Richard Darbyshire, the former frontman of 80s pop band Living In A Box, has died at the age of 65.
Formed in Sheffield, the band scored a worldwide hit with their debut single – also called Living In A Box – in 1987, and had two further top 10 hits in the UK.
Darbyshire’s vocals gave the group a soulful edge, particularly on the brooding ballad Room In Your Heart. But he left the band in 1989 after personnel changes at their record label caused artistic differences during the recording of their third album.
After releasing a solo record in 1994, he went on to write songs for artists including Lisa Stansfield, Jennifer Rush and Level 42.
The musician died on Monday 10 November, his family confirmed to the BBC, adding: “We are all very sad but his memory and songs will live on.”
No cause of death was given.
In a statement, his former bandmates paid tribute to his “incredible talent”.
“His vocal skills knew no bounds, from the driving raw power of our first, eponymous hit song, to the tender heart-melting charm of Room In Your Heart, Richard, truly, could do it all.
“His guitar playing, though less recognised, was equally accomplished. As a songwriter, Richard was at the heart of everything we did; a pure craftsman and a master of his art.
“Richard, wherever you are, [we] will miss you dearly. The laughs we had, the wildcat ride we went on, will never be forgotten.”
Darbyshire was born in Stockport, Cheshire, and educated in Manchester until, at the age of 13, he followed his parents to Japan, where he attended an American boarding school.
After studying English Literature at Oxford University, he joined a Manchester band called Zu Zu Sharks, which also included Adam and the Ants bassist Gary Tibbs.
They scored a minor European hit with the synth-pop single Love Tumbles Down in 1983, but Darbyshire left the band soon afterwards.
He was working on solo material when he met drummer Anthony “Tich” Critchlow and keyboard player Marcus Vere at a studio in Sheffield.
They were already working on a demo of the song Living In A Box, and invited him to sing the lead vocals. The results earned the band a five-album record deal – with their eponymous song becoming a Top 20 hit in the US.
“The impact of the first single was so enormous,” Vere told Music Techonolgy magazine in 1987. “It came from nowhere and shot straight up the charts. The vice-president of marketing in the States said it’s the fastest single they’ve had in four years.”
Soul legend Bobby Womack later recorded his own version, and duetted with Darbyshire on the single So the Story Goes.
For their second album, Gatecrashing, the band also enlisted the help of Queen’s Brian May, who played guitar on the track Blow The House Down, a top 10 hit in 1989.
Although the band broke up before their third album was completed, some of the songs resurfaced on Darbyshire’s 1994 solo record How Many Angels.
Living in a Box reformed in 2016 with replacement vocalist Kenny Thomas, and are currently touring with their third singer Bryan Chambers.
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Before his death, Darbyshire had been holding songwriting workshops in London. He is survived by his wife, the vocal coach Sonia Jones.
“In some ways Richard was the most reluctant of pop stars, always eschewing the limelight that inevitably came with the success we had,” his former bandmates reflected on Instagram on Tuesday.
“He hated the photo shoots, the interviews, the TV appearances and thought it was all a bit daft.
“He was happiest in the studio, guitar in hand, working on the next song.
“Love you, man.”
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