From the moment he was born, Pete Burns lived life on his own terms. Raised by a Holocaust survivor who valued freedom of expression, Burns was encouraged to be free-spirited. He didn’t start school until age 7, and by 14, he was exploring fashion, wearing earrings, dyeing his hair, and expressing himself boldly, which eventually got him expelled.
Burns never cared for gender labels. “Everyone’s in drag of some sorts,” he said. “I don’t give a f**k about gender.” He valued the deep relationships he had with both his ex-wife Lynn and later his husband Michael.
His music career began by chance, performing at a club near the shop he ran with Lynn. He first performed with The Mystery Girls, then formed Nightmares in Wax, and finally Dead or Alive in 1980, rising to fame with hits and a striking visual style that drew media attention.
As he became a celebrity, Burns turned to plastic surgery — initially to fix his nose — but it soon became an obsession. He had over 300 procedures, which left him with severe health problems and financial ruin. “Plastic surgery is a matter of sanity, not vanity,” he said, though he later admitted the addiction left him suffering physically and emotionally.
Pete Burns died of a heart attack on October 23, 2016. In his final months, he spoke openly about his health struggles and desire to keep changing his appearance. “I don’t want to look like a 65-year-old,” he said. “I hope when I get to heaven, God doesn’t recognize me.”
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