Steve Harley, Cockney Rebel Singer-Songwriter, Dies Aged 73
Best known for his evergreen 1975 U.K. No. 1 ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me),’ the musician died following a battle with cancer.
Steve Harley, the frontman of British rock band Cockney Rebel, has died at the age of 73.
The highly-respected musician had still been touring until recently, but cancelled dates to have treatment for cancer.
In a statement, his family said Harley had “passed away peacefully at home”, adding: “We know he will be desperately missed by people all over the world.”
London-born Harley lived on the Essex-Suffolk border with his wife Dorothy, with whom he had two children, Kerr and Greta. His family were by his side when he died.
“Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity. And much more, in abundance,” Dorothy, Kerr and Greta wrote in a statement. “The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four grandchildren.”
Steve Harley was born in south London in 1951 and formed Cockney Rebel in the early 1970s. The original band was made up of Harley, Jean-Paul Crocker, drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys and guitarist Nick Jones.
Their debut studio album, The Human Menagerie, was released through EMI in 1973. It helped build the band’s reputation, but their commercial breakthrough came with 1974’s The Psychomodo, which went to No. 8 in the UK and went gold with help from songs such as “Mr. Soft” and the title track. 1975’s The Best Years Of Our Lives again went gold and shot to No. 4 following the No. 1 success of Harley’s evergreen signature song, “Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me).”
The band recorded just two more albums and had two further top 20 singles before calling it a day in 1977, when Harley embarked on a solo career. Harley would occasionally put together new line-ups of Cockney Rebel in later years for touring purposes, but 2005’s The Quality of Mercy was the only other studio album to bear the name.
Harley’s last brush with the UK top 10 came in 1986 with “The Phantom of the Opera,” a duet with Sarah Brightman. Harley was all set to play the role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical but after five months of rehearsal he was replaced by Michael Crawford.
He also presented the BBC Radio 2 show Sounds of the 70s from 1999 to 2008. The show is now hosted by Johnnie Walker.
Tributes have been paid to Harley from across the music industry. Singer-songwriter Mike Batt, who worked with Harley on many songs, described him as a “dear pal” and “lovely guy”.
“What a talent. What a character,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “My condolences to Dorothy and all. RIP, mate.”
The duo worked together on tracks including “Ballerina (Prima Donna)” released in 1983 and the 1988 charity single “Whatever You Believe,” in which they were joined by Yes lead singer Jon Anderson.
Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, who produced Harley’s 1982 track “I Can’t Even Touch You,” said he was a “true ‘working musician'”. “He toured until he could tour no more, playing his songs for fans old and new,” Ure wrote on social media. “Our songs live on longer than we ever can.”
