He was a powerhouse, regarded by many as the best drummer on the scene in the 1980s, but on 14 June 1989, Pete de Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident in Staffordshire.
He was just 27 when he died, but he left behind a body of work from his time with Echo & The Bunnymen, that is up there with any of his peers.
The Bunnymen's output between 1980 and the time of his death was frightening in its consistency and excellence - albums like Porcupine, Crocodiles, Heaven Up Here - all the big singles, including The Cutter, The Killing Moon, Seven Seas, The Back of Love, all feature his power and style.
De Freitas was actually born in Port of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago in August 1961, though he was back in England, grew up in Oxfordshire and was educated in Somerset, before he somehow found himself joining the fledgling Bunnymen in 1979. He was the replacement for who the band was named after - 'Echo' the drum machine!
It was some of the stories and comments that I was reading through on a Facebook thread from the official Bunnymen site earlier today, that spurred me on to write these notes - about his drumming skill and just what a top bloke he was. I hope these people won't mind me sharing some of them, they are so lovely.
"Ian McCulloch recalled an amusing incident recently, where a young singer told him that, 'Our drummer is just like Pete de Freitas,' to which Ian replied, 'Nobody is as good as Pete de Freitas.' Glad he is still appreciated after all these years." (Ivan Ludick)
"My brother ran into him somewhere and Pete invited him to share a pizza... Little things like that say a lot, and they are remembered. [updated] Now that I think of it, my brother said they hung out all evening like old friends, even though my brother was a fan and they had never met before. I remember my brother was raving about what a cool guy he was, when he came home a couple of days later." (Kirk Goolsby)
"Such a class drummer. His playing on the title cut to Heaven Up Here is positively thunderous. Fondly remembered and never forgotten. RIP Pete." (Ryan M. Fritsche)
"My drumming hero. So creative. After a gig in Ann Arbor, I popped my head through the open back window of the car that the band was in. I asked Les to have Ian pass something to Pete for Pete to sign. I think Ian was surprised when Les said 'he wants Pete's autograph' and not Ian's." (Steve Hansen)
"He really was a great drummer. No filler, all energy." (Michael Alvero)
I'll leave the last word to Mac - from this 2014 interview with Mojo: "I remember the day he died, playing Marquee Moon and crying over the line, 'I fell sideways laughing with a friend from many stages...' because that's exactly what he was."