Burns, known for his androgynous image, rose to fame with
Dead or Alive's 1985 hit "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record),"
and became part of the British punk, electro and dance-pop
scene.
"He was a true visionary, a beautiful talented soul, and he will
be missed by all who loved and appreciated everything he was,"
Burns' manager Steve Coy and his family said in a joint
statement posted on the late singer's Twitter account. The
statement did not say where Burns died.
Dead or Alive, founded in Liverpool in 1980, scored a hit album
with 1985's "Youthquake" and songs including "Lover Come Back To
Me," and "Brand New Lover."
While the band never formally disbanded, numerous members came
and went and the last studio album, "Fragile," was released in
2000.
Burns, who publicly acknowledged his several cosmetic surgery
procedures over the years, was more recently known for his
participation on British reality television show "Celebrity Big
Brother" in 2006.
A documentary that year followed Burns' attempt to revive his
career.
"You Spin Me Round" was re-released in 2006 to coincide with
Burns' "Big Brother" stint, and more recently has been covered
by rapper Flo Rida and singer Kesha in 2011's "Right Round,"
which topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy in Los Angeles; Editing by Alistair
Bell)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![](column_spacer.png) |
|