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Naked Eyes Co-Founder Peter Byrne Dies at 74

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 7:56 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

Peter Byrne, co-founder of Naked Eyes, died in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026 after an illness.
He was 74, born in Islington, North London, June 1952.
Naked Eyes' 1983 cover hit No. 8, “Promises, Promises” peaked at No. 11, singles reached No. 37 and No. 39 on the Hot 100.
He revived Naked Eyes in 2005, releasing albums in 2007 and 2021.
He is survived by children and ex-wife Elena.

History

Historical Context

When MTV launched on August 1, 1981, the 24-hour music video channel reshaped pop promotion worldwide and quickly became a cultural catalyst for emerging British acts. The network, owned by Viacom, reached 2.6 million U.S. households within its first year, boosting artists like Duran Duran and Eurythmics. Naked Eyes, formed in London by Peter Byrne and Rob Fisher, leveraged MTV’s video rotation to propel their 1983 single “Promises, Promises” into the U.S. Hot 100. The channel’s visual emphasis cemented synth-pop’s global footprint, enabling later revivals such as Byrne’s 2005 comeback and 2021 releases.

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Story summary

Peter Byrne, co-founder of Naked Eyes, died in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026 after an illness.
He was 74, born in Islington, North London, June 1952.
Naked Eyes' 1983 cover hit No. 8, “Promises, Promises” peaked at No. 11, singles reached No. 37 and No. 39 on the Hot 100.
He revived Naked Eyes in 2005, releasing albums in 2007 and 2021.
He is survived by children and ex-wife Elena.

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