Following a protracted battle with cancer, rocker and Cockney Rebel frontman Steve Harley has died at age 73. His career remained vibrant until the end, with Harley only suspending touring in the final couple months of his life in order to undergo treatment which he had hoped would save his life. In a statement issued at the time, Harley said he was “heartbroken” at having to pull back from the stage and revealed his illness for the first time. He will be sorely missed by fans all across the world.
In the wake of his passing, Steve’s family issued a statement confirming that he died at home in a peaceful manner, surrounded by his widow Dorothy, his children Kerr and Greta, and his four grandchildren, who described him as a man characterized by an abundance of “passion, kindness, and generosity.”
Harley’s death provoked statements of sympathy, support, and solidarity from fans, including Cardiff West Labor MP Kevin Brennan and Coronation Street actor Michael Warburton, the latter of whom shared a video on Twitter/X of Steve and his band Cockney Rebel performing their hit song Make Me Smile.
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel first found fame during the experimental music boom in the 1970s, covering hits in an assortment of genres from progressive rock to pop. The London-based ban charted with five albums on the UK Albums chart, and made the UK Singles chart no less than twelve times. The band crafted a unique sound drawing folk music and classical piano, as well as upon a variety of instruments unusual to rock-n-roll, such as fiddle, and mandolin.
This is not the first time tragedy has struck Cockney Rebel. In 1998, bassist Paul Jeffreys and his wife were slain while on their honeymoon when terrorists bombed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Steve’s family said that he passed away listening to the sounds of the woodland and birds around his home.
