Pete Byrne, the vocalist and co-founder of British new wave duo Naked Eyes, died in Los Angeles on Sept. 14 following a brief illness. He was 74.
Byrne formed Naked Eyes in 1982 with his college friend Rob Fisher. The pair found chart success with their debut album, “Burning Bridges,” which climbed to No. 32 on the main U.S. albums chart.
Across two studio albums released in 1983 and 1984, Naked Eyes placed four songs in the top 40 of the main U.S. singles chart. The run included their cover of the Burt Bacharach song “Always Something There to Remind Me,” along with “Promises, Promises,” “When the Lights Go Out” and “(What) In the Name of Love.”
Despite that chart presence, Naked Eyes never toured during the duo’s original run. The group disbanded after its second album.
Music Before and After Naked Eyes
Born in Islington, North London, Byrne had already worked in several musical partnerships before creating Naked Eyes. He performed as part of a duo with Jeff Starrs from 1976 to 1977, then joined the band Studio from 1977 to 1979 alongside Clive Wright, Stash Huchrack and Richard Fenton.
From 1979 until 1982, Byrne was a member of Neon. That group also included Fisher, as well as future Tears for Fears members Neil Taylor, Manny Elias, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal.
Byrne’s work beyond Naked Eyes included providing backing vocals on Stevie Wonder’s 1985 hit “Part-Time Lover.” He also wrote songs for film and television, as well as for the Olsen twins.
Following Fisher’s death in 1999, Byrne continued writing and recording music while touring throughout the United States and internationally. In 2001, he released the solo album “The Real Illusion.”
Byrne revived Naked Eyes in 2005 with a reimagined version of the group. That lineup released “Fumbling with the Covers” in 2007 and “Disguise the Limit” in 2021. A remastered edition of the original self-titled “Naked Eyes” album followed in 2025.
Byrne is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol and Steve; his children Merlin, Dylan and Chloe; and his ex-wife, Elena.