Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine R.I.P. Pete Burns, singer of 80s dance band Dead or Alive

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Burns#Death

Sigh.

J'adored him, even though I think at least some of the stories of his alleged monstrous behavior had a grain of truth to them. Boy George said in his autobiography that he once barely escaped a beating from the scary double-team of Burns and Burns' then-wife (according to George, he was being accused by them of copying their look.)

But, for all his faults, he did his thing, and did it with aplomb, being as he was both a taboo-breaker in gender-presentation AND one of the few New Wave singers with a POWERHOUSE VOICE of the kind that just made you sit up and take notice.

And "Youthquake" is still one of my favorite 80s albums, even though these days, I'm more likely to listen to their remix album "Rip It Up", which includes jaw-droppingly awesome mixes of "Something else else in My House" and "Hooked on Love" that blow the originals out of the water!!

Hope he's happier up in heaven. R.I.P., and thanks for all the hours of listening pleasure.

I guess he's more dead than alive now.

Yeah, I know, sick joke.

My only exposure to DoA was the hit single "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," which still goes through my mind at odd times. So, if nothing else, I owe Mr. Burns for a rather endearing earworm.

All the Big Brother, plastic surgery spiral stuff passed me by completely. I don't know anything about his personal life either.

But there was a time where his appearance, and what that stood for made a lot of people question their views and boundaries, and that was no bad thing.

I discovered this song in a roundabout way. Florida had a hit in the late 00's that used parts of this song in it. One of the kids at the lunch table thought there was a similar song. Years later, "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," was featured on Todd in the Shadows' blip channel (a streaming site I really miss). I think it is a good song, kind of a pity he didn't have more success.

My favorite Dead or Alive album track: