Melvin Pete Lee Loman, namesake of the band Melvins, dies at 89

Melvin “Pete” Lee Loman, the grocery store manager who inspired the name of the rock band Melvins, has died at the age of 89. Loman passed away on September 24, 2026, at the Summit Pacific Health center in Elma, Washington.

Loman was a supervisor at the Thriftway grocery store in Montesano, Washington, where Melvins singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne worked before the band formed in 1983. Osborne has noted that the band chose the name partly due to a dislike of Loman’s strict supervisory style and partly to avoid musical categorization. While the band members did not get along with Loman during their employment, Loman reportedly maintained a sense of humor regarding his connection to the band once he discovered the truth.