Chris Squire – Yes Co-Founder & Bassist Extraordinaire Dies at 67

Chris Squire, the bass-playing legend who co-founded British rock band Yes, died Saturday in Phoenix, his band mates confirmed. Squire appeared on every single YES studio album in their existence.

“It’s with the heaviest of hearts and unbearable sadness that we must inform you of the passing of our dear friend,” the band said in a post on its Facebook page.

Bandmate and keyboard player Geoffrey Downes said on Twitter he was “utterly devastated” by the death of his “dear friend, band mate and inspiration.”

Squire was the only constant in the band’s lineup since the 1969 debut of its eponymous album, “Yes.” He announced in May that he was taking a hiatus from the band’s upcoming tour dates to undergo treatment for leukemia.

In May, Squire revealed that he was recently diagnosed with acute erythroid leukemia, which would force him to miss the band’s summer co-headlining tour with Toto. The absence marked the first time in the band’s history that Yes performed without their longtime bassist.

“This will be the first time since the band formed in 1968 that Yes will have performed live without me,” Squire said in a statement. “But the other guys and myself have agreed that Billy Sherwood will do an excellent job of covering my parts and the show as a whole will deliver the same Yes experience that our fans have come to expect over the years.”

 

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