Pete Byrne, frontman for the hit-making English new wave band Naked Eyes, has died. A post on the band's website today reveals that Byrne "died peacefully in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, September 14, after a brief illness." He was 74.
Naked Eyes are best known for their 1982 single "Always Something There to Remind Me," a soulful, synth-powered cover of a Burt Bacharach standard that became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. They later hit the American top 40 three more times, with "Promises, Promises," "When The Lights Go Out," and "(What) In The Name Of Love." On those songs and others, the pairing of Byrne's impassioned vocals and bandmate Rob Fisher's space-age keyboards proved to be a winning formula.
Byrne was born in Islington, North London and raised in Bath. There, he got his start in music in the late 1970s, performing as a duo with Jeff Starrs and a band called Studio. Byrne and Fisher first played together in a new wave band called Neon with future Tears For Fears members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith from 1979-1982. Shortly afterward, Byrne and Fisher launched Naked Eyes, finding immediate success with "Always Something There To Remind Me." The band released two albums for EMI, 1983's Burning Bridges and 1984's Fuel For The Fire, before disbanding due to busyness with other projects.
Byrne remained active in music, particularly after Fisher's death from cancer in 1999. He released the solo album The Real Illusion in 2001, including some songs he'd written with Fisher for a planned Naked Eyes reunion. In 2005, he began touring and recording under the name Naked Eyes again. The revamped project released two more albums, 2007's covers-focused Fumbling With The Covers and 2021's Disguise The Limit, and was a regular presence on package tours with fellow '80s stars.
Byrne is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol, and Steve; his three children, Merlin, Dylan, and Chloe; and his ex-wife, Elena. Below, revisit Naked Eyes' hits.
