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Naked Eyes Singer Peter Byrne Dies at 74
Confirmed
In Short: Peter Byrne, lead vocalist of the 1980s synth-pop duo Naked Eyes, died peacefully in Los Angeles on September 14.
Byrne, who was born in Islington, North London, on June 9, 1952, passed away after a brief illness.
He co-founded Naked Eyes with Rob Fisher in 1982, and the duo achieved significant success with hits like 'Always Something There to Remind Me' and 'Promises, Promises'.
Fisher, who died in 1999, was Byrne's college friend and bandmate from Bath, England.
Byrne continued his musical career after Fisher's death, releasing solo albums and touring with a reformed Naked Eyes lineup.
According to Setlist.fm, Naked Eyes last performed on June 6, 2026, as part of the Totally '80s Pool Party in Las Vegas.
Byrne's contributions extended beyond Naked Eyes; he provided backing vocals on Stevie Wonder's 'Part-Time Lover' and composed songs for film and television.
Byrne's later work included the albums 'Fumbling with the Covers' in 2007 and 'Disguise the Limit' in 2021, both under the Naked Eyes name.
In 2025, a remaster of the original Naked Eyes self-titled album was released.
Byrne is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol, and Steve; his three children, Merlin, Dylan, and Chloe; and his former wife, Elena.
Those wishing to pay their respects are encouraged to support Byrne’s music.
What this adds
WarpBeat previously reported on the death of Peter Max, the artist known for his vibrant designs in the 1960s, but this story focuses on Peter Byrne, the singer of Naked Eyes.
Background
Peter Max, the German-American artist known for his vibrant, psychedelic designs that defined the 1960s counterculture, has passed away at the age of 88.
What's confirmed
- Tragically, Fisher passed away in 1999, aged only 42, following complications from bowel cancer surgery.Byrne leaves behind his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol, and Steve; his three children, Merlin, Dylan, and Chloe, and his former wife, Elena.
- Born in Islington, North London, Byrne began his musical career in Bath, England, where his early projects included a duo with Jeff Starrs from 1976 to 1977 and the band Studio from 1977 to 1979.
- In 1982, Byrne and Fisher formed Naked Eyes and signed with EMI Records.
- Peter Byrne, the singer and songwriter who co-founded synth-pop duo Naked Eyes and sang lead vocals on a string of enduring 1980s hits, has died.
- One of the most popular, if fleeting, British New Wave bands of MTV’s golden era, Naked Eyes was founded in 1982 by Byrne and keyboardist Rob Fisher, who had been college friends in their native Bath, England, and had performed together in a band called Neon from 1979 to 1982. (That band also included Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, who would go on to form Tears for Fears.) Within two years Naked Eyes had scored four Top 40 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100.
- Both songs were included on the band’s debut 1983 album Burning Bridges, as was a third, less successful single “When the Lights Go Out.” The band’s second album, 1984’s Fuel For The Fire, featured a modest hit “(What) In the Name of Love,” but failed to match the success of the debut album, prompting Naked Eyes to disband (the group never toured).
- Born June 9, 1952, in Bath, Byrne continued writing, recording and touring following Fisher’s death, releasing the solo album The Real Illusion in 2001 under Pete Byrne, followed by two albums under the Naked Eyes name: Fumbling with the Covers in 2007 and Disguise the Limit in 2021.
- A remaster of the original Naked Eyes self-titled album was release in 2025.
What's still developing
- The star, who was lead vocalist for British 80s new wave group Naked Eyes, died in Los Angeles on September 14 following a short illness.
- Byrne died peacefully in Los Angeles on Monday (Sept. 14) following a brief illness, according to a press release provided to Billboard announcing his death.
- It remains Naked Eyes’ lone top 10 hit on the Hot 100 chart.
- Peter Byrne, Naked Eyes Singer, Dies at 74 | DRGNews You are using an outdated browser.
- In 2008 Byrne’s Naked Eyes took part in the U.S. “Regeneration” tour with Belinda Carlisle, ABC and the Human League, and in 2024 joined a similarly ’80s themed tour of the U.S. and Canada with Wang Chung, Men Without Hats and The Motels.
- A cover of the 1963 song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, the Byrne-Fisher demo of “Always Something There to Remind Me” was strong enough to convince EMI Records to sign the duo that would become Naked Eyes.
- The band had three subsequent top 40 hits, the most successful of which was “Promises, Promises,” written by Byrne and Fisher and not to be confused with the Bacharach-David song of the same title that was a hit for Warwick.
- Byrne and Fisher signed with EMI Records in 1982 and headed to Abbey Road Studios to record their debut album with producer Tony Mansfield.
- Fisher later found further success as one half of Climie Fisher, while Byrne continued to work across a wide range of projects.
- Naked Eyes scored their first hit in 1983 with a synth-pop cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Always Something There to Remind Me," which reached No.
- Pete Byrne, vocalist for the British new wave band Naked Eyes, died in Los Angeles on Sept.
- Born in Islington, North London, Byrne was part of a duo with Jeff Starrs from 1976 to 1977 and the band Studio from 1977 to 1979 with Clive Wright, Stash Huchrack and Richard Fenton.