Pete Byrne, Naked Eyes Co-Founder and Vocalist, Dies at 74
- Pete Byrne, the vocalist and songwriter who co-founded the 1980s British new wave band Naked Eyes and scored chart-topping hits with tracks like Always Something There to Remind...
- Born on June 9, 1952, in Bath, England, Byrne formed Naked Eyes in 1982 alongside his college friend and keyboardist Rob Fisher.
- Their highest-charting single was a synth-driven cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s Always Something There to Remind Me, which originally was a 1963 hit for Dionne Warwick.
Pete Byrne, the vocalist and songwriter who co-founded the 1980s British new wave band Naked Eyes and scored chart-topping hits with tracks like Always Something There to Remind Me,
died on September 14 at the age of 74. His death was officially announced on the band’s website.
Rise of Naked Eyes in the 1980s MTV Era
Born on June 9, 1952, in Bath, England, Byrne formed Naked Eyes in 1982 alongside his college friend and keyboardist Rob Fisher. The pair had previously performed together in a band named Neon from 1979 to 1982, a group that also featured future Tears for Fears members Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, as reported by Deadline. Within two years of forming Naked Eyes, the duo secured four Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Their highest-charting single was a synth-driven cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s Always Something There to Remind Me,
which originally was a 1963 hit for Dionne Warwick. A demo of the track convinced EMI Records to sign the duo. The song peaked at number eight during the summer of 1983. The band’s debut 1983 album, Burning Bridges, reached number 32 on the Billboard 200 and included other major hits such as Promises, Promises
—written by Byrne and Fisher—and When the Lights Go Out.
Later Career, Collaborations, and Re-Formations
Naked Eyes released a second album, Fuel For The Fire, in 1984, which featured the modest hit (What) In the Name of Love.
The group never toured during that initial era and disbanded shortly after the second album release. Rob Fisher died in 1999 at age 42 following cancer surgery, but Byrne continued writing, recording, and touring internationally. Byrne released a solo album titled The Real Illusion in 2001 under the name Pete Byrne, before reviving the Naked Eyes moniker for subsequent projects including 2007’s Fumbling with the Covers and 2021’s Disguise the Limit, alongside a 2025 remaster of the band’s self-titled debut album.
Outside of his work with Naked Eyes, Byrne contributed background vocals to Stevie Wonder’s 1985 hit Part-Time Lover
and wrote music for film and television, including the track I Am The Cute One
for the Olsen twins in 1993. He also participated in several nostalgic U.S. and Canadian concert tours celebrating 1980s new wave music, appearing on the 2008 Regeneration
tour alongside Belinda Carlisle, ABC, and The Human League, and joining a 2024 lineup with Wang Chung, Men Without Hats, and The Motels.
Byrne is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol, and Steve; his children Merlin, Dylan, and Chloe; and his ex-wife, Elena. A private service will be held for the family.