The co-founder of the British group Bronski Beat, Steve Bronski, who marked the 1980s with the hit

Smalltown Boy

, has died at the age of 61, announced Thursday the former singer of the group Jimmy Somerville.

"Sad to hear of the death of Steve Bronski," tweeted the British singer, who paid tribute to a "talented man with a sense of melody".

The keyboardist founded the group in 1983 with Jimmy Somerville and Larry Steinbachek (died at the end of 2016 of cancer).

Their first album,

The Age of Consent

, was released in late 1984.

"Thanks for the melodies Steve"

“Working with him on songs and the song that changed our lives and touched so many others was a fun and exciting time.

Thanks for the tunes Steve, ”added Jimmy Somerville.

The group's first title, the very autobiographical

Smalltown Boy

, traces the story of a rejected young gay teenager fleeing his hometown.

The title rose to third place on the UK charts and remains considered a flagship title of the 80s and the gay community.

A beautifully remixed title by Arnaud Rebotini, on the soundtrack of the film 120 beats per minute by Robin Campillo.

"Just three gay guys making a band"

“At that time we were just three gay guys who were starting a group, we didn't feel like we were part of a particular movement

,” Steve Bronski

told British daily

The Guardian

in 2018

, “of course, he appeared many years later that there were many more gay performers than the public could imagine ”.

In 1985, Bronski Beat ran out of steam and Somerville preferred to turn the page by creating the Communards.

He will be replaced by John Foster then by Jonathan Hellyer.

In 2017, Steve Bronski revisited

The Age of Consent

, without the voice of Jimmy Somerville, releasing an album called

The Age of Reason

.

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