UFO Bass Player Pete Way Passes Away at 69
The Best of UFO Album Cover – Story by Charles Ken
Pete Way of UFO, the band’s original bass player, has passed away
Founding UFO bass player Pete Way has passed away. He was 69.
“He sustained life threatening injuries in an accident two months ago,” states a post on Way’s official Facebook page, “but fought hard until finally succumbing to those injuries at 11.35am BST today. His wife, Jenny, was at his side.”
Way founded UFO with vocalist Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton and drummer Andy Parker back in 1968. He appears on the band’s first 10 studio albums, starting with 1970’s “UFO 1” and closing out with 1982’s “Mechanix,” before leaving the band to form Fastway with Motorhead guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clark.
Way actually had to leave Fastway before they could record their 1983 debut, due to label conflicts, but Way went on to perform with Ozzy Osbourne on the Speak of the Devil tour and, eventually, create his own band, Waysted. Later, Waysted opened for Osbourne on his Bark at the Moon tour.
Way came back to UFO in the early ’90s and performed with them steadily, up until health problem took him off the road before the band’s tour to promote 2009’s “The Visitor.”
“Pete Way was a much loved and highly regarded figure among rock fans, critics and fellow musicians alike,” states a post on his official Facebook page. “Best known for his work with UFO, Pete’s energetic live performances were at the heart of the band’s countless world tours.”
The post continues, “His melodic bass lines underpinned the catalogue of enduring rock classics upon which UFO’s reputation and legacy were founded.”
Way is survived by two daughters, Zowie and Charlotte and his younger brother, Neill.
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