Tributes pour in as pioneering Australian musician dies
The Victorian-born performer was a bass player for The Playboys, who were the backing band for 1960s Australian teen idol Normie Rowe.
It was Pete's son Dan who broke the news on social media on Friday, revealing his dad died doing what he loved best – listening to music.
'It's with great sadness I tell the world that my Dad passed away at 1:06pm today listening to The Shadows' Apache, surrounded by his family,' Dan revealed.
He also urged Pete's friends, family, and fans to 'turn up' the tunes as a way to remember the beloved Aussie muso.
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'When there is a date and details for a service I will post it here. But please play some Buddy Holly for him today and turn it up,' he added.
'And thank you for all the messages and support so far. It means the world.'
News of Pete's passing elicited a flood of tributes from friends, former bandmates and fans.
Fellow musician Terry Dean, who played alongside Pete in the band The Mustangs, took to Facebook to share a sweet tribute to his mate.
He posted a photo of The Mustangs on stage in the early 1960s, while offering a brief overview of Pete's illustrious career.
'Vale Peter. This photo of us from about '63 just appeared recently. He was a mighty bass player and, as a proud Glenroy boy, he was always happy to tell anyone that he was taught by local legend Peter Robinson. Great days,' Terry remembered.
'Pete left our group to join Normie Rowe and the Playboys!'
Melbourne musician Mick Hamilton also took to Facebook in the wake of Pete's death to share a photo that showed him sitting next to the bass player on a stage next to another muso – Aaron Schembri.
'Another good man down. Mick captioned the image.
Another post came from The Melbourne Debonairs – a group of music industry professionals who gather for lunches and social events.
They shared a photo of a beaming Pete well and truly in his element - standing on stage with a Fender Precision bass slung over his shoulder.
'I don't know what is happening in this world, we've been losing so many of our old friends of late,' the post began.
'I've just gotten back in the office and received the news that Pete has passed.
The post continued: 'Pete used to love coming to the Debonairs and catching up with some of his old band mates from the '60s and early '70s. I'm so down about this. My sincere condolences go out to Pete's family and friends.'
After Pete parted ways with Normie Rowe and the Playboys, he continued to work as a freelance bass player before exiting the industry entirely.
However, the music bug caught Pete again in 2014, when Normie phoned him to take part in a Playboys reunion - some forty years since he last picked up a bass guitar.
'He said: "Oh, I'd love to but I haven't got an instrument",' Normie told the Geelong Independent at the time.
'So he went out and bought himself a reissued 1963 Fender Jazzmaster bass and an amplifier. He made a damn good fist of it. Us old guys have got some energy left, I tell ya.'
Pete is survived by his son Dan.
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