So many people have said to me, "I can't wait for 2016 to be over". I gotta agree. It's been a pretty shitty year, not only from a personal standpoint, but from a musical standpoint. We've lost so many giants this year, from David Bowie and Prince, to many smaller but no less loved people, like Peter Burns today.
A lot of people dismiss Dead or Alive as a one hit wonder. They're best known for their wonderfully campy and poppy "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", a staple of 80s dance parties and wedding receptions since 1985. Dead or Alive were pioneers in bringing goth to a more commercial and mainstream audience. Their music was poppy but dark. Their 1985 record, Youthquake, was a huge seller worldwide.
Dead or Alive took their goth leanings seriously early on in their career, turning more poppy as their career went on. In a lot of ways, Pete Burns was a poor-man's Boy George, having the androgynous look of Boy George, but not the presence or the pop chops that Boy George did. Though, after Dead or Alive broke up in 2000, Burns became a huge advocate for fluid sexuality, in ways that Boy George never did.
Burns claimed he wasn't gay, bi or any other type of named sexuality, claiming his type of sexuality "hadn't been invented yet". He also had many plastic surgeries, giving him an almost freakish look.
Burns also had a mildly successful solo career in the 2000s, with his most successful single being "Jack and Jill Party" in 2005.
My personal favourite Dead or Alive track is "Brand New Lover" from 1986's Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know.
Burns died at the age of 57 from a sudden cardiac arrest.
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