Christopher Russell Edward “Chris” Squire (4 March 1948 – 27 June 2015) was an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was best known as the bassist and founding member of the progressive rock band, Yes. He was the only member to appear on each of their 21 studio albums, released from 1969 to 2014.
Born in the Kingsbury area of London, Squire took an early interest in church music and sang in the local church and school choirs. After taking up the bass guitar at age sixteen, his earliest gigs were in 1964 for The Selfs, which later evolved into The Syn. In 1968, Squire formed Yes with singer Jon Anderson; he would remain the band’s sole bassist for the next 47 years. Squire was widely regarded as the dominant bassist among the English progressive rock bands, influencing peers and later generations of bassists with his incisive sound and elaborately contoured, melodic bass lines. His name was associated with his trademark instrument, the Rickenbacker 4001.
In May 2015, Squire announced a hiatus from Yes after he was diagnosed with acute erythroid leukemia. Squire died on 27 June at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. The band’s first show of their tour with Toto on 7 August 2015 will mark the first Yes concert performed without Squire. From 1991 to 2000, Rickenbacker produced a limited edition signature model bass in his name, the 4001CS. Squire released two solo albums, Fish Out of Water (1975) and Chris Squire’s Swiss Choir (2007).
Squire, 67, died from the illness less than ten weeks after his diagnosis, while receiving treatment in Phoenix. Yes’ official Facebook page confirmed the news the next day.
# # #
Wikipedia has a lengthy biography on Mr. Squire. Read the whole bio here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Squire
* * * * *
Other Notable Musicians’ Deaths…
July 2015
1: Bruce Rowland, 74, British rock drummer (Fairport Convention) (death announced on this date).
June 2015
30: Eddy Louiss, 74, French jazz organist.
27: Chris Squire, 67, English bass guitarist (Yes), acute erythroid leukemia.
26: Eter Kakulia, 66, Georgian singer.
25: Vithal Rao, 85, Indian ghazal singer.
24: Cristiano Araújo, 29, Brazilian singer and songwriter, traffic collision.
23: Marujita Díaz, 83, Spanish singer and actress, complications from colon cancer; Thé Lau, 62, Dutch singer and guitarist (The Scene), lung cancer; Magali Noël, 83, French actress (Amarcord, La Dolce Vita) and singer; Young Ready, 31, American rapper, shot.