Tony White (Eastbourne Bands from 1960 on Facebook page) … Remembering Pete Billings, drummer with The Saints, Fifth Avenue and dep’d with almost every other local musician since the 1960’s. Sadly passed away on 21st December 2016.
Robert Searle… RIP Pete Billings
Laura Broadway… Sad loss, great drummer,great bloke.
Colin Norton… Had the pleasure of meeting and playing with Pete this past September. Together with Lawrie Broadway, Baz Cooper and Pete we were the Features. Here’s a pic of Pete on September 10th this year. RIP Pete.
Terry Pack… RIP, Pete. What a lovely bloke.
Eddie Sargent… Very sad loss brilliant drummer
Chris van Rock… RIP ……
Ernest Ballard… Oh. That’s a shock. He was a local hero. Nice bloke and good drummer RIP
Barry French… So sorry to hear this news, lovely man & brilliant drummer RIP.
Tony White has posted the funeral details on The Eastbourne Bands site... Pete’s funeral will take place on Friday 6th January 2017 at 1.00pm, at Beulah Baptist Church, Buckhurst Rd, Bexhill, followed by a family burial and back to the church hall for refreshments.
Charlotte Hutchinson… Dear Pete. We thought you were wonderful . So kind to us when we first met. So good to Chris , and a fantastic drummer. God bless you ,and may you rest in peace. You are going to be greatly missed . Chris and Charlotte Hutchinson.
Dave King… The best drummer I have ever worked with. We played together as the Dave Allan Sound in the 80s and early 90s until I emigrated to France in ’92. Played together again at a couple of Saints reunions at the Winter Garden. What a lovely man, who didn’t have a bad word to say about anybody. This world could do with a few more like Pete. R.I.P. Mate.
John Harper… Grateful thanks to another old mate – Dave King – for telling me about this website in an email today from France. I can only second what he said about Pete. Dear old Pete was a good buddy who I’ve known and gigged with since 1970. Best drummer around and a lovely bloke. We were founder members of The BJ 4 along with Barry Jones on vocals and Les Saxby on keyboards. We were resident band at The Eastbourne Fishermens Club from 1973. Needless to say the band lineup changed over the years ( as they do! ) Les sadly passed away in 1988 and George Smithson joined the band on keyboards. When George moved to Spain Andy Winterborne became our keyboards. Mick Ansfield ( on bass ) gigged with us on and off. Stuart Coffee then became our bassplayer. We became City Rhodes Sounds when Barry left the band in early 80’s and Dave Hacker joined as lead vocals. Pete eventually moved on in the 80’s and joined Dave Allen Sound. Terry Mconnell became his replacement on drums. Stuart Coffee left in late 80’s to play jazz with his dad and brother and that’s when Bob Page joined the band on bass and vocals replacing Dave who joined Tony Bird’s band. Laurie Brookman joined us on guitar for a few years. We were resident at the club from 1973 to the year 2000.
Sadly several of the band have passed on now … Les Saxby, Mick Ansfield, George Smithson, Stuart Coffee, Barry Jones and of course Pete Billings. R.I.P. I’m pleased to say that Pete’s photo is on display at the club.
Geoff Peckham… Would this be the Les Saxby who was a friend and bandmate of my dad, Dave Peckham? My dad used to take me to his place near Alexandra Park in the 60s. I once showed him a copy of the sheet music of Donovan’s ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man”, which he played on his home organ and mocked it’s simplicity! Don’t know why I remember that. Did he also have a model train set?
Mark Mackenzie… I do remember you guys at the fish, Mick Ansfield played on some of our recordings we did in Eastbourne, he was a really great bass player.
Robert Searle… RIP Mick Ansfield
So sorry to hear this news, lovely man & brilliant drummer RIP.
Dear Pete. We thought you were wonderful . So kind to us when we first met. So good to Chris , and a fantastic drummer. God bless you ,and may you rest in peace. You are going to be greatly missed . Chris and Charlotte Hutchinson.
The best drummer I have ever worked with. We played together as the Dave Allan Sound in the 80s and early 90s until I emigrated to France in ’92. Played together again at a couple of Saints reunions at the Winter Garden. What a lovely man
who didn’t have a bad word to say about anybody. This world could do with a few more like Pete. R.I.P. Mate.
Grateful thanks to another old mate – Dave King – for telling me about this website in an email today from France. I can only second what he said about Pete. Dear old Pete was a good buddy who I’ve known and gigged with since 1970. Best drummer around and a lovely bloke. We were founder members of The BJ 4 along with Barry Jones on vocals and Les Saxby on keyboards. We were resident band at The Eastbourne Fishermens Club from 1973. Needless to say the band lineup changed over the years ( as they do! ) Les sadly passed away in 1988 and George Smithson joined the band on keyboards. When George moved to Spain Andy Winterborne became our keyboards. Mick Ansfield ( on bass ) gigged with us on and off. Stuart Coffee then became our bassplayer. We became City Rhodes Sounds when Barry left the band in early 80’s and Dave Hacker joined as lead vocals. Pete eventually moved on in the 80’s and joined Dave Allen Sound. Terry Mconnell became his replacement on drums. Stuart Coffee left in late 80’s to play jazz with his dad and brother and that’s when Bob Page joined the band on bass and vocals replacing Dave who joined Tony Bird’s band. Laurie Brookman joined us on guitar for a few years. We were resident at the club from 1973 to the year 2000.
Sadly several of the band have passed on now …
Les Saxby, Mick Ansfield, George Smithson, Stuart Coffee, Barry Jones and of course Pete Billings. R.I.P.
I’m pleased to say that Pete’s photo is on display at the club.