Steve Bronski, co-founding keyboardist with the British synth-pop trio Bronski Beat, died December 7, 2021, at the age of 61. His death was announced on Dec. 9, and was apparently caused by a fire in his London apartment. Bronski had suffered a stroke three years earlier and is said to have died from smoke inhalation.
Bronski Beat took its name from Steve Bronski, whose real name was Steve Forrest, although the group was fronted by singer Jimmy Somerville. With Larry Steinbachek, they formed the group in 1983 when they were sharing a flat in south London’s Brixton.
All three members of Bronski Beat were openly gay at a time when such an announcement was still potentially risky to an artist’s career. Some of their material dealt with issues of importance to the gay community.
Related: 13 influential early MTV videos
The trio was successful with its first single, “Smalltown Boy,” which went to #3 in the U.K. and made the top 10 in several other countries. Released in the United States on MCA Records, it went as high as #48 on the general Billboard top 100 but vaulted all the way to #1 on the publication’s dance music chart. “Smalltown Boy,” which told of a gay youth’s need to leave his home due to prejudice, proved to be Bronski Beat’s only charting single in the U.S., although they placed five further singles in the U.K. top 10 into 1986. Their debut album, The Age of Consent, made it to #36 in America and #4 in Britain.
When Somerville left to form the Communards in 1985, Steinbachek and Bronski continued the group. In 2017, they released their first new album in 22 years, with Bronski as the only remaining original member. Steinbachek died in 2017.
Somerville posted a tribute today on social media: “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.”
Watch the original “Smalltown Boy” video
[easy_sign_up title=”Sign up for the Best Classic Bands Newsletter”]
