Belated R.I.P. and tribute to Steve Strange

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Main man behind of the British "New Romantic" fashion and music movement of 1980-1981 that had an indelible effect on the 80's music. Looking back upon Bowie and forward with synthpop music the movement encompassed bands like Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, ABC and Adam and the Ants and Boy George. The combination synthpop and high creative fashion found an unlikely home on American cable channel MTV who originally wanted to be a video version of a hard rock station. It did not work out that way. Many American acts did not have videos or if they did it was vanilla concert footage. The staid American music industry was surprised when fans started calling small town, small city red state radio stations requesting New Romantic or New Romantic influenced "English Haircut" bands instead of REO Speedwagon or Toto. Thus almost 20 years after the Beatles a second British Invasion was launched.

Strange died in Egypt of a heart attack at age 55 earlier this month

Video for Strange's own synthpop act Visage,. This song reached number 8 on the UK charts



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Strange
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Romanticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_British_Invasion

Original video from 1970s with Steve Strange and 17 year old Boy George

Strange and several New Romantic "Blitz Kids" appeared prominently in this 1980 David Bowie video still widely considered a classic of video music.

Steve Strange funeral: Boy George and Spandau brothers carry coffin - BBC

I wonder why the funeral was a month later. Eerie seeing that coffin