Cockney Rebel frontman, Steve Harley, has died
Last February, Steve Harley wrote a message on his Facebook profile saying that he wouldn't be able to take part in any concerts in 2024 because he was undergoing treatment for cancer. Steve was looking forward to a better year to come. However, it didn't work out as planned. Today, on Sunday, March 17, Steve passed away. He was the singer and guitar player for Cockney Rebel, but sadly lost his battle with cancer.
Steve Harley, an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist hailing from Deptford, south London was named Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice at birth. In the 70s, he tasted success with his band, Cockney Rebel.
Steve spent nearly four years in the hospital during his childhood because of an illness. This lasted from when he was three until he reached 16 years old. In 1963 and 1966, he had to undergo important surgeries. When Steve was 12, he read the works of Eliot, Lawrence, Steinbeck, Woolf, and Hemingway and listened to music by Bob Dylan for the first time while recovering from surgery in the hospital. He then became aware that words and music would play a significant role in his life.
When Harley worked as a journalist, he established the music group Cockney Rebel in 1972 with members Jean-Paul Crocker on guitar and violin, Paul Jeffreys on bass, and Stuart Elliott on drums.
In 1975, they achieved great success with their hit single 'Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)', which has been covered over a hundred times and recorded in seven different languages. Their album 'The Best Years Of Our Lives' also did well. The band had another big hit the next year, with their version of The Beatles' 'Here Comes The Sun'. However, after releasing three albums, they eventually decided to disband in 1977.
Steve has done some charity performances in order to help various organizations. Some of the organizations that Steve has helped are the Chailey Heritage School for kids with disabilities, the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Charity, The Bridge Project for those who have trouble learning, and Guitars Against Landmines. Steve has even been a representative for the Mines Advisory Group for a few years and also went on two treks, one through Cambodia and another across Death Valley, in order to collect donations to help with landmine clearance.
The Facebook page that belongs to this person made public that he has died. The announcement says that he died at his home, with his family around him, and it was a peaceful death. The birds in the woodland that he enjoyed listening to were singing for him. During his fight with his illness, he felt good to know that his fans cared about him and wanted him to get better. He would like to thank everyone who supported him throughout his career.
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