Pete Byrne, the vocalist and co-founder of the 1980s new wave duo Naked Eyes, has died at 74 after a brief illness, the band announced.
As per the website, Naked Eyes announced that the Promises Promises singer died “peacefully” after a brief illness on September 14 in Los Angeles.
Byrne was born in Islington, North London, in June 1952, and later co-founded Naked Eyes alongside Rob Fisher in 1982.
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.
Byrne and Fisher’s debut album, Burning Bridges in the U.K. and Naked Eyes in the U.S., peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard 200.
The duo also scored several Hot 100 hits, including Always Something There to Remind Me, which reached No. 8, and Promises Promises, which peaked at No. 11.
The duo’s second and final album, Fuel for the Fire, produced two 1984 hits, with When the Lights Go Out reaching No. 37 and (What) In the Name of Love No. 39.
Byrne later provided backing vocals on Stevie Wonder’s Part-Time Lover and continued writing music for film and television.
After Naked Eyes disbanded, Fisher died in 1999 at age 42.
Pete Byrne solo career
Byrne went on to release several solo albums, including The Real Illusion in 2001, Fumbling with the Covers in 2007 and Disguise the Limit in 2021, while a remastered Burning Bridges arrived in 2025.
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.
He is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol and Steve; his children Merlin, Dylan, and Chloe; and ex-wife Elena.
