Steve Priest
His thunderous, melodic bass lines and flamboyant stage presence were the pulsing, glam-rock heart of The Sweet's chart-topping 1970s sound.
1948–2020 (age 72)·British bass player·Birthday: February 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Priest didn't just play bass for The Sweet; he was their visual and sonic anchor in platform boots and glitter. Joining the band in 1968, his musicianship helped pivot the group from bubblegum pop to hard-edged glam rock anthems. While the hits were crafted with songwriters Chinn and Chapman, Priest's inventive, often lead-style bass work on tracks like 'Ballroom Blitz' and 'Fox on the Run' gave the music a dangerous, driving energy. His high harmonies and onstage banter, delivered with a cocky sneer, made him a fan favorite. After The Sweet's initial reign, Priest remained a custodian of their legacy, fronting his own version of the band in the US for years. He was the essential, gritty counterpoint to the polished pop production, a musician who understood that glam required both melody and muscle.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2020Died at 72
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Played bass on a string of international hits for The Sweet, including 'Ballroom Blitz', 'Fox on the Run', and 'Love Is Like Oxygen'.
- His distinctive bass riff and vocal delivery were central to the band's signature glam rock sound.
- Performed with The Sweet at the peak of their fame on major platforms like 'Top of the Pops'.
- Authored the band biography 'Are You Ready, Steve?' in 2019.
Did You Know?
He was known for wearing outlandish costumes on stage, including a skeleton suit and a Superman outfit.
He moved to the United States in the 1980s and lived in Los Angeles.
Before joining The Sweet, he was in a band called The Army.
He provided the spoken-word intro 'Are you ready, Steve?' on the hit 'Ballroom Blitz'.
“We were the dirtiest, filthiest, most outrageous band in the world.”
