Joyce and Pauline, but he also had three half-brothers named Joe, Ian and Charles and a half-sister named Mattie, all of whom were the product of his father’s first marriage.