Buzzcocks Frontman Pete Shelley Dead at 63

Pete Shelley, the lead singer of British punk rock band Buzzcocks, died on Thursday from a heart attack at the age of 63.

Buzzcocks’ management told the BBC Shelley died in Estonia, where he was living.

“It’s with great sadness that we confirm the death of Pete Shelley, one of the U.K.’s most influential and prolific songwriters and co-founder of the seminal original punk band Buzzcocks,” the group said in a statement on Twitter. “Pete’s music has inspired generations of musicians over a career that spanned five decades and with his band and as a solo artist, he was held in the highest regard by the music industry and by his fans around the world.”

The group formed in 1976 and released their first album in 1978. The original line-up released two more albums before breaking up in 1981. Their hit singles included “Love You More,” “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve),” “Harmony in My Head” and “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays.”

The group reformed in 1993 and continued releasing new albums on a regular basis and featuring Shelley on guitar and vocals. Their final album, The Way, was released in 2014.

Shelley, who was born in Leigh, Lancashire recorded several solo albums after Buzzcocks broke up and scored hits with his early ’80s singles “Homosapien” and “I Don’t Know What Love Is.”

In an interview around his 60th birthday, Shelley said he did not see his life changing significantly once he reached that number.

“You know… me mum, who lived till she was in her eighties, she always said she never felt any different,” Shelley explained to The Quietus. “Always 18. I suppose I’m like that too. But I was reading an article which said that if you ask people who are 18 how they see themselves in ten years time, they always imagine being more or less how they are now, just moved on in time. They can’t imagine any drastic change. But people do change… and any ideas about how you’re going to be in ten years are just self-deluding.”

When asked if he still wanted to be performing into his 70s, Shelley jokingly replied, “If I can actually get up on stage. That I’ve got away with it so far beggars belief.”

On Twitter, Shelley’s fans and colleagues remembered his work and the band’s influence on rock.

“I am totally shocked and saddened to just hear of the untimely death of Pete Shelley. A superb songwriter, artist and a totally sweet hearted guy who was one of the very few originals of punk and even a one off within that,” Glen Matlock said. “My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

“Pete Shelley wrote perfect three minute pop songs,” The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess wrote. “The soundtrack to being a teenager. You’ll be missed Pete but you’ll be remembered for a long long time for your brilliant music.”

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