Tony Lewis, the lead singer and bassist of 80s pop rock band The Outfield, has sadly died.
We’ve lost several brilliant musicians this year and we’re sad to tell everyone that Tony Lewis, the lead singer and bassist of legendary 80s pop rock outfit The Outfield, has died.
According to a statement from his publicist (via SPIN), Lewis died “suddenly and unexpectedly” at his home in London on Tuesday, October 20th. No cause of death was revealed in the statement.
The origins of The Outfield date back to the early 1980s when Lewis and guitarist John Spinks formed a prog rock group called Sirius B. After drummer Alan Jackman joined, the group decided to pivot towards a more pop rock approach under a new name, The Outfield.
It is with great sadness and sorrow to announce that Tony Lewis has unexpectedly passed away. He was a beautiful soul who touched so many lives with his love, his spirit, and his music. He loved his fans dearly and enjoyed every opportunity he had when meeting all of you.-Team TL pic.twitter.com/Wiif4Ldt8v
— Tony Lewis from The Outfield (@TonyLewisMusic) October 20, 2020
Almost immediately The Outfield experienced considerable success as their 1985 debut album Play Deep hit the top 10 in the U.S. and spawned several popular singles, including their biggest hit ‘Your Love’.
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‘Your Love’ peaked at no.6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and quickly became The Outfield’s signature song. Even today it remains a staple banger in sports stadiums and in pop culture, making an appearance in like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and still racking up views on YouTube (currently at over 300 million and counting).
The Outfield never hit the heights of ‘Your Love’ again but were a consistently solid group throughout the 80s until the 2000s as they released several more albums, most recently 2011’s Replay.
Spinks passed away from complications with liver cancer in 2014, effectively signalling the end of The Outfield. After taking a break, Lewis embarked on a solo career and released his first and only solo album, Out Of The Darkness, in 2018.
Our deepest condolences go out to Tony Lewis’ family and friends during this difficult time.
Check out ‘Your Love’ by The Outfield:
