Memorial Service For THE SWEET Bassist STEVE PRIEST To Be Livestreamed Today

The memorial service for THE SWEET's founding bassist Steve Priest will be livestreamed on the band's Facebook page this afternoon (Monday, June 15) at approximately 3:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

THE SWEET says in a statement: "Start time is an estimate and, of course, all is subject to the whims of weather, Wi-Fi and technology but we will do our level best. We hope you can join us to celebrate Steve's life and legacy."

Priest died on June 4 at the age of 72. His passing was confirmed by guitarist Andy Scott — the last surviving member of THE SWEET's classic lineup — who said "his health was failing" recently.

By the early 1970s, THE SWEET was arguably the hottest ticket in town with a string of Top 10 records in Europe including "Blockbuster", "Hellraiser", "Ballroom Blitz", "Teenage Rampage" and "The Sixteens".

In 1975, the USA had discovered the band, with "Fox On The Run" hitting the No. 3 spot in the Billboard 100. Another self-penned hit "Action" followed in 1976, firmly establishing THE SWEET in the U.S. charts.

On the face of it, THE SWEET was primarily a singles band. However, with the landmark albums including "Desolation Boulevard" (1975) and "Give Us A Wink" (1976),the band displayed a much harder-rocking sound. The album "Level Headed", released in 1978, brought with it another award-winning million-selling worldwide hit with "Love Is Like Oxygen" written by Scott.

In 1979, lead singer Brian Connolly left the original lineup, leaving Scott, Priest and Mick Tucker to continue as a three-piece. Sadly, both Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker passed away in 1997 and 2002 respectively, and with Priest relocating to the USA, Scott was left to fly the flag.

In 2008, Priest assembled his own version of THE SWEET in Los Angeles. He reportedly owned the name and logo in Canada and the U.S., while Scott owns THE SWEET name and the logo in the U.K. and Australia.

Image credit: George s Pogacich