Pete de Freitas joined the 27 club on June 14, 1989. The cause of death is recorded as: Traffic collision (motorcycle)
Pete de Freitas, born on August 2, 1961, was an English musician and producer best known as the drummer for the influential rock band Echo & the Bunnymen. De Freitas joined the Bunnymen in 1979, replacing a drum machine, and became an integral part of the band's distinctive sound. He performed on their first five albums, Crocodiles (1980), Heaven Up Here (1981), Porcupine (1983), Ocean Rain (1984), and the self-titled album from 1987.
De Freitas' drumming style was marked by his aggressive use of toms, which stood out in contrast to other drummers during that time. Ian McCulloch, the band's singer, recalls being drawn to de Freitas' drumming, influenced by Budgie from the Banshees, as he described, "To get stuck into the toms." In addition to his work with Echo & the Bunnymen, de Freitas also funded, produced, and played drums under the name Louis Vincent on the first single of the Wild Swans, "The Revolutionary Spirit," in 1982.
Outside of the music scene, de Freitas' personal life was marked by periods of instability. In 1985, he temporarily left Echo & the Bunnymen to spend several months drinking in New Orleans while attempting to form a new group called the Sex Gods. By 1987, he returned to the band, recording their fifth album as a part-time member. That same year, de Freitas married and welcomed his daughter Lucie Marie into the world. Tragically, de Freitas' life was cut short in 1989 when he died at the age of 27 in a motorcycle accident on the A51 road in Longdon Green, Staffordshire. His ashes were later buried at Whitehill Burial Ground in Goring-on-Thames.
De Freitas' legacy extends beyond his music, as he is also a notable member of the infamous 27 Club, which includes other musicians like Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison who died at the same age. His contributions to Echo & the Bunnymen's early success are still celebrated by fans and music critics alike. His drumming style influenced a generation of musicians, making Pete de Freitas an essential figure in the history of English rock music.