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, December 9, 202, the former singer of the group Jimmy Somerville.
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“Sad to hear of Steve Bronski’s death”, tweeted the British singer, who paid tribute to a “talented man with a sense of melody”.
Sad to hear Steve Bronski has died. He was a talented and a very melodic man. Working with him on songs and the one song that changed our lives and touched so many other lives, was a fun and exciting time. Thanks for the melody Steve. Jimmy x pic.twitter.com/VfxbtZu1Nx
– Jimmy Somerville (@JimmySomerville) December 9, 2021
The keyboardist founded the group in 1983 with Jimmy Somerville 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 tunes Steve”, Jimmy Somerville added.
First title of the group, the very autobiographical Smalltown boy, traces the story of a rejected young gay teenager fleeing his hometown. The title rose to third place on the UK charts and remains considered a flagship title of the 80s and the gay community.
“At that time we were just three gay guys making a band, we didn’t feel like we were part of a particular movement “, declared in 2018 to the British daily The Guardian Steve Bronski, “Of course, it became apparent many years later that there were far more gay performers than the public might realize.”
In 1985, Bronski Beat runs out of steam and Somerville prefers to turn the page by creating 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 Somerville, releasing an album titled The Age of Reason.