PETE WAY, 1951-2020
Pete Way, best known as the bassist for U.K. rock giants UFO, died Friday. He was 69.
A post on Way's Facebook page notes that he died of injuries he sustained months earlier. The post notes that his wife, Jenny, was with him when he passed away.
Way, a native of Enfield, Middlesex, co-founded UFO in 1968 with Phil Mogg, Mick Bolton and Andy Parker and played on 10 albums with the band before exiting for the first time. He performed with Ozzy Osbourne, developed a project with Mötörhead's Fast Eddie Clark and fronted the band Waysted before reuniting with his UFO mates in 1988-89; he returned two years later and continued playing with UFO until 2008.
Acclaimed for his virtuosic bass lines and hailed as a huge influence on subsequent generations of rockers, Way had a successful second act as producer for bands like Twisted Sister and Cockney Rejects. His memoir, A Fast Ride Out of Here: Confessions of Rock's Most Dangerous Man (co-penned with Paul Rees) was published in 2017. He formed the Pete Way Band in 2018 and recently completed a solo album with producer Mike Clink (Guns N' Roses).
In addition to Jenny, he's survived by daughters Zowie and Charlotte and younger brother Neill.
Iconic bass player, and a true rock’n’roll madman by all accounts. I can highly recommend his autobiography “A fast ride out of here”, as well as all the great music he played & wrote on. They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.... R.I.P. Pete Way #PeteWay pic.twitter.com/vhwu4K0rIv
— πΈππππππ π¬ππππ (@Michael_Amott) August 14, 2020
RIP Pete Way . A huge influence on late 70s , 80s rock and metal bassists. Pete was a huge force in the classic UFO lineup with some really tasty bass lines pic.twitter.com/rAxPxLQ7e8
— Richie Rich (@1967Rich) August 14, 2020
Rest In Peace #PeteWay. Great bassist and great rocker from the great band #UFO. pic.twitter.com/jpTj7QLI2W
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) August 15, 2020
MICHAEL SCHENKER On PETE WAY's Death: 'I Am In Tears'https://t.co/jgpFr1LEiJ pic.twitter.com/Bmnf4jPR9u
— BLABBERMOUTH.NET (@BLABBERMOUTHNET) August 14, 2020
