Steve Bronski Death Cause: Bronski formed the trailblazing gay pop trio with Jimmy Somerville and Larry Steinbachek, which had hits in the 80s including Smalltown Boy.
Steve Bronski, a founding member of the trailblazing British synth-pop trio Bronski Beat, has died, a source close to the group has confirmed. The BBC reported his age as 61. No cause of death was given.
His bandmate Jimmy Somerville described him as a “talented and 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.”
Bronski, AKA Steven Forrest, formed the band alongside Somerville and Larry Steinbachek in 1983. All three members of the band were out as gay and sought to counter what they perceived as the inoffensive nature of the era’s gay performers by embracing explicitly political themes in their music. America’s Spin magazine described them as “perhaps the first real gay group in the history of pop”.
Who Is Bronski Beat’s, Steve Bronski? His Wikipedia
According to Bronski Beat’s Wikipedia page, Steve Bronski is the keyboardist and percussionist for the band.
The Glasgow-based musician has recorded five hit albums; The Age of Consent, Truthdare Doubledare, Out & About, Rainbow Nation, and The Age of Reason.
Steve and his group has been honored with the prestigious NIME Awards in 1984.
Bronski Beat Founder Steve Bronski Is Dead: His Death Cause
Steve Bronski’s death cause has not reached the Internet. His band’s official page is the first to announce the sad news on Facebook.
Bronski Beat’s co-founder Jimmy Somerville wrote: “Sad to hear Steve Bronski has died”.He further mentioned Bronski’s achievements as a musician and his melodic persona.
However, Somerville has not stated anything about what led to the keyboardist’s untimely death.
Bronski Beat founder Steve Bronski dies at 61 https://t.co/dgPSeNgxOg
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 9, 2021
In 2017, the musical band had lost another key member Steinbachek. He passed away at the age of 56 following a short battle with cancer.
Despite the band’s disbanding in 1995, the members were very close to each other. Their melodies will be forever remembered.
Why did Bronski Beat break up?
Why did you decide to break Bronski Beat up in 1996? We never actually split up, we just had an extremely long break! I lived in Thailand for many years, then Amsterdam and Ian was DJing in London, as well as gigs in Russia, Brazil, and Europe as Sordid Soundz.
Steve Bronski Dies Aged 61: His Birthday Details
Steve Bronski’s died at the age of 61 years old. He was born in the year 1960 and his birthday is on February 7.
According to astrology, he belonged to the Aquarius sign.
Bronski was raised in Scotland, Glasgow. Furthermore, his birth name is Steve Forrest.
Steve Bronski Leaves A Massive Net Worth
Steve Bronski’s net worth is estimated to be more than $5 million in 2021.
The keyboardist’s achievements as a musician had reached sky high in 1984. He had secured a record deal just after just nine live gigs with his mates.
Bronski Beat’s debut single, Smalltown Boy has made it to the top three of the UK chart. Likewise, their follow-up single Why? has reached the Top 10.
According to ncertpoint.com, the band earns more than $ 4,00,000 as their yearly income. Their net worth is estimated to be $8 million.
Moreover, Bronski has worked as a producer for various artists. His earnings are undoubtedly very huge as of 2021.
The Godfathers of Pop: Steve Bronski interview
David Burke meets Steve Bronski, namesake and keyboardist to synth-pop group Bronski Beat.
Synth-pop outfit Bronski Beat – Steve Bronski, Jimmy Somerville, and Larry Steinbachek – became a mouthpiece for gay issues with their 1984 debut album, The Age of Consent and the hit singles, Smalltown Boy, Why? and It Ain’t Necessarily So. Somerville quit the group the following year to become the frontman of The Communards and was replaced by a number of different vocalists until Bronski Beat’s demise in 1996. Bronski is now the only remaining original member, alongside Ian Donaldson and Stephen Granville. A new and expanded version of The Age of Consent was released by London Records earlier this year.
How important was The Age Of Consent to gay rights?
It was quite important, as very few pop acts were speaking out about the struggles of the gay community in their day-to-day lives.
How difficult was it to be gay in Britain at that time?
For us, it was a lot easier living in London, since there was a thriving gay scene compared to other parts of the country. The press didn’t help in their approach to AIDS.
Did you explicitly set out to be the advocates for the gay lobby?
Not at all, we were just three openly gay men writing songs about our lives. A lot of people in our community just happened to relate to our songs, which was amazing.
Were you ever aggrieved by the representation of gay men within the entertainment industry?
Not at all, as we were an openly gay band from the start. I think it was a lot harder for those who were afraid to come out of the closet, for fear of persecution from the press and possibly record companies telling them it could affect sales for fear of losing some of their fanbase.
You shared a flat with Jimmy and Larry before Bronski Beat – is that how the band came about?
Larry and myself were making music and heard Jimmy singing a song called Screaming. We decided to do the music for the track for fun and it just took off.
Why did you decide to break Bronski Beat up in 1996?
We never actually split up, we just had an extremely long break! I lived in Thailand for many years, then Amsterdam, and Ian was DJing in London, as well as gigs in Russia, Brazil and Europe as Sordid Soundz.
What was the thinking behind The Age Of Reason, essentially a reworking of The Age Of Consent?
Originally, the thought was to make backing tracks for the old songs with the idea of using them for live shows. Then when we got Stephen Granville in, we decided to record his vocals. Barney from Cherry Red Records heard the demos and decided we should put it out as an album to reintroduce the band with our new vocalist.
Are we living in an age of reason when it comes to LGBT rights? A Flower For Dandara, the tribute to Brazilian transsexual Dandara dos Santos, would suggest we don’t…
We should be living in an age of reason, although in certain parts of the world the discrimination has got worse. People are regularly being tortured and murdered.
Are you sad that Smalltown Boy and Why? are as relevant today as when they were first released?
I believe certain music and songs are timeless, and the fact that Smalltown Boy and Why? are seen as relevant today would say that they meant something to somebody and maybe helped them.
What, in your opinion, are some of the most significant issues facing the gay community in Britain now?
I guess it’s still scary for the younger generation today to come out, but it’s definitely a lot easier nowadays, with so many out celebrities and role models on our TVs. We are now allowed to marry and adopt, so we’re getting there.
Are there any plans to release new material? If so, when – and what can we expect?
When we decided to start working together again, Ian suggested I listen to Stephen as they had worked together before. When
I heard his voice, I thought he would be perfect for the band and we all got on so well, we just clicked. We are actually in the process of writing new material, which will be released next year. Expect the unexpected!
