Hastings based Pete Brown who wrote some of supergroup Cream's biggest hits dies aged 82

Pete, who lived in Hastings and often performed locally, wrote some of the biggest hits for legendary supergroup Cream, including In A White Room, I Feel Free and Sunshine Of Your Love.

Pete began writing poetry in 1955, initially inspired by Dylan Thomas, Gerard Manley Hopkins and later the US Beats. For many years he moved between menial jobs until he got his first break and his work began to get published, primarily in America.

Pete met poet, Mike Horovitz at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival in 1960 and joined his travelling arts group, New Departures. They wrote many jazz poems together and formed a jazz poetry group with some of the best ‘Brit jazzers’. They secured a residency in 1963 at the famed London Marquee club and went on to appear at the iconic Albert Hall, reading poetry, in 1965.

In 1966, Pete was asked to write lyrics for new super group, Cream by drummer Ginger Baker. After crafting a number of Cream’s biggest songs, Pete continued to write for Cream singer and bass player Jack Bruce for the next 46 years.

Pete pursued a musical career in his own right, becoming a cult figure with bands including Piblokto, Battered Ornaments and Graham Bond. In the early noughties Pete was asked to write for The Hamburg Blues Band, which via his long-term friend Dick Heckstall-Smith he then joined as guest vocalist. Pete had previously co-produced several of Dick’s records, including the impressive Blues and Beyond.

Several collections of Pete’s Poetry have been published, from Few, in 1966 to his most recent collection in 2016. He has read his poetry at arts events in Hastings, including a performance at the Electric Palace in Hastings.

Pete still performed with his band locally and featured at the Hastings Nearly On The Beach Concert, last summer.

In the 2000s Pete formed a film company, having been previously encouraged by Martin Scorsese to write screenplays. In recent years he featured in two documentary films White Rooms and Imaginary Westerns, as well as The Cream Acoustic Sessions.

He continued working until the end, collaborating with Joe Bonamassa and Bernie Marsden (formerly of the band Whitesnake). Pete was an animal lover and had a dog and an increasing family of cats.

Pete is survived by his wife and life partner Sheridan, his daughter, the singer an song-writer Jessica Walker and his musician son Tad.

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