LOS ANGELES, Oct. 24, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Singer and songwriter Pete Burns has passed away from an apparent massive heart attack.
A statement was posted to the singer’s Twitter account which reported Burns died on Sunday, Oct. 23, of a “massive cardiac arrest.”
“All of his family and friends are devastated by the loss of our special star. He was a true visionary, a beautiful talented soul, and he will be missed by all … We have no more words, we will make a further statement when we have had a chance to come to terms with our devastating loss. He will live forever in our memories.”
According to Wikipedia, Burns was born in Bebington, Cheshire, on Aug. 5, 1959.
Burns wrote of his childhood in his autobiography, “Freak Unique,” where he described his mother’s alcoholism and her suicide attempts, but maintained that she was “absolutely the best mother in the world.”
In 1977, Burns formed a band with contemporaries Julian Cope, Pete Wylie, and Phil Hurst, calling themselves “The Mystery Girls.” They played only one gig (opening for Sham 69 at Eric’s in Liverpool in November 1977) before disintegrating.
In May 1980, Burns changed the name of the band to Dead or Alive. The band went through several different line-up changes over the next three years while recording a series of independent singles.
Burns’ eccentric and androgynous appearance began attracting attention, often leading to comparisons with Culture Club and its lead singer, Boy George.
Dead or Alive’s singles started charting on the smaller UK Indie Chart, beginning with 1982’s “The Stranger” reaching No. 7 on that chart. This prompted major label Epic Records to sign the band in 1983. Their first release for Epic was the single “Misty Circles,” which appeared at No. 100 on the major UK Singles Chart in 1983.
At this point, the band was a five-piece, consisting of Burns, Mike Percy (bass), Tim Lever (keyboards/sax), Steve Coy (drums), and Wayne Hussey (guitar). Two more singles, “What I Want” and “I’d Do Anything,” attracted club play, but mainstream success continued to elude the band.
In 1994, Burns helped write the single, “Sex Drive,” which was a return to the dance floor. The next year, Dead or Alive added a new keyboardist named Jason Alburey, joining Burns and Coy for their new album album Nukleopatra.
The album featured a smattering of previously released material, including “Rebel Rebel,” “Sex Drive,” “Gone Too Long” and “Unhappy Birthday.” The album opened the door for the band to begin a series of concert tours and gay pride events.
