Music-Survival-Guide

This past Sunday (10/23) the weird world of entertainment lost Pete Burns. Just 57 years old, the androgynous pioneer suffered from a massive cardiac arrest as confirmed by his manager Monday morning. 2016 hasn’t exactly been a banner year as far as deaths go (and hell, a large number of other things too, let’s face it).

A perpetual diva and an entity all unto himself Burns rose to commercial stardom in 1985 when his group Dead Or Alive released the album Youthquake containing the mega hit “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)”, which, up until his dying day would continue to remain a meal ticket for the singer as well as a nail in a coffin of a very tumultuous career. When I first discovered Dead Or Alive I was much too young to really understand the endless concept and art that went behind Pete and DOA. As I got older and of course began to really understand Music and Art and obsess over it more and more, Dead Or Alive really did stick out to me. It wasn’t even so much the kitschy music as it was so obviously Pete Burns at the helm of this often bizarre and confusing outfit which I wound up loving. His outlandish behavior and looks over the vast many years made people love or hate him. Not knowing him personally I’d imagine there really was absolutely no in-between. I even missed a chance to see Dead Or Alive play at a beach club once because I was too young to get in. I did indeed try to sneak in after being turned away but got caught. I didn’t want to risk catching any heat from the large security men, me being a young boy with weird hair, eye make-up and a bright polkadot shirt on.

Clearly addicted to plastic surgery, even after his very first botched nose job. Burns continued to have extensive work done, “Getting a new face is like buying a sofa”. His lips were destroyed and rebuilt, he had several rhinoplasties and beyond…way beyond. Apparently no part of his body except the soles of his feet went untouched by needle or knife and his entire earnings were spent on destroying and rebuilding his looks, even selling off the rights of his songs to do so. Self esteem issues were obviously present in a man who was indeed once beautiful and possessed a voice so powerful it would rumble your floorboards. What can really be said about Pete Burns that he already hadn’t said or done anyway? Not much. There were few as blunt and daring and fucking Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know as one Pete Burns. He showed us all what it meant to truly let your freak flag fly. His outlandish behavior, outfits and commentary on the UK’s version of reality television show Big Brother brought him back into the mainstream. Train wreck or not, you couldn’t take your eyes off him. Bending genre and gender to the point of utter shatter he was truly a force of nature. Whether he was burning American flags in Texas or bridges with record labels, he did it with such a grandiose flair that was uncompromised and next to few if not none.

Icon? Yes. Lunatic? Probably. One of a kind? Absolutely. It’s a shame that another colorful character had to be taken away from us in this very confusing year. Pete may have been impossible but he shared with us the fact that you can do YOU no matter what…but again, at what cost? Money, relationships…your face? I’d dare say that few will ever be as brazen. So, thank you Pete, whether is was brave or just plain crazy I’m hoping you’re shit kicking the afterlife on glitter platforms…”I just keep a hearing, you runnin’ on up my stairs but you’re not there”…R.I.P.

“People always want to know – am I gay, bi, trans or what? I say, forget all that. There’s got to be a completely different terminology and I’m not aware if it’s been invented yet. I’m just Pete.”