Stuart Sutcliffe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stuart Sutcliffe
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Sutcliffe in 1961
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| Born |
Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe
23 June 1940 |
| Died | 10 April 1962 (aged 21) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1957–1961 |
| Partner(s) | Astrid Kirchherr (engaged 1960) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Rock and roll |
| Instruments |
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Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe (born June 23, 1940 – died April 10, 1962) was a talented Scottish painter and musician. He is best known as the first bass guitarist for the famous English rock band, the Beatles.
Stuart decided to leave the band to focus on his art career. He had studied at the Liverpool College of Art. Stuart and John Lennon are often given credit for coming up with the name "Beetles." They both liked Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets. They also liked band names with two meanings, like "Crickets" (which is both an insect and a sport). So, Lennon later changed it to "The Beatles," inspired by the word beat.
Because he was part of the band when it had five members, Stuart Sutcliffe is sometimes called the "Fifth Beatle." While performing with the Beatles in Hamburg, Germany, he met photographer Astrid Kirchherr. They later got engaged. After leaving the Beatles, he went to the Hamburg College of Art. He studied with a future pop artist named Eduardo Paolozzi. Paolozzi later said that Stuart was one of his best students. Stuart also received praise for his paintings. Most of his art was in a style called abstract expressionism.
While studying in West Germany, Stuart started having very bad headaches. He also became very sensitive to light. In February 1962, he collapsed during an art class. He had complained about head pains. German doctors did tests, but they could not find out what was causing the headaches. He collapsed again on April 10, 1962. He was taken to a hospital but sadly died in the ambulance. Doctors later found that he died from bleeding in his brain.
Contents
Early Life and Art School
Stuart Sutcliffe was the oldest child of Martha (Millie) and Charles Sutcliffe. His father was often away at sea for his job. Stuart had two younger sisters, Pauline and Joyce. He also had older half-siblings from his father's first marriage.
Stuart was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His family later moved to England. He grew up in Liverpool. He went to Park View Primary School and Prescot Grammar School.
During his first year at the Liverpool College of Art, Stuart worked collecting waste. Bill Harry, a friend, introduced Stuart to John Lennon. All three were art students. Lennon said that Stuart had an amazing art portfolio. He was a very talented painter and one of the "stars" of the school. Stuart helped Lennon improve his art skills.
Stuart shared a flat with a friend, then moved to another flat at 3 Gambier Terrace. This was the home of another art student, Margaret Chapman. She and Stuart competed to be the best painter in their class. The flat was across from the new Anglican cathedral. It was a simple place with bare lightbulbs. Lennon moved in with Stuart in early 1960. (Paul McCartney later said he felt a bit jealous of Stuart's close friendship with Lennon).
Stuart and his flatmates painted their rooms yellow and black. Their landlady did not like this. Another time, they burned the flat's furniture to keep warm.
Joining The Beatles
One night, after talking at the Casbah Coffee Club, Lennon and McCartney convinced Stuart to buy a Höfner President 500/5 bass guitar. He bought it on a payment plan. Stuart's past music experience included singing in a church choir. He also played the bugle in the Air Training Corps. His father had taught him some guitar chords.
In May 1960, Stuart joined Lennon, McCartney, and George Harrison. At that time, they were known as "the Silver Beatles." Stuart's fingers often got blisters during long practices. He had not practiced enough to make his fingers tough. He also started helping the group find places to play. They often used his flat as a practice room.
In July 1960, a newspaper called The People published an article. It was titled "The Beatnik Horror." It showed a photo taken in the flat below Stuart's. Lennon was lying on the floor, and Stuart was by a window. The owner of the Jacaranda club, Allan Williams, arranged the photo. He then started booking concerts for the group. The Beatles' name change happened when Stuart, Lennon, and Lennon's girlfriend, Cynthia Powell, thought of names similar to Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets. They came up with "Beetles."
The Beatles in Hamburg
Stuart's way of playing bass was simple. He mostly played the main notes of chords. Harry, an art school friend, told Stuart he should focus on art, not music. He thought Stuart's talents were better suited for visual arts. Some stories say Stuart looked uncomfortable on stage. They say he often played with his back to the audience. But Pete Best, their drummer at the time, said this was not true. He remembered Stuart as usually happy and "lively" in front of an audience.
When the Beatles tried out for Larry Parnes, Williams later said Parnes would have hired them. They would have been the backing band for Billy Fury. But Williams claimed Parnes said he would only hire them if they got rid of Stuart. Parnes later denied this. He said his only concern was that the group did not have a permanent drummer. Klaus Voormann thought Stuart was a good bass player. However, Beatles historian Richie Unterberger described Stuart's bass playing as an "artless thump."
Stuart became more noticeable after he started wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses and tight trousers. A highlight for Stuart was singing "Love Me Tender." He got more applause than the other Beatles for this. This caused some tension between him and McCartney. Lennon also started to tease Stuart about his size and playing.
In December 1960, Harrison was sent back to Britain because he was too young. McCartney and Best were sent home for trying to set a fire. This left Lennon and Stuart in Hamburg. Lennon took a train home. Stuart stayed in Hamburg because he had a cold. Stuart later borrowed money from his girlfriend, Astrid Kirchherr, to fly back to Liverpool. He returned to Hamburg in March 1961 with the other Beatles.
In July 1961, Stuart decided to leave the group to keep painting. He received a scholarship for further study. He enrolled at Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg. He studied under Eduardo Paolozzi. Paolozzi later wrote that Stuart was one of his best students. Stuart briefly lent McCartney his bass guitar. McCartney later bought his own special left-handed bass. In 1967, a photo of Stuart was on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.
Stuart and Astrid Kirchherr
Stuart met Astrid Kirchherr at the Kaiserkeller club. She had gone there to watch the Beatles play. Astrid lived with her mother in a wealthy part of Hamburg. After a photo session with the Beatles, Astrid invited them to her mother's house. She showed them her bedroom. It was decorated in black, with silver foil on the walls. A large tree branch hung from the ceiling. Stuart was very impressed and started dating Astrid soon after.
He wrote to friends that he was deeply in love with her. He asked her German friends about her favorite colors, films, books, and painters. Best said their relationship began "like one of those fairy stories." Astrid and Stuart got engaged in November 1960. They exchanged rings, which is a German tradition. Stuart later wrote to his parents about the engagement. They were surprised. They thought he might give up his art career. However, Stuart told Astrid he wanted to be an art teacher in London or Germany.
After moving into the Kirchherr family's house, Stuart often borrowed Astrid's clothes. He wore her leather trousers and jackets, collarless jackets, and long scarves. He also borrowed a corduroy suit without lapels. He wore it on stage. Lennon jokingly asked if his mother had lent him the suit.
Stuart's Art Career
Stuart showed artistic talent from a young age. Helen Anderson, a fellow student, remembered his early works. They were very strong, with dark, moody colors. This was not what she expected from a "quiet student." One of Stuart's paintings was shown at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. This was part of the John Moores exhibition.
After the exhibition, Moores bought Stuart's painting for £65. This was a good amount of money at the time. The painting Moores bought was called Summer Painting. Stuart went to a special dinner for the exhibition. A friend remembered that the painting was on a board, not a canvas. It had to be cut into two pieces because it was so big. Only one piece made it to the exhibition, but it still sold.
Stuart had been turned down for an Art Teachers Diploma course. But after meeting Astrid, he decided to leave the Beatles. He went to the Hamburg College of Art in June 1961. He studied under Paolozzi. Paolozzi later wrote that Stuart was one of his best students. He said, "Sutcliffe is very gifted and very intelligent. In the meantime he has become one of my best students."
Stuart's few remaining artworks show influences from British and European abstract artists. These artists were working at the same time as the Abstract Expressionist movement in the United States. His earlier works were more realistic. But by the late 1950s, Stuart was creating abstract art. This included The Summer Painting, which Moores bought.
Stuart's works can be compared to those of artists like John Hoyland. His later works often do not have titles. They are made with thick layers of paint. This is similar to the style of Nicolas de Staël. Stuart learned about de Staël from his art college instructor. His later paintings often have scratched or squeezed lines. These lines create enclosed spaces. Hamburg Painting no. 2 was bought by Liverpool's Walker Art Gallery. It is part of a series called Hamburg. In these paintings, the surface and colors create a strong feeling. The Walker Art Gallery also has other works by Stuart. These include a Self-portrait and The Crucifixion.
Lennon later hung two of Stuart's paintings in his home. McCartney had a sculpture by Paolozzi.
Stuart's Death
While studying in Germany, Stuart started having very bad headaches. He also became very sensitive to light. Astrid said that some headaches made him temporarily blind. In February 1962, Stuart collapsed during an art class in Hamburg. Astrid's mother had German doctors examine him. But they could not find the exact cause of his headaches. They suggested he go back to the United Kingdom for better medical care. However, after arriving there, Stuart was told nothing was wrong. So he returned to Hamburg.
He continued living with the Kirchherrs. But his condition soon got worse. He collapsed again on April 10, 1962. Astrid took him to the hospital. She rode with him in the ambulance. But he died before they arrived. The cause of death was bleeding in his brain. Specifically, it was a ruptured blood vessel. He was 21 years old.
On April 13, 1962, Astrid met the Beatles at Hamburg Airport. She told them that Stuart had died. Stuart's mother flew to Hamburg with Beatles manager Brian Epstein. She returned to Liverpool with her son's body. Stuart's father did not hear about Stuart's death for three weeks. He was on a cruise ship to South America. The family arranged for a chaplain to tell him when his ship docked.
The reason for Stuart's brain bleed is not known. Some authors have suggested it was caused by an earlier head injury. He may have been kicked in the head or thrown against a brick wall. This happened during an attack outside Lathom Hall in January 1961. According to booking agent Allan Williams, Lennon and Best helped Stuart. They fought off his attackers and pulled him to safety. Stuart got a fractured skull in the fight. Lennon's little finger was also broken. Stuart refused medical help at the time. He also did not go to an X-ray appointment.
Lennon did not go to Stuart's funeral or send flowers. But his second wife, Yoko Ono, remembered that Lennon often spoke of Stuart. He said Stuart was like his "alter ego" and a "guiding force."
Music and Films About Stuart
The Beatles' album Anthology 1, released in 1995, included early recordings. Stuart plays bass with the Beatles on three songs from 1960: "Hallelujah, I Love Her So", "You'll Be Mine", and "Cayenne". He is also pictured on the covers of all three Anthology albums.
In 2011, Stuart's family released a recording. They said it was Stuart singing Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender." The cover art showed a Stuart painting called Homage to Elvis. But experts quickly found that the recording was not real. It was an edited version of a 1967 song by The Boston Show Band.
Part One of The Beatles Anthology video documentary talks about Stuart's time with the group. His death is not mentioned in the video. But it is discussed in the book that goes with it.
Stuart has been played by actors in several films:
- David Nicholas Wilkinson in Birth of the Beatles (1979)
- Lee Williams in In His Life: The John Lennon Story (2000)
- American actor Stephen Dorff in Backbeat (1994). This film shows Stuart's role in the Beatles' early days. It also explores why he left the group.
- Stuart is briefly mentioned in the 2009 film Nowhere Boy.
Four TV documentaries have been made about Stuart's life:
- Midnight Angel (1990)
- Exhibition (1991)
- Stuart, His life and Art (2005)
- Stuart Sutcliffe, The Lost Beatle
Books about Stuart Sutcliffe:
- Backbeat: Stuart Sutcliffe: The Lost Beatle (1994) by Alan Clayson and Pauline Sutcliffe
- Stuart, The Life and Art of Stuart Sutcliffe (1995) by Pauline Sutcliffe and Kay Williams
- The Beatles Shadow, Stuart Sutcliffe, & His Lonely Hearts Club (2001) by Pauline Sutcliffe and Douglas Thompson
- Stuart Sutcliffe: a retrospective (2008) by Matthew H. Clough and Colin Fallows
- Baby's in Black (2010) by Arne Bellstorf (a graphic novel)
The Stuart Sutcliffe Estate sells items related to Stuart. These include poems he wrote and song chords and lyrics he and Lennon were learning.
Images for kids
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Sutcliffe in 1961
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Hamburg Painting no. 2
See also
In Spanish: Stuart Sutcliffe para niños
