Peter Byrne, Naked Eyes co-founder, dies at 74

Peter Byrne, co-founder and singer of the British New Wave duo Naked Eyes, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 74. According to the band’s official website, Byrne passed away on September 14 following a brief illness.

Byrne, originally from Islington, North London, rose to prominence during the second British Invasion of the early 1980s. Alongside keyboardist Rob Fisher, he signed with EMI Records in 1982 and recorded their debut album at Abbey Road Studios. The duo is best known for their synth-pop rearrangement of ‘Always Something There to Remind Me,’ which reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Before the success of Naked Eyes, Byrne was a member of the band Neon, which included future Tears for Fears members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Following the duo's split, Byrne contributed backing vocals to Stevie Wonder’s 1985 hit ‘Part-Time Lover’ and worked as a writer and producer, including work for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in the 1990s.