Pete Byrne, Naked Eyes Singer Behind “Always Something There to Remind Me,” Dies at 74

The Band Confirmed That Its Co-Founder Died in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026, After a Brief Illness

Pete Byrne, the singer and songwriter who co-founded the British synth-pop duo Naked Eyes with keyboardist Rob Fisher, died on September 14, 2026. He was 74. Naked Eyes announced his death on its official website, saying he died peacefully in Los Angeles after a brief illness. A spokesperson for the group also confirmed the news.

Byrne’s voice was at the center of the duo’s biggest American hit, a synthesizer-driven version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Always Something There to Remind Me.” The recording reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. It was the first of four songs Naked Eyes placed in the U.S. Top 40.

Before Naked Eyes, Byrne and Fisher Played in Neon

Byrne grew up in London and began working in music in the 1970s. He and Fisher played together in Neon, a band whose lineup also included Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Orzabal and Smith went on to form Tears for Fears, while Byrne and Fisher decided to work as a duo.

They founded Naked Eyes in 1982 and signed with EMI that year. With producer Tony Mansfield, they recorded their debut album at Abbey Road Studios. Released in 1983, it was called Burning Bridges in the United Kingdom and Naked Eyes in the United States, where it reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200.

An Older Song Found a New Audience in 1983

“Always Something There to Remind Me” had been recorded before Naked Eyes took it on. Byrne and Fisher put their own stamp on the song through layered keyboards, a driving rhythm, and a vocal that kept the focus on the lyric. The arrangement brought the song to listeners discovering British synth-pop on American radio and MTV.

The duo followed it with “Promises, Promises,” an original song that reached No. 11 on the Hot 100. “When the Lights Go Out” peaked at No. 37, and “(What) In the Name of Love,” from their 1984 album Fuel for the Fire, reached No. 39.

Those singles gave Byrne and Fisher room to develop a sound beyond their Bacharach and David cover. “Promises, Promises” in particular showed how well their own songwriting worked with the sound they had built in the studio.

Byrne Sang on a Stevie Wonder Hit and Kept Recording

After the original Naked Eyes partnership ended, Byrne continued working as a songwriter and recording artist. In 1985, he sang backing vocals on Stevie Wonder’s “Part-Time Lover,” which reached No. 1 in the United States. He also wrote music for film and television.

After Fisher died in 1999, Byrne continued releasing and performing music. He put out the solo album The Real Illusion in 2001 and later recorded under the Naked Eyes name, releasing Fumbling with the Covers in 2007 and Disguise the Limit in 2021. He toured in the United States and abroad, bringing the original singles back to the stage alongside his later work.

In 2025, the debut album was remastered with bonus material, including demos and alternate versions. More than four decades after Byrne and Fisher recorded it at Abbey Road, the reissue gave listeners a chance to hear how the songs took shape alongside the versions they remembered from the radio.