Frontman of Welsh band The Alarm dies

Mike Peters was 66

Mike Peters, frontman of Welsh band The Alarm, has died from blood cancer aged 66.

The rock star, who was forced to cancel a US tour last year after being diagnosed with fast-growing lymphoma, had been undergoing treatment at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester.

His death was announced by a spokeswoman for the charity he co-founded with his wife.

Peters, who supported U2 and Status Quo on tour and played with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, was first diagnosed with the blood cancer chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) more than 30 years ago, aged 36.

He underwent numerous drug treatments and rounds of chemotherapy, and had tried experimental therapy to keep his cancer at bay.

Last year, five days before he was due to fly to Chicago for a 50-date US tour, he noticed that a lump in his neck had appeared overnight.

Doctors quickly realised the star had developed Richter’s syndrome, where CLL changes into a much more aggressive lymphoma.

Peters leaves his wife Jules, 58, and two sons, Dylan, 20, and Evan, 18.

The artist first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm, with hits including 68 Guns and Strength.

Alongside his wife, he co-founded Love Hope Strength, a cancer charity to encourage action around stem cell donation.

Through its Get On The List campaigns, often publicised at rock concerts, the charity has added more than 250,000 people to stem cell registers worldwide.

Born in Prestatyn, North Wales, Peters often played in support of causes close to where he lived.

Last year, in an interview with the PA news agency, Peters credited his thousands of fans with giving him a boost, saying his diagnosis with fast-growing lymphoma had led to an “incredible” response, with “phenomenal support and prayers from the fans from all directions”.

He added: “I think, with my crazy instinct to try and preserve my life as well as my health, I worked out that I was able to play some British shows in the summer.

“Luckily for me, they were all at the end of the chemotherapy cycles.

“I couldn’t do them with the band and the crew and the tour buses and all that, but I could stand up on the stage on my own with a small back-up team, so I wasn’t being exposed to any viruses or conditions that would impact on my health.”

Billy Duffy, from the band The Cult, said: “I truly believe a light has gone out in the world today and I’m going to miss my brother from another mother.

“Mike was not only an inspiration to millions of people suffering from cancer but also an inspiration to me as he spread nothing but positivity in every situation.

“I can take some comfort from the fact that when the end came, he accepted it with his usual grace, and ended his days in this life in his beloved North Wales with his family and friends around him.”

Published: 29/04/2025 by Radio NewsHub