The singer and songwriter behind Naked Eyes’ 1980s hits ‘Always Something There to Remind Me’ and ‘Promises, Promises’ has died in Los Angeles at 74.
by Paul Cashmere
Peter Byrne, the singer, songwriter and co-founder of Naked Eyes, has died at the age of 74 after a brief illness. Byrne died peacefully in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026, leaving behind a catalogue that helped define the polished synth-pop sound of the early 1980s.
Born in Islington, North London, Byrne formed Naked Eyes in 1982 with keyboard player and songwriting partner Rob Fisher. Within a year, the duo had turned a reworking of a Burt Bacharach and Hal David song into an international pop hit, while establishing a partnership that would produce four US Top 40 singles across two albums.
‘Always Something There to Remind Me’ became Naked Eyes’ breakthrough, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983.
The follow-up, ‘Promises, Promises’, reached No. 11, followed by ‘When the Lights Go Out’ at No. 37 and ‘(What) In the Name of Love’ at No. 39.
The debut album, released as Burning Bridges in the UK and Naked Eyes in the United States, reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios with producer Tony Mansfield, the album combined Byrne and Fisher originals with their synth-pop interpretation of Bacharach and David’s ‘Always Something There to Remind Me’.
The story of Naked Eyes had begun several years earlier in Bath, England. Byrne’s early projects included a duo with Jeff Starrs between 1976 and 1977, followed by the band Studio. From 1979 to 1982, Byrne was a member of Neon alongside Fisher and musicians who would later become closely associated with Tears for Fears, including Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.
Byrne and Fisher signed Naked Eyes to EMI Records in 1982. Their second album, Fuel for the Fire, followed in 1984 and produced another US Top 40 single with ‘(What) In the Name of Love’. Naked Eyes subsequently disbanded.
Despite the brevity of the original partnership, Byrne’s musical career extended well beyond the two Naked Eyes albums. He provided backing vocals for Stevie Wonder’s 1985 hit ‘Part-Time Lover’ and worked as a songwriter on projects for film, television and the Olsen Twins. He also recorded an electronic version of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black’.
Fisher’s death in 1999 changed the story of Naked Eyes, but it did not end Byrne’s involvement with the music. He continued writing, recording and touring in the United States and internationally, eventually reviving Naked Eyes as a live act.
In 2001, Byrne released The Real Illusion as a solo album under the name Pete Byrne. Naked Eyes returned to the catalogue in 2007 with Fumbling with the Covers, combining covers with songs associated with the group.
The group’s recorded history continued into the 2020s. Disguise the Limit was released in 2021, followed by a remaster of the original self-titled Naked Eyes album in 2025.
The history of Naked Eyes is also unusual in that the original duo did not tour during its initial period. The highly programmed studio sound presented technical challenges for a live performance, meaning Byrne and Fisher achieved their commercial success without the conventional touring cycle that accompanied many of their contemporaries.
That changed after Byrne revived Naked Eyes. The group subsequently toured internationally, including a 2008 US Regeneration Tour with Belinda Carlisle, ABC and The Human League.
Byrne is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol and Steve, his three children Merlin, Dylan and Chloe, and his ex-wife Elena. His family will hold a private service.
The family has asked those wishing to pay their respects to support Byrne’s music. Condolences can also be posted on the Naked Eyes blog.
For a singer whose voice became inseparable from one of the defining synth-pop covers of the 1980s, Byrne leaves a catalogue that extends well beyond ‘Always Something There to Remind Me’, from his early Bath recordings and work with Fisher through his solo album and the later Naked Eyes releases.
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