SHOCK AS PETE BURNS DIES AT 57

Pete Burns (Pic: AndyCrazyTeen)

Bisexual English singer and reality television celebrity Pete Burns has unexpectedly died at the age of 57.

Burns is best known as the androgynous songwriter and vocalist for the band Dead or Alive which found fame with the 1985 hit song You Spin Me Round.

In a statement on Monday, Burns’ management said that he had passed away after suffering “a massive cardiac arrest”.

“All of his family and friends are devastated by the loss of our special star. He was a true visionary, a beautiful talented soul and will be missed by all those who loved and appreciated everything he was and all of the wonderful memories he has left us with.”

The star’s career as a musician waned after the eighties but he remained in the public eye thanks to his outrageous personality and looks, which became increasingly extreme as a result of multiple plastic surgeries (reputed to number 300).

Burn appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 and went on to appear in and present various television shows and documentaries.

He told the Guardian in 2007: “Everyone’s in drag of some sorts, I don’t give a fuck about gender and drag. I’m not trying to be a girl by putting on a dress – gender is separated by fabric. I was brought up with an incredible amount of freedom and creativity. Society has put certain constraints on things.”

Burns married Lynne Corlett in 1980, divorcing her in 2006. He soon after married Michael Simpson, with whom he was reportedly still with at the time of his death.

Following the news of Burns’ heart attack, fellow eighties pop legend Boy George tweeted: “Tearful about the passing of @PeteBurnsICON he was one of our great true eccentrics and such a big part of my life! Wow. Hard to believe!”

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