Last Friday, the 14th, we lost Pete Way, founder of UFO, Waysted , and more recently, The Pete Way Band . He passed away at the age of 69 after suffering from various injuries and wounds from an accident he had two months ago.
Much loved in the music world, Pete was remembered by many of his colleagues, friends, and admirers who took to social media to mourn his death and pay tribute to the great musician he was. See some of these tributes below.
UFO: "The news no one wanted to hear. Rest in peace, Pete."
Ozzy Osbourne: “Sad news about Pete Way. I haven’t seen him in years but I will always cherish our good times and unbelievable stories from when we hung out. Rest in peace. Love & Respect to his family, friends and fans.”
Geddy Lee: “Very sad to hear of Pete Way’s passing…
I have so many funny memories of touring with Pete and UFO in the late 70s…
A true rocker (…)
One day I asked him about his bass and he said, ‘Well, Glee… it’s… 3/4 good and 1/4… not so good!’
A caring, funny, lively man and a great bassist…
Rest in peace PWay.”
Michael Schenker: “Oh my dear Pete,
you left us.
I am so sad.
Your sweet existence has left us. And I am crying.
You were so much more than you imagined.
You were loved by everyone I know.
I am so, so sad.
I love you, Pete.
God bless you forever.
Rest in peace, my dear friend.
My condolences to your loved ones.
From the bottom of my heart.
P.S.: Fly and enjoy Paradise.”
Geezer Butler: “This year is getting worse and worse. Pete Way, one of the “characters” of metal and fellow Aston Villa fan, passed away. He played with Deadland Ritual at a show in London. A very funny guy. Rest in peace, Pete.”
Saxon: “We are very sad to hear the news of the death of our friend Pete Way. Our condolences and thoughts are with Pete’s family and loved ones. – Biff, Paul, Nigel, Nibbs & Doug.”
Nikki Sixx: “Rest in peace, rock star. One of my main influences. I need to listen to UFO today.”
Gary Holt: “Now we’ve lost Pete Way, bassist and legend of one of the greatest bands of all time, UFO. What a sad day. Time to listen to 'Rock Bottom', 'Doctor Doctor', 'Let it Roll', 'Mother Mary', 'Reasons for Love', etc. Rest in peace, and 2020 can go fuck itself.”
Dee Snider: “Today is a sad day. Pete Way of UFO has passed away. He was a friend, a mentor, and produced Twisted Sister’s first album and took us to the gates of the metal kingdom and introduced us to Lemmy who guided us the rest of the way. I love you Pete. I miss you. You were amazing.”
David Ellefson: “Very sad to hear about Pete Way’s death. The live album Strangers in the Night is definitely one of my favorites, and for me it’s the highlight of the lineup from that era.”
Pete and his girlfriend came to see Megadeth on the Clash of the Titans tour at the Birmingham NEC Arena in 1990, where Dave Mustaine and I had a quick chat with him before he went on stage. It's always amazing to know that your heroes are in the audience for your show, just like I was there at his show with Waysted opening for Iron Maiden years before in Irvine Meadows, CA.
Pete's look, his style, and his simple yet powerful bass lines were a force that greatly inspired me on my bass playing. He will be greatly missed. Rest in peace
Mike Portnoy: “So sad to hear the news about the death of the legendary Pete Way. He was the prototype of the badass bassist in early hard rock/metal who surely inspired many of you like Steve Harris and Nikki Sixx. 's Strangers of the Night is one of my favorite live albums.”
Frank Bello: “Rest in peace Pete Way.. Thank you for inspiring me to always give my best as a bassist – and for being great to me every time we met. You will be missed.”
Def Leppard: “I’m heartbroken by the news of the death of our old friend #PeteWay, especially so soon after the loss of Paul Raymond & Paul Chapman. I’ve known Pete since 1980 when I went to see a UFO & Girl show at Sheffield City Hall & we’ve been friends ever since. Rest in peace my friend. – Joe Elliott”
Charlie Benante: “We lost a legend today, #PeteWay you will always be the coolest rock star.”
Gilby Clarke: “Rest in peace Pete Way. One of my favorite bass players and one of the coolest. If I played bass I'd play Thunderbird on my knees. Thank you for all the great UFO records. Pete Way, may you find peace with your light.”
