Steve Strange (Born Steven Harrington)
May 28, 1959 – February 12, 2015
Steve Strange is perhaps best remembered as the front man for the popular ’80s new wave band, Visage. Like many young people in the UK during the mid ’70s, Strange couldn’t resist the pull of punk rock. After witnessing a Sex Pistols show in 1976, he began setting up gigs for punk bands in and around his Welsh neighborhood. Soon thereafter, he formed his own punk band, the Moors Murderers that counted future Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde and future Clash drummer, Topper Headon, as members during it’s rather short lifespan. Strange soon moved to London where he worked for Malcolm McLaren before forming Visage in 1978. The group helped pioneer the New Romantic movement which also included such acts as Duran Duran, Culture Club and Spandau Ballet. Visage’s second single, 1980’s “Fade To Grey,” was a big hit across the UK and beyond. More hit singles and albums followed until Strange closed the initial chapter on the band in 1985. During the late ’80s and early ’90s, Strange developed into a popular club DJ, helping to popularize the trance movement in its early days. In 2004, he reformed Visage which continued on in one form or another through the remainder of his life. Steve Strange passed away following a heart attack on February 12, 2015. He was 55.
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