Biography:

Steven William Forrest (7 February 1960 – 7 December 2021) was a Scottish singer-songwriter, best known for his time as a member of synth pop band Bronski Beat, with Jimmy Somerville and Larry Steinbachek.^[2][3]

Career

He was a co-founder and keyboard player of the group Bronski Beat, known for the singles “Smalltown Boy” and “Why?“.^[4] He was also an LGBTQ activist and was openly gay from an early age.^[5]

Raised in Castlemilk, Glasgow, Bronski worked in his youth as a labourer. He lived in a flat in Brixton, London, during the early formative period of Bronski Beat with his fellow musicians. Later on he squatted with partner and bandmate Larry Steinbachek in Camberwell, London.^[6] Following the break up of the band he lived in Thailand for many years, as well as Paris, France, before returning to the United Kingdom.^[7]

In 2016, Larry Steinbachek died after a short battle with cancer. Bronski had a stroke in 2018 which limited his mobility. He died from smoke inhalation in a fire at his home in Soho, London, on 7 December 2021, at the age of 61.^[8][9]

Credits: