Pete Dello, a singer-songwriter who performed in band Honeybus in the mid-60s, has sadly died aged 83. Tributes have poured in for the singer, who was from Oxford, as he was referred to as "pop's quiet genius". News of his death circulated on social media and was later confirmed by an obituary, which confirmed he had died in London on February 21. Dello started his career in the 1950s, but formed Honeybus in the mid 1960s where he wrote the hit single 'I Can't Let Maggie Go', which was a Top 10 hit in the UK and Top 20 internationally.

Despite the success of writing the hit single on the album, he soon left the band before touring and released a solo album, titled Into Your Ears in 1971; he quit the music industry for pastures new in the 1970s and wound up becoming a music teacher. His solo album has since been deemed a collectable.

His hit song I Can't Let Maggie Go then had a second surge after it was used in a 1970s Nimble breadTV advert which brought him royalties. He has a magnitutde of songs on his discography and was praised for being a fantastic songwriter during his career.

As the news emerged online, tributes poured in, with one user writing: "One of my true songwriting influences and musical heroes has passed after a sudden illness." The user continued to celebrate his number of popular songs before ending it with "Thank you for everything".

Record label Guerssen wrote: "Farewell Pete Dello. What a fantastic songwriter and musician. It was a privilege working with you all these years."

Another user wrote: "Farewell Pete Dello - pop's quiet genius."

The news came shortly after Hanky Panky Records shared a post on X to thank MOJO magazine for a "surprise full page feature" for the Honeybus releases of "Story" and "Recital & More: The Pete Dello Years". Proving that despite not being in the music industry for decades, Pete remained a loved and well-celebrated artist even years later.

Recital & More: The Pete Dello Years was released in October 2025 as part of The Honeybus Reappraisal Series, with 26 songs on the album to celebrate the works of both the band and Pete Dello.