Sweet Bassist Steve Priest Dead at 72

There's sad news to report as Steve Priest, bassist for the '70s rock favorites Sweet, has died at the age of 72.

The news was confirmed by Priest's Sweet bandmate Andy Scott, who offered the following tribute via the band's social media:

Then there was one!
I am in pieces right now. Steve Priest has passed away. His wife Maureen and I have kept in contact and though his health was failing I never envisaged this moment. Never. My thoughts are with his family x.
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 eventually followed his heart and moved to the USA. First New York then LA.
Rest in Peace brother. All my love.
Andy

Priest, who died on Thursday (June 4), started with the band in 1968 and even handled lead vocals with the group on his final album during their first iteration, 1982's Identity Crisis. After splitting with the group, he played with a band called The Allies for a period.

Sweet eventually reformed and Scott has continued performing with the band with as the lone original member. Priest's death follows that of original Sweet members Brian Connolly (who died in 1997) and Mick Tucker (who died in 2002).

The band issued nine albums between 1971 and 1982 and are probably best remembered for their '70s classic, "The Ballroom Blitz" (as heard below). Other charting singles of note in the U.S. included "Little Willy," "Fox on the Run," "Action" and "Love Is Like Oxygen."

Megadeth's David Ellefson was among the first to respond to the news, offering the following tribute below:

Sweet, "The Ballroom Blitz"

Sweet, "Fox on the Run"

Rockers We've Lost in 2020