Mike Peters: ‘The Alarm’ singer dies at 66

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2 months ago

Mike Peters, the lead singer of Welsh rock band The Alarm and a tireless cancer fundraiser, has died at the age of 66.

A spokesperson for Love Hope Strength, the cancer charity he set up with his wife, announced his death on Tuesday.

Born in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Peters co-founded The Alarm in 1981 in nearby Rhyl, forming the band out of the punk movement that had inspired him years earlier.

Peters honed his stagecraft through relentless touring, with The Alarm becoming a regular support act for legends such as Bob Dylan, Queen, and U2.

Their live reputation was confirmed during a performance at Cardiff’s National Stadium in 1987, where they played to an appreciative home crowd.

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Peters had first stepped into music in 1977 with his punk band The Toilets, inspired after seeing the Sex Pistols play in Chester. Before his music career took off, he worked in the computer department at Kwik Save supermarket.

After several lineup changes, most notably the addition of guitarist Dave Sharp, The Alarm played their first gig in 1981 in Prestatyn. Despite success, Peters announced onstage in London in 1991 that he was quitting the band.

He later performed with The Poets Of Justice, which included his wife Jules, and eventually reformed The Alarm in 2000. From 2011, he also fronted Scottish rock band Big Country for a couple of years.

Peters’ life was as defined by his health battles as it was by music. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1995, he spent the next 30 years living with blood cancer, including two bouts with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. “Fighting a war” is how he described his relationship with the disease.

Mike Peters’ voice, music, and determination inspired fans worldwide, leaving a legacy of both powerful anthems and unwavering hope.

(BBC)