What inspired Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns him to change his appearance? How did the surgeries he
had affect his health? Keep watching for the tragic details from this 1980s star's life.
Burns was born on August 5, 1959, in Port Sunlight, just outside of Liverpool, England.
His mother, Eva, was a holocaust survivor who struggled with mental illness, substance abuse,
and self-harm. Mirror reports Burns was acutely aware of his mother's struggles,
and at one point came home to find her after she had purposely harmed herself.
Although he was admittedly devastated by his mother's declining mental health,
Burns found inspiration amid the turmoil. According to Salford Now,
Burns maintained a close relationship with her, and said he "couldn't possibly have
wished for a better friend." He said he credits his mother with giving him, quote,
"the power to dream" and "the power to go inside [his] head and be somewhere else."
Throughout his childhood, Burns struggled with social interactions. However, he developed a
keen interest in artistic and other creative work. In addition to drawing and painting,
he began experimenting with changing his appearance using makeup,
hair color, jewelry, and unique clothing. School was even more difficult for Pete Burns,
as he grew up speaking German — his mother's native language. Legit reports neighborhood
children would stand outside Burns' home and yell "Heil Hitler." Burns explained:
"[I] dropped out of school because it got to
be too dangerous for somebody who looked a little different."
After leaving school at the age of 14, Burns began working at a record store called Probe Records,
where he met a number of like-minded local musicians. He eventually joined a
band called Mystery Girls in 1977. However, the band only had one public performance.
In 1979, he joined a band called Nightmare in Wax, which would later become Dead or Alive.
Some of the band's most popular albums were "Sophisticated Boom Boom," "Youthquake,"
"Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know," and "Rip it Up."
Dead or Alive is perhaps best known for the single, "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)."
Burns also released a number of solo singles and
collaborated with numerous other bands. He also appeared in a number of television programs,
including the reality shows "Wife Swap" and "Big Brother".
"Well, you know, sometimes they've been good to me. A lot of the times they're vile to me.
And it used to really hurt." Although he focused heavily on his
career in music, Burns' appearance remained a point of controversy and speculation.
Despite the fact that he married his stylist Lynne Corlett in 1978, his androgynous style sparked
ongoing rumors about his sexuality and gender identity. According to Salford Now, he once said:
"[People] always want to know – am I gay, bi, trans or what? I say,
forget all that. There's got to be a completely different terminology,
and I'm not aware if it's been invented yet. I'm just Pete."
Amid his continued success, Burns sought to enhance his appearance with plastic surgery.
As reported by People, Burns became self-conscious about a "bump" on his nose when it was pointed
out by a photographer; it was the result of a previous break. However, the procedure, which
was meant to enhance the appearance of his nose, went horribly wrong. As reported by Salford Now,
the "botched" surgery caused so much damage that he was unable to wear sunglasses.
He subsequently had another procedure to correct the first. However, he did not stop there.
“And basically that took my singing career away completely,
so I spent two years undergoing reconstructive surgery."
He eventually admitted to having nearly 300 cosmetic procedures,
including four nose surgeries, two sets of cheek implants, and numerous lip augmentations.
Unfortunately, the procedures caused Burns to develop several serious health conditions.
Burns developed infections in his face and lips,
which required even more surgical procedures to repair. He also developed blood clots in
his heart, legs, and lungs, as a side effect of the medications he took during the procedures.
Burns also nearly died due to complications following a lip augmentation procedure.
In addition to spending 10 days in the hospital, Burns had to take heavy doses of blood thinners.
They essentially destroyed his teeth, which necessitated even more reconstructive surgery.
Mirror reports Burns was aware that the procedures were potentially dangerous and
were causing him health concerns. However, he was simply unwilling,
or emotionally unable, to stop. During one interview, Burns said:
"I started to develop holes in my skin and if I so much as touched my face
there would be an audible hissing and [...] this yellow fluid."
Despite the downfalls, Burns admitted that for him,
cosmetic surgery became, quote, "a matter of sanity, not vanity." At one point, he said:
"I hope when I'm 80 — when I get to heaven — that God doesn't recognize me."
According to World News Era, Burns also struggled with depression, which led to a number of suicide
attempts. Although he admittedly continued to struggle at times, he later said he found
a "fantastic" therapist, and with their help, finally found effective medication.
As reported by The Sun, Pete Burns began seeing Michael Simpson romantically
approximately one year before he and his wife of 28 years divorced. Lynne Corlett
said Burns was always "very honest" with her, and she clarified that the divorce was not
prompted by his relationship with Simpson. In the year leading up to their divorce,
Corlett said she and Burns were already separated. She stressed the fact that she and
Burns maintained their friendship and remained very close despite their decision to divorce.
Burns and Simpson announced their engagement on February 9,
2006, during an appearance on the British talk show
"Richard & Judy." They were united in a civil partnership ceremony on July 6. 2006.
According to Digital Spy, Burns was arrested in 2009 for an alleged assault,
which occurred at his home in Notting Hill, England. In 2006, Pink News reported Burns was
arrested for physically assaulting Simpson when he saw him at a bar with another man.
Burns and Simpson's civil partnership ultimately lasted 10 months before they
parted ways. During a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail, Burns said he was initially
"optimistic" about the relationship. However, he was admittedly devastated when he learned
Simpson had been unfaithful. Burns suggested the civil partnership ended because:
"Two men naturally are predators. [...] Gay relationships are a
commercial break, not a whole movie." Although he attempted to revive his
career with several talk show and reality television appearances, the last years of
Pete Burns' life were increasingly difficult. Daily Record reported Burns was ultimately
awarded a settlement of more than $600,000 for the botched surgery to his lips. However,
he was still deeply in debt after spending hundreds of thousands on cosmetic procedures.
As reported by Salford Now, Burns was forced to file bankruptcy in December 2014.
The following year, he was evicted from his apartment for nonpayment of rent. According
to reports, he was more than $45,000 in arrears when his landlord filed eviction proceedings.
Although they had legally separated, Burns and Michael Simpson eventually reunited,
and Simpson remained by his side amid his personal and financial struggles.
Pete Burns died on October 23, 2016. Liverpool Echo reported his cause of death was a massive
heart attack, which was caused by a pulmonary embolism. In an earlier interview, Burns explained
that the anesthetics and antibiotics, which were necessary during and following his cosmetic
procedures, had caused a number of embolisms and blood clots in his heart, legs, and lungs.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text
Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline
at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.