Peter Byrne, the singer and songwriter of 1980s synth-pop duo Naked Eyes, has died at the age of 74. He passed away peacefully in Los Angeles, California, on Monday 14 September 2026, following a brief illness.

Byrne founded Naked Eyes in 1982 with his music partner, Rob Fisher. Across two studio albums released in 1983 and 1984, the duo scored four top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, making them one of the British synth-pop acts of the era to find major success in America.

The biggest of those was their synth-pop take on Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s ‘Always Something There to Remind Me’, which climbed to No. 8 in the US and remains the song Naked Eyes are best remembered for.

The song had already been a UK No. 1 for Sandie Shaw in 1964, but Naked Eyes reimagined it with synthesisers and a fresh, modern production, introducing it to a whole new generation of listeners on both sides of the Atlantic.

Born in Islington, North London, Peter Byrne began his musical journey in Bath, England. His early projects there included a duo with Jeff Starrs from 1976 to 1977, followed by the band Studio from 1977 to 1979, alongside Clive Wright, Stash Huchrack and Richard Fenton.

From 1979 to 1982, Byrne was a member of Neon. Alongside Rob Fisher, the band also included Neil Taylor, Manny Elias, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, who would go on to form Tears for Fears.

Tears for Fears became one of the biggest British bands of the decade, and Neon is now remembered as a remarkable meeting point for musicians who would each go on to international success.

It was from that Bath scene that Naked Eyes emerged. Byrne and Fisher signed with EMI Records in 1982 and headed to Abbey Road Studios to record their debut album with producer Tony Mansfield.

Released in 1983, the record was titled Burning Bridges in the UK and simply Naked Eyes in the US. It paired Byrne-Fisher original songs with their reworking of ‘Always Something There to Remind Me’, and reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200.

The debut and its follow-up delivered all four of the duo’s US top 40 hits: ‘Always Something There to Remind Me’ at No. 8, ‘Promises, Promises’ at No. 11, ‘When the Lights Go Out’ at No. 37 and ‘(What) In the Name of Love’ at No. 39.

Their second album, Fuel for the Fire, followed in 1984.

Byrne’s warm, melodic vocals sat at the heart of the Naked Eyes sound, paired with Fisher’s keyboards and arrangements. Fisher later found further success as one half of Climie Fisher, while Byrne continued to work across a wide range of projects.

Away from Naked Eyes, Byrne sang backing vocals on Stevie Wonder’s 1985 hit ‘Part-Time Lover’. He also wrote songs for film and television, as well as for the Olsen Twins.

‘Part-Time Lover’ went on to top the US Billboard Hot 100, giving Byrne a place on one of the most successful singles of the mid-1980s.

Rob Fisher died in 1999, but Peter Byrne kept the music going. He continued writing, recording and touring throughout the US and internationally, bringing the songs of Naked Eyes to audiences for more than two decades after his partner’s death.

In 2001 he released the solo album The Real Illusion under the name Pete Byrne. That was followed by the Naked Eyes albums Fumbling with the Covers in 2007 and Disguise the Limit in 2021, and a remaster of the original self-titled Naked Eyes album in 2025.

Peter Byrne’s albums with Naked Eyes and as a solo artist are:

Burning Bridges (UK) / Naked Eyes (US) – 1983
Fuel for the Fire – 1984
The Real Illusion (as Pete Byrne) – 2001
Fumbling with the Covers – 2007
Disguise the Limit – 2021
Naked Eyes (remaster) – 2025

Peter is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol and Steve, his three children Merlin, Dylan and Chloe, and his ex-wife Elena. A private service will be held for the family.

His family have asked that anyone wishing to pay their respects do so by supporting his music. Condolences can be left in the comment section of his blog at nakedeyesmusic.com/blog/peter-byrne.

More than four decades after ‘Always Something There to Remind Me’ first reached the charts, Peter Byrne’s work with Naked Eyes remains a much-loved part of the 1980s synth-pop story.