Steve Strange, Visage lead singer, dies aged 55
BBC
February 12, 2015
Steve Strange, lead singer of 1980s pop band Visage, has died aged 55 following a heart attack, his record label says.
The Welsh New Romantic icon - best known for the hit Fade To Grey - died in hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Record label boss Marc Green said his "family, band members and friends are all distraught at his untimely death".
Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon tweeted Strange, whose real name was Steven Harrington, was "the leading edge of New Romantic. God Bless him".
Fellow 1980s pop star Billy Idol tweeted: "Very sad to hear of my friend Steve Strange passing, RIP mate."
Strange's agent, Pete Bassett, said he would be remembered as "a hard-working, very amusing and lovable individual who always was at the forefront of fashion trends".
"Up until last year he was putting together a book of fashion styles based on the New Romantic movement and it comes as a great shock.
"We understood that he had certain health problems but nothing we knew was life threatening.
"His friends and family are totally shocked, we had no idea anything like this was likely to happen."
Born in Newbridge, Caerphilly county, Strange got involved in music after seeing the Sex Pistols in concert in 1976.
He went to London aged 15 to work for Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McClaren before setting up the Blitz Club in Soho, central London, which would become a focal point for the New Romantic movement.
Bands including Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Culture Club all got their start at the club before finding stardom.
His band, Visage, formed in 1979 and released their breakthrough record, Fade To Grey, the following year, peaking at number eight in the UK Singles Chart.
Strange finished recording a classical interpretation of the record last year.
STRANGE, Steve (Steven John Harrington)
Born: 5/28/1959, Newbridge, Wales, England, U.K.
Died: 2/12/2015, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
Steve Strange’s western – actor:
Urban Cowboy – 1980 (Sam Strange)