Pete Byrne, the lead singer of the British synth-pop duo Naked Eyes, died on September 14 in Los Angeles at the age of 74 following a brief illness, according to a spokesperson for the band. Byrne was best known for his work in the early 1980s as part of Naked Eyes, alongside keyboardist and songwriting partner Rob Fisher.

Formed in Bath, England, Naked Eyes rose to prominence during the era of MTV-driven British Invasion music with upbeat synth-pop hits. Their 1983 debut album, recorded at Abbey Road Studios and released as "Burning Bridges" in the UK, featured a remake of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s classic "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me." While the single initially performed modestly in Britain, where it peaked at number 59, it gained significant traction in the United States, reaching number eight on the Billboard charts. Another single from the album, “Promises, Promises,” also charted well, hitting number 11 in the U.S.

Byrne and Fisher’s music stood apart from some contemporaries who embraced flamboyant fashion trends associated with the period’s new wave acts. Byrne resisted following such styles, focusing instead on songwriting and synth-driven production. “We basically considered ourselves to be songwriters who used synthesizers to produce our music,” he said in a 2009 interview. This approach contributed to their appeal amid the MTV-fueled appetite for catchy British keyboard bands.

Following moderate success with additional singles such as “When the Lights Go Out” and “(What) In the Name of Love,” Naked Eyes released a second album, “Fuel for the Fire,” in 1984. However, the album did not meet commercial expectations, and the duo eventually parted ways. Fisher passed away in 1999 following bowel cancer surgery.

Byrne continued to perform and record under the Naked Eyes name, issuing the albums “Fumbling With the Covers” (2007) and “Disguise the Limit” (2021), as well as releasing a solo album, “The Real Illusion,” in 2001. Born Peter James Byrne on June 9, 1952, in Islington, North London, he left secondary school at 16 to pursue art before becoming entrenched in the Bath music scene.

Outside of music, Byrne’s personal life included a marriage to poet and artist Elena Karina Byrne, which ended in divorce in 2015. He is survived by his three children, Merlin, Dylan, and Chloe, as well as siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol, and Steve.

Byrne’s artistic legacy is closely tied to his role in the synth-pop movement of the 1980s, and he took pride in having “Always Something There to Remind Me” included on a 1999 compilation of Burt Bacharach love songs alongside artists such as Perry Como and Tom Jones.