Pete de Freitas
Peter Louis Vincent de Freitas (2 August 1961 – 14 June 1989) was an English musician and producer. He was the drummer in Echo & the Bunnymen, and performed on their first five albums.
Also recorded as Peter Louis Vincent de Freitas · Louis Vincent
Pete de Freitas
- Name
- Pete de Freitas
- Birth Name
- Peter Louis Vincent de Freitas
- Born
- 2 August 1961
- Birthplace
- Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
- Died
- 14 June 1989
- Place of death
- Longdon Green, England
- Occupation
- Musician
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Fields
- post-punk
- Education
- Downside School
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Peter Louis Vincent de Freitas (2 August 1961 – 14 June 1989) was an English musician and producer. He was the drummer in Echo & the Bunnymen, and performed on their first five albums.
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Note VALÉORINE
Pete de Freitas was a British drummer, musician and songwriter. Born in Port of Spain, the drummer died in Longdon.
Pete de Freitas studied at Downside School. The drummer was a member of Echo & the Bunnymen.
Genres include post-punk. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q5742577 · wikipedia · Pete de Freitas
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Pete de Freitas • Birth Name — Peter Louis Vincent de Freitas • Born — 2 August 1961 • Birthplace — Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago • Died — 14 June 1989 • Place of death — Longdon Green, England • Instrument — * Drums • percussion • Genre — * Post-punk • alternative rock • Occupation — Musician • Years Active — 1979–1989 • Past Member Of — * Echo & the Bunnymen • The Wild Swans • The Sex Gods
Career
Career
De Freitas joined the Bunnymen in 1979, replacing a drum machine. Bunnymen's singer Ian McCulloch said they told him "to get stuck into the toms. Budgie, of the musical group Siouxsie and the Banshees, was the only other drummer doing that stuff at the time and Pete loved his drumming". He funded, produced, and played drums under the name Louis Vincent on the first single of the Wild Swans, "The Revolutionary Spirit", in 1982, for the Zoo Records label. In 1985, de Freitas temporarily left the band. He spent several months drinking in New Orleans, while attempting to form a new group, the Sex Gods. By 1987, he returned to the Bunnymen to record their fifth album, though only as a part-time member. He was married in the same year and his daughter Lucie Marie was born in 1988.
Death
Death
De Freitas died in a motorcycle accident in 1989 at the age of 27, on his way to Liverpool from London. He was riding a 900cc Ducati motorcycle on the A51 road in Longdon Green, Staffordshire when he collided with a motor vehicle at approximately 16:00. His ashes are buried at Whitehill Burial Ground in Goring-on-Thames.
Personal life
Personal life
De Freitas was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and educated by the Benedictines at Downside School in Somerset, south-west England. His father, Denis, was a copyright lawyer. His sisters Rose and Rachel were founding members of the band The Heart Throbs. His brother Frank is the bass player of the Woodentops.
Identity
Identity
Pete de Freitas is recorded with the occupation songwriter. Classed in the genre post-punk. Recorded as musician, drummer and songwriter.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1961
Pete de Freitas was born on 2 August 1961.
1989
Pete de Freitas died on 14 June 1989.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Pete de Freitas was born at Port of Spain.
Birthplace
Pete de Freitas died at Longdon.
Deathplace
Port of Spain.
Birth place
Longdon.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5742577: Pete de Freitas
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Pete de Freitas”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Bourke, Fionnuala. 12 Things you didn't know about Echo & the Bunnymen. birminghammail. 17 November 2015.
- 2.Adams, Chris. Turquoise Days: The Weird World of Echo & the Bunnymen. Soft Skull Press. 61. 2002. 1887128891.
- 3.The Wild Swans with Paul Simpson in conversation. C86show.org.
- 4.Pauldunoyer.com. Paul Du Noyer interviews Echo & The Bunnymen.
- 5.Echo & The Bunnymen's 'Bright And Beautiful' Pete De Freitas Remembered. Mojo. 2014.
- 6.MacDonald, Les. The Day the Music Died – Les MacDonald – Google Books. Xlibris Corporation. July 2010. 9781453522677.
- 7.Hollywood Graveyard. The Graves of the 27 Club. November 27, 2022.
- 8.Maureen Duffy. Obituary: Denis de Freitas. The Guardian. 24 January 2004.
- 9.Clarkson, John. Woodentops - Interviews. Pennyblackmusic.co.uk.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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