"It is with the greatest sadness that we have to break the tragic news that out beloved Pete Burns of (Dead Or Alive), died suddenly yesterday of a massive cardiac arrest," Burns' Facebook alerted fans.
"All of his family and friends are devastated by the loss of our special star," the message read. "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 the has left is with."
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| Pete Burns |
The androgynous Burns, who began cross-dressing as a six-year-old, emerged in the late Seventies as a member of the goth band Nightmares in Wax, which released their lone EP Birth of a Nation, highlighted by the single "Black Leather," in 1979 before adopting the name Dead or Alive.
After a string of singles, including "The Stranger," Dead or Alive released their debut album Sophisticated Boom Boom in 1984, with the band transforming KC and the Sunshine Band's "That's the Way (I Like It)" into an unlikely hit.
"The trouble is that people are all too ready to jump to conclusions about anybody who they think looks a bit strange. They think you must be mentally subnormal," Burns once said of his unique appearance in an interview. "Over the years I've had to learn how to deal with people who refuse to take me seriously. That's where I learnt the blunt side of my character."
The following year, Youthquake arrived accompanied by the group's biggest hit "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." The single reached Number One on the U.K charts and peaked at Number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2006, the song returned to the British charts – at Number Five – following Burns' infamous appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
Three years later, Flo Rida and Kesha's take on the song, dubbed "Right Round," topped the Billboard 200 and shattered then-digital sales records.
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