Naked Eyes vocalist Pete Byrne dies at 74 after brief illness

Pete Byrne, the lead vocalist and co-founder of the 1980s new wave duo Naked Eyes, has died at the age of 74 following a brief illness.

The singer died peacefully on September 14 in Los Angeles, according to an announcement by Naked Eyes. Byrne was best known for his work with the British-American duo and their popular hits including Always Something There to Remind Me and Promises Promises.

Born in Islington, North London, in June 1952, Byrne formed Naked Eyes with Rob Fisher in 1982. The two musicians had known each other since college and had previously performed together in the band Neon alongside Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal.

Naked Eyes achieved international recognition with their debut album, Burning Bridges in the UK and Naked Eyes in the US. The record reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200.

The duo went on to produce several successful singles. Always Something There to Remind Me reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while Promises Promises peaked at No. 11.

Their second and final album, Fuel for the Fire, was released in 1984 and produced two more charting songs. When the Lights Go Out reached No. 37, while (What) In the Name of Love peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Following the breakup of Naked Eyes, Byrne continued working in music. He contributed backing vocals to Stevie Wonder’s hit Part-Time Lover and later worked on music for film and television projects.

Byrne also pursued a solo career and released several albums, including The Real Illusion in 2001, Fumbling with the Covers in 2007 and Disguise the Limit in 2021. A remastered edition of Burning Bridges was released in 2025.

He continued performing Naked Eyes material decades after the group’s original run. In 2008, the group appeared on a US Regeneration tour alongside artists including Belinda Carlisle, ABC and The Human League. Byrne later took part in an 1980s-themed tour across the US and Canada in 2024 with Wang Chung, Men Without Hats and The Motels.

Byrne’s former bandmate Rob Fisher died in 1999 at the age of 42.