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Naked Eyes Co-Founder Peter Byrne Dies at 74

12:04 AM ETConfirmed

Entertainment Desk

In Short: Naked Eyes announced the death of co-founder Peter Byrne on its website. Byrne, born in Islington, North London, in June 1952, co-founded the band with Rob Fisher in 1982.

Byrne and Fisher formed Naked Eyes after a brief stint in a band called Neon with Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, who later formed Tears for Fears.

Byrne and Fisher's collaboration yielded four Top 40 hits on the Hot 100 within two years, including 'Promises, Promises' and '(What) In the Name of Love.

After Fisher's death, Byrne continued his musical career, releasing solo albums and reviving Naked Eyes in 2006 with two further albums, 'Fumbling with the Covers' in 2007 and 'Disguise the Limit' in 2021.

Byrne's career also included songwriting for film and television, and he provided backing vocals on Stevie Wonder's 1985 hit 'Part-Time Lover.

Naked Eyes toured extensively, including a 2024 tour of the U.S. and Canada with Wang Chung, Men Without Hats, and The Motels.

Byrne is survived by his three children, Merlin, Dylan, and Chloe, and his siblings.

Fans are encouraged to support Byrne's music in lieu of traditional condolences.

Background

What's confirmed

• Naked Eyes announced his death on its website.
• The pair were friends from college, and three years before Naked Eyes, they played together with Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal in a band called Neon.
• Peter Byrne, who co-founded Naked Eyes, died after a brief illness on Sept.
• Byrne was born in Islington, North London, in June 1952, and later co-founded Naked Eyes alongside Rob Fisher in 1982.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

What's still developing

• Byrne and Fisher’s debut album, which was released in the U.K.
• The British singer-songwriter passed away peacefully after a brief illness.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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).
• A remaster of the original Naked Eyes self-titled album was release in 2025.
• As of this summer, Byrne was touring as Naked Eyes, with their final concert taking place in Las Vegas on June 6th, per Setlist FM.
• Pete Byrne, co-founder and vocalist of new wave band Naked Eyes, has died aged 74.
• The final Naked Eyes record, Disguise the Limit, arrived in 2021.
• Byrne and Fisher signed with EMI Records in 1982 and headed to Abbey Road Studios to record their debut album with producer Tony Mansfield.

Sources

• AOL.comlink
• Billboardlink
• DRGNewslink
• Deadlinelink
• Decatur Radiolink
• Far Out Magazinelink
• MNPR Magazinelink
• Music-News.comlink
• Rolling Stonelink
• Times of Indialink
• Ultimate Classic Rocklink
• Varietylink
• Wide Open Countrylink
• noise11.comlink
• pagesix.comlink
• WarpBeat — background on Naked Eyes Singer Peter Byrne Dies at 74 link
• Rock History Music — video link