Pete Willis
Peter Andrew "Pete" Willis (born 16 February 1960, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England) is a British hard rock guitarist, best known as an original member of the band Def Leppard. He co-wrote many tracks and played guitar on the band's first three albums, On Through the Night, High 'n' Dry, and Pyromania, which was being recorded at the time of his departure. He was fired from Def Leppard in 1982 and replaced by Phil Collen.
Career
Willis attended Tapton School and was a guitar enthusiast since his youth. He was a fan of Jimi Hendrix.
In his early adult life, he formed a band called Atomic Mass with Nicholas Mackley, Rick Savage, Paul Hampshire, and Tony Kenning. He met Joe Elliott in 1977 and invited him to audition for the band, which later became Def Leppard. Willis was one of the main songwriters of the band during their first three albums.
He was dismissed from the band during the recording of Pyromania, and was replaced by guitarist Phil Collen. He later recorded with the bands Gogmagog (with former and current members of Iron Maiden) and Roadhouse.
'Pete Willis' is featured as a movie character in the following productions:
Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story (2001)
Actors: Sébastien Boucher (actor), Matt Cooke (actor), Carl Crevier (actor), Larry Day (actor), John Dunn-Hill (actor), Peter Farbridge (actor), Karl Geary (actor), Anthony Michael Hall (actor), Nigel Harvey (actor), Victor Knight (actor), Adam MacDonald (actor), Dean McDermott (actor), Daniel Murphy (actor), Michael Daniel Murphy (actor), Nick Bagnall (actor),
Plot: In the late 1970s Britain, Joe Elliot joins a small time rock band that becomes Def Leppard. Soon taking control of the band with his perfectionism, Elliot and his mates strive to reach the top despite their personal strife that drives the less determined members away for more driven ones. By 1982, Def Leppard becomes a rock sensation, only to find that success has its own problems. Whether it be drummer Rick Allen's dismembering accident or guitarist Steve Clark's equally self-destructive alcoholism, the band struggles to keep the loyalty, tenacity and creativity that would make the group one of the greatest in rock history.
Keywords: 1980s, alcoholism, band, based-on-true-story, britain, british-rock-music, car-accident, flashing, groupie, heavy-metalGenres: Biography, Drama, Music,
Taglines: Music made them legends. Tragedy made them heroes.
Quotes:
Rick: What the hell was that?::Steve: Just an idea.::Rick: She's a skank.::Steve: I thought she might cheer you up.::Rick: Yeah, I'll forget all about me arm when I find out I've got crabs.Steve: I am a rock God!
Joe: So, who do you like?::Rick: What, you mean drummers?::Joe: No, cup finals.::Rick: Well, Argentina's gonna be tough...
Peter Mench: I'm putting AC/DC on tour. 22 gigs, all over England and I need an opening act. I'm thinking Def Leppard.::Joe: That's good thinking.
Rick: I am buying meself the biggest, fastest Corvette Detriot makes. Maybe I'll have 'em put me name on it.::Joe: You think too small, son. Where's the owner?::Owner: That's me.::Joe: Right. I am buying your pub, sir.
Joe: Hey, mate, what are you drinking?::Phil: Alright, listen, it's a look. Glam? No offence, mate, I really fancy girls.
Phil: So, let me get this straight. You're her mum, and you want to do what to me?
Joe: Now my drummer's worried about what a bleeding costume.::Rick: That's not what he's worried about.::Joe: What are you talking about, didn't you hear what he just said?::Rick: Yeah you heard, but you didn't listen. He's scared he can't do it. I mean come on, who ever has? He thinks he gonna let us down.::Joe: [shakes his head and mumbles, not getting it]::Rick: You know, I've spent seems like me whole life backing you playing bass. And all the time you're out there singing and posing and winding them up, do you know what I've been doing?::Joe: What?::Rick: I've been watching. You should try it sometime. You'll learn a lot.
Mutt Lange: You guys sold 7 million copies of Pyromania. It's one of the biggest albums in history. It's a good warm-up.
Pete Willis: [when Tony Kenning leaves the band] I hope he's better in the sack than he was on the drum kit!
Midnight Manhunt (1945)
Actors: Robert Barron (actor), Don Beddoe (actor), Edgar Dearing (actor), Mike Donovan (actor), William Gargan (actor), Pat Gleason (actor), Leo Gorcey (actor), Charles Halton (actor), Paul Harvey (actor), Paul Hurst (actor), George E. Stone (actor), Ben Welden (actor), George Zucco (actor), Ann Savage (actress), William H. Pine (producer),
Plot: In a cheap hotel-room in New York City Jelke shoots gangster Joe Wells, takes a package from his pocket and flees.Wells staggers into an alley. On her way to her apartment above a wax museum, Sue Gallagher, a reporter for the Chronicle, finds Wells' body and hides his corpse among the wax-figures in the museum and calls her paper to send a photographer so she can get a scoop on the killing of Wells, who had a $5,000 reward for his capture, dead or alive. Meanwhile, Henry Miggs, the museum owner find the body and is ready to call the police but his handyman, Clutch Tracy tells him to conceal it and avoid suspicion. From this point on it is a game of where-is-the-body....and the stolen South American diamonds Wells was carrying.
Keywords: apartment, b-movie, cheap-hotel, cigarette-smoking, corpse, corpus-delicti, damsel-in-distress, danger, dark-alley, dead-end-kidsGenres: Comedy, Crime, Mystery,
Taglines: A WEIRD WACKY "WHO-DUN-IT" IN A WAX MUSEUM ! (oiginal poster-all caps) 12 ROARING HOURS OF DELIRIOUS DANGER! (original poster-all caps) YOU'LL HAVE THE THRILL OF A LIFETIME! (original poster-all caps) She hid the body they all wanted in a wax museum! (original poster) WHO'S GOT THE BODY! WHOSE BODY IS IT! (original poster-all caps)
Quotes:
[repeated line]::Henry Miggs: Miggs: I'm so tired!Detective Lt. Max Hurley: Everybody knows everything around here but me. I'm just a detective.
Mean Mr. Mustard
Mean Mister Mustard sleeps in the park
Shaves in the dark trying to save paper
Sleeps in a hole in the road
Saving up to buy some clothes
Keeps a ten-bob note up his nose
Such a mean old man
Such a mean old man
His sister Pam works in a shop
She never stops, she's a go-getter
Takes him out to look at the queen
Only place that he's ever been
Always shouts out something obscene
Such a dirty old man