Hot topics close

Steve Harley, 'Make Me Smile' Singer, Dies at 73

Steve Harley Make Me Smile Singer Dies at 73
Mr. Harley was the frontman of the 1970s rock band Cockney Rebel, which landed several hits on the British charts.
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.

Supported by

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

Steve Harley, ‘Make Me Smile’ Singer, Dies at 73

Mr. Harley was the frontman of the 1970s rock band Cockney Rebel, which landed several hits on the British charts.

  • Share full article
A beaded man in a black vest and purple-and-white striped shirt with a guitar on a knee and an arm raised above his head.
Steve Harley former the band Cockney Rebel in the early 1970s.Credit...Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns
Published March 17, 2024Updated March 18, 2024, 12:32 a.m. ET

Steve Harley, the 1970s British rock star who topped U.K. music charts with the single “Make Me Smile,” died on Sunday. He was 73.

He died at his home, his family said on Facebook. No cause was given but Mr. Harley had announced last month that he would step away from the stage to undergo treatment for cancer and previously canceled several concerts scheduled for this year.

Mr. Harley was the frontman of the band Cockney Rebel, which he formed in the early 1970s.

His biggest hit was the 1975 single “Make Me Smile,” in which Mr. Harley’s even-keeled vocals and melancholic lyrics cruise over instrumentals bearing the optimistic sound distinct to bands of the era. The song hit the top of the British charts in February of that year.

Cockney Rebel graced the British charts with other releases, including the 1974 single “Judy Teen,” which peaked at No. 5 on the charts that year, and a funky cover of “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles in 1976.

Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel in 1974.Credit...Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns

Other songs found success outside of Britain.

“Sebastian,” a single featured on the band’s debut 1973 album, “The Human Menagerie,” wound up being a No. 1 hit in Belgium and the Netherlands, according to Mr. Harley’s website.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Similar news
News Archive
  • Barbados
    Barbados
    2 Montreal teens hailed as heroes for rescuing drowning couple in Barbados
    29 Jun 2024
    7
  • Quimper
    Quimper
    Quimper : les 3 infos de jeudi 9 mai | Côté Quimper
    8 May 2024
    1
  • City National Bank
    City National Bank
    SARAH BETH: AML lessons from $65M fine for RBC's US subsidiary City National Bank
    2 Feb 2024
    3
  • Fire Emblem Heroes
    Fire Emblem Heroes
    Fire Emblem Heroes has an update that is making fans way too thirsty
    7 Jul 2020
    1
This week's most popular news