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| Chris Squire | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chris Squire |
| Birth name | Christopher Russell Edward Squire |
| Birth date | 1948-03-04 |
| Birth place | Kingston upon Thames |
| Death date | 2015-06-27 |
| Death place | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Occupation | Musician, songwriter |
| Years active | 1965–2015 |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, vocals |
| Associated acts | Yes, The Syn, Conspiracy |
Chris Squire was an English bassist, singer and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. Over a career spanning five decades he contributed to landmark albums, complex arrangements and distinctive bass tones that influenced generations of musicians. He collaborated with artists across rock and progressive scenes and maintained a prominent role in the evolution of progressive rock from the late 1960s through the 2010s.
Born in Kingston upon Thames in 1948, Squire grew up during the post-war era when British popular music was shaped by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. His family environment exposed him to radio broadcasts and BBC programming that featured skiffle and rhythm and blues. He attended local schools in Surrey and began learning guitar before focusing on low-end instruments influenced by American rhythm sections such as James Jamerson and Paul McCartney. Early exposure to London venues like the Marquee Club and record shops in Soho, London informed his formative tastes.
In the mid-1960s Squire joined several emerging groups in the London scene, including stints with bands that played beat music and psychedelic rock sets alongside contemporaries like Pink Floyd and The Pretty Things. He co-founded The Syn with schoolmate Steve Nardelli, a group that mixed mod aesthetics with evolving pop arrangements and secured local residencies near Chelsea. The Syn performed material influenced by The Kinks, Small Faces, and The Who, gaining attention from managers and producers active in the British Invasion era. Members of The Syn later intersected with artists who joined Yes and other progressive projects.
As a founding member of Yes, Squire participated in the band's debut era that included personnel like Jon Anderson, Peter Banks, Tony Kaye, and Bill Bruford. Yes rapidly evolved through line-up changes to include Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Alan White, and Chris Squire on landmark records. Albums such as Fragile, Close to the Edge, and Going for the One showcased collaborative songwriting and ambitious arrangements that linked Yes with acts like King Crimson, Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull, and Pink Floyd. Yes achieved commercial success with intricate suites, long-form compositions, and stadium tours alongside The Rolling Stones-era promoters and festival appearances at venues associated with Woodstock-era legacy. Squire’s songwriting contributions and signature bass lines became integral to the band’s identity during eras managed by industry figures connected to Atlantic Records and Arista Records.
Squire’s bass sound was notable for melodic lead-lines, high-register runs and the use of a Rickenbacker bass modified with effects such as chorus and distortion. His approach combined harmonic counterpoint and rhythmic foundation, drawing inspiration from players like James Jamerson and Carol Kaye while paralleling contemporaries such as Jack Bruce and John Entwistle. He frequently used drop-D tuning, treble-boosted settings and picked technique to achieve clarity alongside layered keyboards from musicians like Rick Wakeman and Tony Kaye. Critics and peers compared his role to lead instrumentalists in bands like Gentle Giant and Camel for occupying both bass and melodic functions, and his lines influenced later bassists in progressive metal and neo-progressive rock circles including those who worked with Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree.
Outside Yes, Squire released a solo album, Fish Out of Water, featuring collaborations with figures such as Patrick Moraz, Andrew Pryce Jackman, and others from the progressive community. He formed the duo Conspiracy with Billy Sherwood and worked with Steve Howe in reunion projects and tribute ensembles that connected to musicians from Asia and King Crimson. Squire guested on sessions with artists across genres, linking him to names in the rock ecosystem like Trevor Rabin, Bruce Fairbairn, and session musicians associated with studios in Los Angeles and London. Periodic reunions of classic Yes line-ups, spin-off groups and tribute tours kept him active in collaborations that included former members of ELO and Renaissance.
Squire married and had children; his family life included time spent between the United Kingdom and the United States. He maintained friendships with bandmates Jon Anderson, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman despite public disputes over the band’s name and line-ups involving managers and record companies. In interviews he discussed influences ranging from church choir singing to contemporary pop acts, referencing cultural touchstones such as BBC Radio 1 playlists and festival circuits. His personal beliefs reflected a lifelong commitment to music-making, studio craft and mentoring younger musicians who worked in studios in Los Angeles and London.
In 2015 Squire was diagnosed with acute erythroid leukemia and died in Phoenix, Arizona later that year. His death prompted tributes from contemporary musicians, former bandmates and institutions including halls of fame and music publications. Legacy projects, reissues of Yes albums, and tribute concerts celebrated his influence on bass technique and progressive composition, with bassists citing him alongside figures like Jamerson, McCartney, Entwistle and Bruce. His Rickenbacker bass and recorded tones continue to be studied in music schools and by practitioners in rock music and progressive rock scholarship, ensuring his impact endures across generations.
Category:English bass guitarists Category:Yes (band) members