Mark Stewart — frontman of UK post-punk provocateurs the Pop Group — has died. He was 62.
The news was confirmed in a statement by Mute, Stewart's record label, sharing that the vocalist had passed away today in the early hours of the morning. No cause of death has been given.
"Mute is deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend, fellow agitator and creative force of nature, Mark Stewart," an unnamed spokesperson wrote on the label's behalf. "We've worked with Mark since 1985, when Mute released his prescient album As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade, the beginning of a long creative partnership which, in recent years, lead to us having the great honour of re-releasing his first album with the Maffia, Learning to Cope with Cowardice, as well as one of the all-time greats, the Pop Group's Y."
They added, "In honour of this original, fearless, sensitive, artistic and funny man, think for yourself and question everything! The world was changed because of Mark Stewart, it will never be the same without him."
Born in 1960 and raised in Bristol, Stewart and his youth club friends John Waddington and Simon Underwood formed the Pop Group in 1977. Shortly thereafter, they brought Gareth Sager — who called Stewart the "most amazing mind of my generation" — and Bruce Smith into the fold to complete the lineup.
They released their debut album Y in 1979 with dub producer Dennis Bovell. Inspired by seeing the Clash, the avant-garde group embraced the dissident spirit of the epoch's punk movement — but paired it with funk bass, noise and jazz-inspired improvisational arrangements.
The band broke up in 1980 following a performance at a rally for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Then, Stewart, Smith and Waddington joined New Age Steppers, the dub music collective helmed by Adrian Sherwood.
Stewart also went on to release a number of solo albums before the band got back together in 2010 to return with their first new album in 35 years, Citizen Zombie, in 2015.
The news was confirmed in a statement by Mute, Stewart's record label, sharing that the vocalist had passed away today in the early hours of the morning. No cause of death has been given.
"Mute is deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend, fellow agitator and creative force of nature, Mark Stewart," an unnamed spokesperson wrote on the label's behalf. "We've worked with Mark since 1985, when Mute released his prescient album As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade, the beginning of a long creative partnership which, in recent years, lead to us having the great honour of re-releasing his first album with the Maffia, Learning to Cope with Cowardice, as well as one of the all-time greats, the Pop Group's Y."
They added, "In honour of this original, fearless, sensitive, artistic and funny man, think for yourself and question everything! The world was changed because of Mark Stewart, it will never be the same without him."
Born in 1960 and raised in Bristol, Stewart and his youth club friends John Waddington and Simon Underwood formed the Pop Group in 1977. Shortly thereafter, they brought Gareth Sager — who called Stewart the "most amazing mind of my generation" — and Bruce Smith into the fold to complete the lineup.
They released their debut album Y in 1979 with dub producer Dennis Bovell. Inspired by seeing the Clash, the avant-garde group embraced the dissident spirit of the epoch's punk movement — but paired it with funk bass, noise and jazz-inspired improvisational arrangements.
The band broke up in 1980 following a performance at a rally for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Then, Stewart, Smith and Waddington joined New Age Steppers, the dub music collective helmed by Adrian Sherwood.
Stewart also went on to release a number of solo albums before the band got back together in 2010 to return with their first new album in 35 years, Citizen Zombie, in 2015.
