Boy George hailed Pete Burns as “one of our great true eccentrics” after the You Spin Me Round singer died at the age of 57.
The singer-songwriter died on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest, his management said, and fellow luminaries of the 1980s music scene were among the first to pay tribute.
Tearful about the passing of @PeteBurnsICON he was one of our great true eccentrics and such a big part of my life! Wow. Hard to believe!
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) October 24, 2016
RIP Pete Burns One of the greats has gone
— Martin Fry (@ABCFRY) October 24, 2016
RIP to the Visionary Artist Peter Burns @PeteBurnsICON #Icon pic.twitter.com/ztj1dAI8hI
— Tiffany (@tiffanytunes) October 24, 2016
Burns founded the band Dead Or Alive, whose best-known hit was You Spin Me Round (Like A Record), released in 1984.
Burns latterly found fame among a new audience when he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006.
The show’s host at the time, Davina McCall, and some of his fellow contestants also paid tribute.
So so sad to hear about Pete Burns ... we partied hard in the 90s ... RIP Pete x
— Davina McCall (@ThisisDavina) October 24, 2016
Heartbroken to hear about Pete Burns. He was a true punk rocker and one of the kindest hearts I've ever know. Gutted. 💕
— Preston (@samuelpreston) October 24, 2016
Sad to hear of the demise of Pete Burns. He was a cross between Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker. You don't get more brilliant than that. RIP
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) October 24, 2016
Burns also appeared on reality TV programmes including Celebrity Wife Swap and The Body Shocking Show.
A statement from his management read: “He was a true visionary, a beautiful talented soul, and he will be missed by all who loved and appreciated everything he was and all of the wonderful memories he has left us with.”
Ah what said news about Pete Burns.. A true Big Brother legend! Thank you for the laughs and the tunes X
— Nikki Grahame (@NikkiGrahame) October 24, 2016
So shocked to hear the news about @PeteBurnsICON 😱 such a legend
— H O L L Y H A G A N (@HollyGShore) October 24, 2016
Such sad news, RIP Pete Burns ❤️ #PeteBurns
— Amelia Lily (@AmeliaLilyOffic) October 24, 2016
Rest in Peace @PeteBurnsICON we had some laughs and some tears over the years .you were a sensitive soul and will be missed x
— Sinitta 19 (@sinittaofficial) October 24, 2016
And 2016 swoops in and takes another one. RIP Pete Burns. pic.twitter.com/FgtbtnjGgh
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) October 24, 2016
