Steve Bronski, the renowned keyboard player of the synth-pop trio Bronski Beat, has died. He was 61.
Bronski founded the Bronski Beat in the 1980s with the help of Jimmy Somerville and Larry Steinbachek. After years of performing as a trio, Somerville delivered the saddening news through his Twitter account.
He shared an old photo of them alongside the caption, "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."
Sommerville nor Bronski's family already disclosed his cause of death. However, multiple internet users assumed that it might be related to mental health issues he had been suffering from for years.
One fan said that the Bronski Beat's member struggled with depression over the years. Still, they did not assume whether he committed suicide.
"I'm sorry to deliver the news that Stephen Forrest aka Steve Bronski the founding member of Bronski Beat has died. Cause of death is not known yet but I do know that he was suffering from depression. He was a very talented keyboardist," the user said.
Did Steve Bronski Commit Suicide?
While there is no confirmation about his cause of death, all band members actually suffered from the homophobic attack.
Soon after their debut in their 1984 single "Smalltown Boy," many people raised their brows and criticized the trio for depicting a young gay man. The song also touched on Sommerville's personal tragic story about a homophobic attack incident.
Still, the trio was openly gay who "started a band."
In an interview with The Guardian in 2018, Bronski said they were just three gay guys who pushed each other to create the band.
"We didn't feel like part of any particular movement. Of course, it would transpire many years later that there were more gay artists than the public were led to believe," he went on.
Through the years, they vocally campaigned and supported gay rights. Their debut album "The Age of Consent," for instance, serves as a protest. Still, their song made it to Top 10 hits.
Ian Donaldson, later on, joined the band before disbanding in 1995 after releasing three more albums.
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