Pete Byrne, Naked Eyes Singer, Dies at 74 After Short Illness

The British new wave band Naked Eyes lead singer Pete Byrne has died at the age of 74. Byrne passed away peacefully in LA on September 14 after a short illness as per by press release.

The vocalist and his college friend and keyboardist Rob Fisher formed Naked Eyes in 1982. The duo had previously been part of the short-lived British group Neon, together with future Tears for Fears members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.

The two studio albums released by Naked Eyes, Burning Bridges in 1983 and Fuel for the Fire in 1984. The band’s first album was given the title Naked Eyes for its US release.

The band formed four Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Their major achievement come from with their synth-pop version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s Always Something There to Remind Me, which reached No. 8 on the chart. The song still the band’s most celebrated hit.

Other popular songs included Promises, Promises, When the Lights Go Out and (What) In the Name of Love. Their debut album reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200, helped by regular MTV airplay during the network’s early years.

Naked Eyes split after releasing their second album. Byrne’s longtime musical partner Fisher died in 1999 at the age of 42 after complications following cancer surgery.

After moving to Los Angeles, Byrne continued working in music as a session musician and songwriter. He provided backing vocals for Stevie Wonder’s 1985 hit Part-Time Lover and also worked on music for film and television projects.

Byrne released his first solo album, The Real Illusion, in 2001. The album included some previously unreleased material he had written with Fisher for a planned third Naked Eyes album.

Byrne got Naked Eyes back as a exploring and recording group in 2005. Later, the band released Fumbling with the Covers in 2007 and Disguise the Limit in 2021. . A remastered version of the band’s original self-titled album was also released in 2025.

According to Setlist.fm, Naked Eyes performed their final show on June 6, 2026, at the Totally ’80s Pool Party in Las Vegas.

Byrne is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol and Steve, his three children Merlin, Dylan and Chloe, and his former wife Elena.