Richard Darbyshire, the former vocalist of 1980s pop trio Living In A Box, has died aged 65.
Darbyshire joined the group in 1985 after visiting the same Sheffield recording studio as his future bandmates, Anthony ‘Tich’ Critchlow and Marcus Vere. They were recording the song of the same name, which became one of their biggest hits, and invited him to record the vocals – they then officially became a trio.
His family confirmed to the BBC that he died on Monday (November 10), and said, “We are all very sad but his memory and songs will live on.”
His former bandmates also paid tribute to the “incredible talent,” calling him a “pure craftsman and a master of his art.” They said: “Richard, wherever you are, Tich and I will miss you dearly. The laughs we had, the wildcat ride we went on, will never be forgotten.”
No cause of death has been given.
Darbyshire was born on March 8, 1960 in Stockport, growing up in Manchester. When he was 13, he moved to Japan with his parents and attended an American boarding school.
Before joining Living In A Box, he studied English Literature at Oxford University and was in the Manchester band Zu Zu Sharks alongside Adam And The Ants bassist Gary Tibbs.
Two years after joining Living In A Box in 1985, they released the song of the same name as their debut single and it peaked at Number Five in the UK, also becoming their only single to break into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Their debut album, also ‘Living In A Box’, got to Number 25 in the UK.
‘Room In Your Heart’, from their second album ‘Gatecrashing’, also got to Number Five in the UK charts, and he said in 2014 that he was proud of the track because it gave him a rare opportunity to play guitar. Another single from the album, ‘Blow The House Down’, featured guitar from Queen’s Sir Brian May.
Darbyshire left the band in 1989 due to artistic differences and changes to their record label, and they broke up in 1990 before reforming in 2016 with another singer, Kenny Thomas. In 2022, they announced another new vocalist, Bryan Chambers.
Darbyshire, meanwhile, embarked on a solo career and released his debut solo album, ‘How Many Angels’, in 1994. He’s also written songs for artists including Lisa Stansfield, Jennifer Rush and Level 42, and had been holding songwriting workshops in London before his death.
He is survived by his wife, the vocal coach Sonia Jones.
