Pete Overend Watts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Overend Watts
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Overend Watts performing with Mott the Hoople, reunion gig, Hammersmith Apollo, October 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter Overend Watts |
| Born | 13 May 1947 Yardley, Birmingham, England |
| Died | 22 January 2017 (aged 69) |
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| Years active | 1969–2017 |
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Peter Overend Watts (born May 13, 1947 – died January 22, 2017) was a cool English bass guitar player. He helped start the famous 1970s rock band Mott the Hoople.
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Early Life and Music Beginnings
Peter Overend Watts was born in Yardley, Birmingham, England, on May 13, 1947. When he was a kid, his family moved to Worthing, and then to Ross-on-Wye. It was there, at Ross Grammar School, that he started learning to play the guitar. His unique middle name, Overend, came from one of his family's ancestors.
A Rock Star's Journey
Watts began playing guitar when he was 13 years old. By 1965, he switched to the bass guitar. He became a professional musician, playing in clubs in Germany with a group called the Buddies. This group changed names a few times, becoming the Doc Thomas Group, then Shakedown Sound, and finally Silence.
In 1969, the band moved to London. They added a singer named Ian Hunter. With this new lineup, they changed their name one last time to Mott the Hoople. Their manager, Guy Stevens, suggested that Pete Watts use his middle name, Overend, as his stage name.
After Ian Hunter left the band in 1974, the remaining members of Mott the Hoople continued making music. They shortened their name to Mott. They released two more albums, Drive On (1975) and Shouting and Pointing (1976).
Watts then joined a new band called British Lions. They released their own album, British Lions, in 1977. Later, Overend Watts also worked as a record producer. He helped create albums for other bands, like Hanoi Rocks.
Overend Watts was known for playing a white Gibson Thunderbird bass guitar.
Later Career and Reunions
In January 2009, fans were excited to hear that Mott the Hoople would get back together. Watts and the other original members planned three concerts to celebrate their 40th anniversary. These shows were so popular that they added two more!
In 2009, an American rock band called Mambo Sons released a song just for him, titled "Overend Watts."
Mott the Hoople reunited again in November 2013 for more shows across the UK.
Before he passed away, Watts finished a solo album he had been working on for many years. He jokingly decided to change the album's name to "He's Real Gone" since it would be released after his death.
His Final Years
Overend Watts was also known for his long-distance walks. He even wrote a book about his adventures called The Man Who Hated Walking, which came out in 2013.
Watts died on January 22, 2017, at the age of 69. He had been battling throat cancer.
