Pete Byrne, the lead vocalist of British new wave group Naked Eyes, died at age 74. According to an announcement made Wednesday on the band’s website and social media platforms, Byrne passed away on 14 September in Los Angeles following a brief illness.
Byrne was a prominent figure during the period when synthpop and new wave bands from the United Kingdom gained significant commercial success in the United States, bolstered by increased exposure through MTV. His contemporaries in this movement included Duran Duran and A Flock of Seagulls. Byrne founded Naked Eyes in the late 1970s alongside Rob Fisher following the dissolution of his previous musical projects, Studio and Neon. The latter group had included future members of Tears for Fears.
Naked Eyes achieved their greatest commercial success with a cover of “Always Something There to Remind Me,” originally written by Burt Bacharach, which became a Top 10 hit in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The band released three additional Top 40 hits on the US charts: “Promises, Promises,” “When the Lights Go Out,” and “(What) In the Name of Love.” Despite their American success, they failed to achieve comparable chart performance in their home country. The group disbanded following their second album in 1984.
After the initial breakup, Byrne pursued songwriting and production work with various artists. He contributed backing vocals to Stevie Wonder’s 1985 chart-topping track “Part-Time Lover” and released a solo album titled “The Real Illusion” in 2001. Following Fisher’s death in 1999, Byrne revived Naked Eyes as a solo project and released two additional albums under that name. He became a regular performer on revival tours featuring other acts from the 1980s era.
Byrne is survived by three children—Merlin, Dylan, and Chloe—from his marriage to Elena, as well as four siblings.
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