(London) British band Bronski Beat co-founder Steve Bronski, who marked the 1980s with hits like Smalltown boy Where Why?, died at the age of 61, announced Thursday the former singer of the group Jimmy Sommerville.
“Sad to hear of the death of Steve Bronski,” tweeted the British singer, who paid tribute to a “talented man with a sense of melody”.
The keyboardist founded the group in 1983 with Jimmy Sommerville and Larry Steinbachek (died at the end of 2016 of cancer). Their first album, The Age of Consent, was released at the end of 1984.
“Working with him on songs and the song that changed our lives and touched so many others was a fun and exciting time. Thanks for the melodies Steve, ”added Jimmy Sommerville.
First title of the group, the very autobiographical Smalltown boy, tells the story of a rejected gay teenager fleeing his hometown. The title rose to third place on the British charts and remains considered a flagship title of the 80s and the gay community.
“At that time we were just three gay guys who were starting a group, we didn’t feel like we were part of a particular movement,” said in 2018 to the British daily The Guardian Steve Bronski, “Of course it emerged years later that there were far more gay performers than the public could imagine.”
In 1985, Bronski Beat ran out of steam and Somerville preferred to turn the page by creating the “Communards”. He will be replaced by John Foster then by Jonathan Hellyer.
In 2017, Steve Bronski revisited The Age of Consent, without the voice of Jimmy Sommerville, by releasing an album titled The Age of Reason.