Dead or Alive frontman Pete Burns died Sunday of “a massive cardiac arrest,” according to a statement posted to his Twitter account on Monday. He was 57.
“It is with the greatest sadness that we have to break the tragic news that [our] beloved Pete Burns of (Dead or Alive), died suddenly yesterday of a massive cardiac arrest,” read the statement from his manager.
“All of his family and friends are devastated by the loss of our special star. He was a true visionary, a beautiful talented soul, and he will be missed by all who loved and appreciated everything he was and all of the wonderful memories.”
Read the entire statement below:
The English singer-songwriter gained fame for Dead or Alive’s famous ‘80s hit, “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).” Burns was also known as a TV personality, appearing on “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2006 and most recently starring on “The Body Shocking Show,” “Celebrity Wedding Planner” and “Big Brother’s Bit on the Side.”
The queer musician played with and challenged gender norms, explaining in a 2007 post on The Guardian, “Everyone’s in drag of some sorts, I don’t give a fuck about gender and drag. I’m not trying to be a girl by putting on a dress ― gender is separated by fabric. I was brought up with an incredible amount of freedom and creativity. Society has put certain constraints on things.”
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