Pete Shelley was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 when Devoto left. The group released their biggest hit "Ever Fallen in Love " in 1978. The band broke up in 1981 and reformed at the end of the decade. Shelley also had a solo career; his song "Homosapien" charted in Australasia and Canada in 1981 and 1982.
Shelley in Melbourne, 2013
Pete Shelley singing with Buzzcocks at Shepherds Bush Empire, 30 January 2009
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Bolton in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece".
Buzzcocks in 2014 From left: Steve Diggle, Pete Shelley, Danny Farrant (on drums), Chris Remington
Buzzcocks performing in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2006
Left to right: Steve Diggle, Pete Shelley, Danny Farrant and Chris Remington, performing live at Hellfest 2013.
Band photo, at the Cropredy Festival, 13 August 2009