Tony Sheridan, Beatles Associate and Musician, Dies at 72

By Daniel Distant, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Tony Sheridan, a Beatles associate that played with an early version of the iconic band, died on Saturday at 72. The musician first met the future pop stars in Germany, where they played on each other's sets and recorded some tracks together.

Tony Sheridan first ran into the then-named Silver Beatles in 1960 in Hamburg, Germany. He used Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe as backup for some of his recordings, and made a lasting impact on the band.

"Tony was a good guy who we knew and worked with from the early days in Hamburg," McCartney said on a statement posted on his personal website. "We regularly watched his late night performances and admired his style. He will be missed."

After the Beatles had become more well known, they again met up with Sheridan in Germany to open for the accomplished guitarist and violinist. This time, however, the band had Ringo Starr on the drums to replace Pete Best- something Sheridan took credit for in his later years.

"Goodbye to Tony Sheridan," Starr tweeted Monday after hearing of his death. "I had a great month 1960-61, playing with him was great."

Sheridan and the Beatles went on to perform a nine songs together, such as "My Bonnie," "Why (Can't You Love Me Again," "Sweet Georgia Brown," and "Ain't She Sweet." Sheridan was the lead singer for seven of them, while Lennon led for "Ain't She Sweet."

Sheridan, though, was a great musician in his own right, touring Europe with Jerry Lee Lewis, Chubby Checker, and others in the 1960s, according to The New York Times. Previously he had toured with other American entertainers like Gene Vincent and Conway Twitty.

Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity was born in 1940 in Norwich, England. He lived in northern Germany, and is survived by three sons and two daughters.