Pete Burns

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Pete Burns was born in 1959 in Port Sunlight, in the English region of the Wirral, and was a singer, songwriter and television personality. Between 1977 and 1984 he worked as a shop assistant at Probe Records in Liverpool, where the owner hired him for his striking appearance. In 1977 he formed the punk band The Mystery Girls with Julian Cope and Pete Wylie, which gave only one performance. In 1979 came Nightmares in Wax, and in 1980 he founded Dead or Alive, of which he became lead singer. The band belonged to new wave.

Music and breakthrough

The greatest success came in 1985 with You Spin Me Round (Like a Record), their first number one in Great Britain. Dead or Alive had seven British top 40 singles, two American top 20 singles and two songs that reached number one on the American dance and club chart. According to Billboard magazine, in 2016 the band was among the most successful dance artists ever. Burns also released solo records and appeared in television programmes, such as Celebrity Big Brother.

Influence

Burns stood out for his powerful, deep baritone voice and his flamboyant clothing, with an eyepatch and an androgynous look. He was called a gay icon, although he did not want to label himself. In this way he helped bring gay culture to the foreground in pop music. He died in 2016.

Listening