Overend Watts Of Mott The Hoople Bass Player | Passes Away At 69 1947-2017

Overend Watts, bass player for Mott The Hoople, has died at the age of 69.

Peter Overend Watts was a founding member of Mott The Hoople when the band was originally known as The Buddies. In what sounds like a Monty Python sketch they then became the Doc Thomas Group, then The Shakedown Sound, then Silence before settling on Mott The Hoople when singer Ian Hunter joined the band in 1969.

Mott The Hoople were best known for the song ‘All The Young Dudes’, written for them by David Bowie. Bowie would later include the song in his own set.

Between 1969 and 1976 Mott The Hoople released nine albums. The last two were released under the name Mott.In 2009 Watts reformed Mott The Hoople for a 40th anniversary show. They performed five shows. The last Mott The Hoople reunion occurred in 2013 with Martin Chambers of The Pretenders on drums.

Overend Watts released his book ‘The Man Who Hated Walking’ in 2013.

Mott The Hoople would have a strong influence on Def Leppard’s Joe Elliot and Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson. Joe Elliot and Bruce Dickinson would do their own respective covers of Mott The Hoople’s classic All The Young Dudes.

(Joe Elliot’s Down ‘N’ Outz ft. Ian Hunter – All The Young Dudes)

(Bruce Dickinson – All The Young Dudes)

Mott The Hoople singer Ian Hunter announced the passing of Watts. “My extremely eccentric, lovely mate – Peter Overend Watts – has left the building,” he said.