Naked Eyes singer Peter Byrne dies at 74

Peter Byrne, the singer and songwriter who co-founded synth-pop duo Naked Eyes and sang lead vocals on a string of 1980s hits, has died at the age of 74.

According to a press release provided to Billboard, Byrne died peacefully in Los Angeles on Monday (Sept. 14) following a brief illness. He is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol and Steve; his three children, Merlin, Dylan and Chloe; and his ex-wife, Elena. A private family service will be held.

Born in Islington, North London, Byrne began his musical career in Bath, England. His early projects included a duo with Jeff Starrs from 1976 to 1977 and the band Studio from 1977 to 1979. He subsequently joined Neon, a group featuring Rob Fisher as well as future Tears for Fears members Neil Taylor, Manny Elias, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal.

Byrne and Fisher formed Naked Eyes in 1982 and signed with EMI Records. Producer Tony Mansfield recorded their debut album at Abbey Road Studios. The record came out in the U.K. as Burning Bridges and in the U.S. as Naked Eyes, reaching No. 32 on the Billboard 200 in 1983.

The duo achieved its greatest success with a synth-pop interpretation of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Always Something There to Remind Me,” which climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. This track remains Naked Eyes’ only top 10 hit on the Hot 100 chart. It also reached No. 20 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and No. 37 on the Dance Club Songs chart.

Naked Eyes followed with three additional Hot 100 top 40 hits. Byrne and Fisher wrote “Promises, Promises,” which reached No. 11 in 1983, while “When the Lights Go Out” peaked at No. 37 later that year. The duo scored its final top 40 hit in 1984 when “(What) In the Name of Love” reached No. 39. “Promises, Promises” also has ties to pop icon Madonna, who contributed backing vocals to John “Jellybean” Benitez’s 1980s remixes of the track, although those versions remained unreleased for years.

Fisher died in 1999, but Byrne maintained the legacy of Naked Eyes by writing, recording and touring internationally and in the U.S. He released a solo album titled The Real Illusion in 2001 under the name Pete Byrne, followed by the Naked Eyes albums Fumbling with the Covers in 2007 and Disguise the Limit in 2021. A remastered edition of the group’s original self-titled album appeared in 2025.

The statement encourages anyone wishing to pay respects to support Byrne’s music. Condolences can also be posted on the Naked Eyes website.