Well-known for his soulful voice and soaring four-octave range, Andy Bell co-founded enduring alternative dance duo Erasure with synth idol Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo) in London in 1985. While Erasure were successful in their native Britain from their inception, the duo's third album, 1988's The Innocents, proved to be their U.S. breakthrough, offering the Top 20 singles "Chains of Love" and "A Little Respect." They remained a regular Billboard 200 act with occasional singles landing on the club charts. Meanwhile, Bell released solo material including 2005's Electric Blue. As one of the first openly gay performers in pop music, Bell's status as a gay icon only increased with the longevity of his band, which had its first U.K. Top Ten album in 20 years with 2017's World Be Gone. ~ Marcy Donelson