Peter Makowski

Pete Makowski joined Sounds music weekly aged 15 as a messenger boy, and was soon reviewing albums. When no-one at the paper wanted to review Deep Purple's Made In Japan in December 1972, Makowski did the honours. The following week the phone rang in the Sounds office. It was Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. "Thanks for the review," said Blackmore. "How would you like to come on tour with us in Europe?"

Pete had a spell as a press officer for the likes of Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Motörhead, the New York Dolls and more. When punk hit, Makowski championed the championing the Sex Pistols, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and The Only Ones, and played guitar in the Snivelling Shits. (The band originally only lasted for two singles but re-formed in 2018, playing five gigs, including the Rebellion Festival.) He wrote for Street Life, New Music News, Kerrang!, Soundcheck, Metal Hammer and This Is Rock. When Geoff Barton became the Editor of Sounds he introduced Makowski to photographer Ross Halfin with the words, “You’ll be bad for each other,” creating a partnership that spanned three decades and filing legend-creating stories on bands like Aerosmith, Rainbow and UFO.  Halfin and Makowski went on to work on dozens of stories for Classic Rock in the 00-10s, bringing back stories that crackled with humour and insight. Pete died in November 2021.