JOHN CIAMBOTTI, the man who turned down the chance to replace Bill Wyman in the Rolling Stones, has died, aged 67.
The former Clover bass player had quit the music business to concentrate on a career as a chiropractor when the Stones invited him to step in for Wyman in the late 1980s.
As a member of Clover, Ciambotti helped Elvis Costello develop his sound in the late 1970s. The band backed the Brit on his My Aim is True debut.
As a chiropractor, Ciambotti was a specialist rock and pop stars turned to when they needed expert treatment for aches, pains and injuries.
The bassist was also an in-demand session musician, who performed with John Prine and Lucinda Williams, among others.