In Memoriam: Pete Way

Pete Way

Sad news to report today: Pete Way, who founded the English rock band UFO, has passed away. He was 69 years old. The news was shared in a press release on his official website.

“Iconic bass player Pete Way founder of UFO, Waysted and, latterly, The Pete Way Band has died. He sustained life-threatening injuries in an accident two months ago but fought hard until finally succumbing to those injuries at 11.35 am BST today. His wife, Jenny, was at his side.”

Way worked as a studio musician before teaming up with Phil Mogg, Andy Parker, and Mick Bolton to form the original UFO lineup. He would record ten studio albums with them before leaving in 1982 to form Fastway, with Motorhead guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke. A record contract prevented him from recording with the group, so he left to play bass for Ozzy Osbourne during the Diary of a Madman tour. After the tour, he formed a new band called Waysted, with whom he had several records before rejoining UFO in 1992 and staying with them until 2009.

“Pete’s keen ear for song arrangements have also seen him serve as producer for popular hard rock acts such as Twisted Sister and the Cockney Rejects,” the press release adds. “Pete had recently finished a solo album, Walking On The Edge with producer Mike Clink (Guns n Roses Appetite For Destruction amongst many more.) He had a biography published A Fast Ride Out Of Here in 2017 and an album, Amphetamine, which is currently out on Cargo Records.”

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Pete Way.

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