Steve Brown, the British record producer known for his work with Manic Street Preachers, The Cult, Wham!, and many others, has died at the age of 62. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Brown’s first major credit came in 1977, when he took on the role of engineer on The Boomtown Rats’ Born to Burn. In the following decade, he went on to produce B-Movie’s 1982 12-inch Nowhere Girl, Wham!’s 1983 debut album Fantastic, and The Cult’s sophomore LP, 1985’s Love. He also reunited with The Cult on their follow-up, then titled Peace, though the group eventually scrapped the recordings and decided to enlist Rick Rubin.
In the 1990s, Brown struck a collaborative relationship with Manic Street Preachers, helming their 1992 debut Generation Terrorists as well as their third album, 1994’s The Holy Bible. He also produced The Pogues’ final album, 1996’s Pogue Mahone. Throughout his prolific career, he worked with artists including ABC, Alison Moyet, Freddie Mercury, and The Alarm, among others.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of legendary producer Steve Brown,” The Cult wrote in a tweet. “He was hugely influential in The Cult’s evolution and shall forever been entwined in our DNA our deepest condolences to Steve’s family our hearts are with you.”
Manic Street Preachers’ Nicky Wire also paid tribute to the producer, writing, “So very sad to hear of the passing of Steve Brown we had so much fun working with him. He taught us so much-so many memories and stories-Motorcycle Emptiness was his masterpiece with us but he produced many more-love and thoughts with his family and friends.”
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of legendary producer Steve Brown he was hugely influential in The Cult’s evolution and shall forever been entwined in our DNA our deepest condolences to Steve’s family our hearts are with you 🌹#RIP #SteveBrown pic.twitter.com/raRmfsIV5P
— THE CULT (@officialcult) January 2, 2021
So very sad to hear of the passing of Steve Brown we had so much fun working with him-he taught us so much-so many memories and stories-Motorcycle Emptiness was his masterpiece with us but he produced many more-love and thoughts with his family and friends 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/S1Mta9Y1HR
— ManicStreetPreachers (@Manics) January 2, 2021
