The news has just come in that Skyhooks guitarist, Peter Starkie has passed away following a tragic “accident.”
Here’s what we know so far…
Peter Starkie was the co-founder and guitarist of the Australian rock band, Skyhooks.
Alongside Steve Hill, Peter Ingliss, Greg Macainsh, and Freddie Strauks, and performed at numerous early gigs.
He was replaced by his brother, Bob “Bongo” Starkie.
And he kept a playing relationship with Ingliss. He was also briefly a guitarist in Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons.
So the news of his shocking and untimely death yesterday has left both his family and his fans completely devastated.
Taking to Facebook, he wrote:
“Very sad to deliver the news that my brother Peter has tragically died… Peter George Starkie was born in Sydney in 1948, he was only 72 when he took the dive and had plenty of life ahead of him.”
He recalled how, as children, they were relocated often due to their dad’s job in the airforce, and how, amongst the birth of bands like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, “living in England had been a game-changer for Peter.”
Bob wrote:
“Apart from being a fabulous guitarist, he was a brother who I looked up to. He went on to father three wonderful daughters. A stepdaughter Alice and Ruby and Stella to Mother Carmel. Cousins to my daughters Indiana and Arabella. For the last twenty odd years, he has lived happily inseparable with partner Dianna.”
If Peter had been in good health, why had he passed away so suddenly at the age of seventy-two?
Bob wrote simply:
“Peter has tragically died in one of those stupid ladder accidents.”
Further details surrounding this “accident” have remained scarce.
“Quite honestly this is just a f****** tragedy, especially for Dianna and the girls (and in lockdown!) So one and all, as my mother would say – ‘count your blessings’.”