Steve Harley, the frontman of the British rock group Cockney Rebel, has died aged 73.
The English singer and songwriter, best known for his 1975 song Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), had been receiving treatment for cancer. He died at his Suffolk home on Sunday morning.
In a statement his family said: “We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and father has passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side.
“The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four grandchildren.
“Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity. And much more, in abundance.”
Harley’s family said they knew the singer would be “desperately missed by people all over the world”.
Last October Harley announced the cancellation of Steve Harley Acoustic Band shows that were scheduled to take place in January 2024 due to his cancer treatment.
Harley’s team said in February that the singer could not commit to any concerts in 2024, but that he hoped he would be better next year. The musician, who was from London, lived on the Essex-Suffolk border with his wife, Dorothy, with whom he had two children – Kerr and Greta.
Harley was born in southeast London in 1951 and spent almost four years in hospital as a child after contracting polio. At the age of 17, he joined the Daily Express as a trainee accountant before working as a journalist for several regional newspapers including the East London Advertiser.
Cockney Rebel rose to prominence in the early 1970s with their glam rock music. The original band was made up of Harley, Jean-Paul Crocker, drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys and guitarist Nick Jones.
Their debut studio album, The Human Menagerie, was released in 1973. The group’s other hits included a cover of Here Comes The Sun, which was released in 1976.
Harley branched out as a solo artist before the band regrouped in 1990 after the success of Harley’s 1989 tour.
The band’s biggest hit, Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), has sold about 1.5 million copies and has been covered more than 120 times, including by Robbie Williams and Duran Duran. – Guardian service
