On This Day in 2015, Lovers of 80s Pop Lost One of the Finest Frontmen of the Era

Anyone who was down with new wave in the 1980s knows the outfit Visage all too well. That synth-pop outfit was huge in the UK, with several Top 40 songs in the early 1980s alone. A few of their greatest hits were “Fade To Grey”, “The Damned Don’t Cry”, “Night Train”, and many more. And the frontman who helped popularize those songs was none other than Steve Strange.

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Steve Strange remains one of the most noteworthy figures in new wave music from that era. And, sadly, he passed away on this day, February 12, 2015, at the age of only 55. Let’s celebrate this New Romantic icon with a look back at his eclectic career.

The Pop Legacy of Visage’s Steve Strange

Stephen John Harriston, best known as Steve Strange, was born on May 28, 1959, in Newbridge, Wales. His career as a cultural icon and music promoter began on the mid-1970s. After attending a Sex Pistols concert in 1976, he became friends with bassist Glen Matlock and arranged gigs for the band (and other punk outfits) in his hometown. After moving to London, he formed the punk band Moors Murderers, which featured notable musicians Soo Catwoman, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Clash drummer Topper Headone, and Psychedelic Furs drummer Vince Ely. They performed only a handful of times before breaking up in 1978.

From there, Strange was briefly in the punk band The Photons, where he started using the name “Steve Strange.” He joined Visage shortly after, and the band released their first single, “Tar”, in 1979. Sadly, it wasn’t the biggest hit. However, Strange was invited to appear in the music video for David Bowie’s smash hit “Ashes To Ashes”. Not only did that video have a hand in pushing the New Romantic movement, but it also popularized Strange and, thus, Visage.

Visage would release “Fade To Grey” in 1980, and it would be a Top 10 hit for the band in the UK. Strange’s career took off, and he would go on to form the band Strange Cruise and work as an infamous nightclub host.

Steve Strange suffered a heart attack while visiting Egypt in 2015. He passed away in the hospital shortly after. Several club kids and new wave icons paid their respects to the icon, including Spandau Ballet, Boy George, Jayce Lewis, and many others.

Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns