Steve Priest, the bassist, and co-founder of the band The Sweet, has died.
The sad news was revealed by his longtime handmade, Andy Scott, on Facebook on Thursday, June 4.
Steve Priest dies
In the Facebook post made to the band’s official page, Scott started the tribute with the sobering words, “then there was one.”
Scott said that he knew that Priest’s health was failing, and he was keeping in touch with his wife Maureen to stay updated. However, he said this was still not a moment he envisaged.
“He was the best bass player I ever played with. The noise we made as a band was so powerful. From that moment in the summer of 1970 when set off on our Musical Odyssey the world opened up and the rollercoaster ride started!”
He finished by saying, “rest in peace brother. All my love.”
Steve Priest and The Sweet
Fans all over the world have heard the most popular song that the band released, the timeless Ballroom Blitz.
The song, initially released in 1973, reached number five on the American Billboard charts and peaked at second on the U.K. charts.
Several bands went on to cover the song. The Damned with Motorhead singer Lemmy covered it in 1979. The hair metal band Krokus covered it in 1984, and the Surf Punks released their version in 1988.
Movie fans also know the song as actress Tia Carrere covered it in the movie Wayne’s World in 1992.
On top of Ballroom Blitz, The Sweet also had three other songs hit the Top 10 in the United States. Their top single in the U.S. was Little Willy in 1972, which reached third. The song was part of the pilot episode of the TV series Life on Mars and was covered by hair band Poison.
Other Top 10 hits included Fox on the Run (fifth in 1975), and Love is Like Oxygen (eighth in 1978).
Fans also had a chance to hear a song by the band in a recent blockbuster movie as their song Fox on the Run featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Guardians of the Galaxy.
Their self-titled third album was the only one that charted in the United States.
The Sweet ended up disbanding in 1982.
Scott staged a reunion tour, but Priest refused to return to the band for that tour. However, in 2008, Priest put on his own The Sweet reunion tour in the United States.
Priest declined to rejoin the group years later when Scott staged a reunion, but the bassist put together his own The Sweet revival in 2008, touring across the U.S.
Steve Priest chronicled his life and career as a member of The Sweet in the 1994 book, Are You Ready, Steve?