Early Beatles Lead Singer and Supporter, Tony Sheridan, Dead At 72

Former frontman for the Beatles in their early stage, singer-songwriter Tony Sheridan is dead at 72 years old.

Tony Sheridan died in Hamburg, Germany following a long illness, reports say.

The British singer reportedly used the Beatles, then known as the Silver Beatles, as his back-up band in seedy nightclubs in Hamburg’s red light district, long before the band became famous.

At the time Sheridan met the Silver Beatles, the group included members John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison on guitars, Stuart Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.

After Best and Sutcliffe left, McCartney took over bass and Ringo Starr replaced drums.

Sheridan, who reportedly died on Saturday, Feb 16, in Hamburg, Germany claimed, in recent years, that he actually helped arrange Beatles drummer Ringo Starr’s first few performances with the band since joining them in 1962.

The group would later record at least nine songs together as Sheridan and the Beatles including the group’s first single, “My Bonnie.”

“Tony was a good guy,” former Beatle Paul McCartney confirmed in a statement along with the fact that they “knew and worked with [Sheridan] from the early days in Hamburg.”

“We regularly watched his late night performances and admired his style. He will be missed.”

Sheridan leaves behind three sons, Tony Jr., Bennet and Felim, and daughters, Wendy Clare and Amber.