McCartney Times

Every journey begins with a single step, and Paul McCartney‘s first step toward becoming one of the most influential and widely admired bassists in rock ‘n’ roll started with him being browbeaten into taking the job.The switch happened for the first time on Jan. 5, 1961, after the Beatles got back from an ill-fated few months in Germany that ended with three band members being deported back to the U.K. while bassist Stu Sutcliffe stayed behind to be with his girlfriend, artist Astrid Kirchherr. Although they’d found a fill-in for their previous gig, enlisting bassist Chas Newby, he declined their offer to stay on, leaving the band again in search of a replacement.

Source: 55 Years Ago: Paul McCartney Plays Bass With the Beatles for the First Time