The Outfield’s Tony Lewis Dead At 62
Tony Lewis, the lead singer for the British band the Outfield, has died at 62. Per a statement, he “unexpectedly passed away” near his home in London. A cause of death was not revealed.
Lewis started the Outfield with John Spinks and Alan Jackman, who he had played with previously in bands around London’s East End. They were originally called the Baseball Boys before adopting their permanent name around the time they signed to Columbia Records in 1984. Their debut album, Play Deep, came out the following year and produced the band’s signature song, “Your Love,” which peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. On the strength of that album, they opened for Journey and Starship on an international tour.
Their second album, Bangin’, came out in 1986 and spawned two minor hits, “Since You’ve Been Gone” and “No Surrender.” After their third album, 1989’s Voices Of Babylon, drummer Alan Jackman left the band and the Outfield became an outlet for Lewis and Spinks’ songwriting. They released a few more albums after that, most recently 2011’s Replay.
John Spinks, the other main half of the Outfield, passed away from complications with liver cancer in 2014. Lewis took a few years off from music but returned with his first solo album, Out Of The Darkness, in 2018. Earlier this year, he put out a collection of early demos from back when they were known as the Baseball Boys.
“It is with great sadness and sorrow to announce that Tony Lewis has unexpectedly passed away,” reads the statement published to his social media page. “He was a beautiful soul who touched so many lives with his love, his spirit, and his music. He loved his fans dearly and enjoyed every opportunity he had when meeting all of you.”