Mike Peters, frontman of The Alarm, loses his battle with cancer

APRIL 29, 2025 — Welsh music icon, Mike Peters MBE, the charismatic frontman of legendary ’80s rock band The Alarm and a tireless global advocate for blood cancer patients, has died at the age of 66 following a 30-year battle with the disease.

A voice of defiance and hope both on and off the stage, Peters first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm, whose powerful anthems like “68 Guns“ and “Strength“ helped define a generation of alternative rock. Known for their rallying cries and heartfelt lyrics, The Alarm garnered a devoted international following, with Peters’ raw vocals and commanding stage presence at the heart of it all. During a music career that spanned five decades, Peters performed with some of music’s greatest artists and bands including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and U2.

Diagnosed with lymphoma in 1995 and later with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Peters refused to let his illness silence him. Instead, he turned his fight into a mission to help others.

Alongside his wife Jules, he co-founded Love Hope Strength, a music-driven cancer charity that revolutionized awareness and action around stem cell donation. Through its innovative “Get On The List” campaigns—often hosted at rock concerts and even atop mountains—the charity has added over 250,000 people to the global stem cell registry and helped secure thousands of potential life-saving matches for patients worldwide.

Last April, just before embarking on a 50-date US tour, he was diagnosed with Richter’s Syndrome, an aggressive form of lymphoma, and despite extensive treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, including a clinical trial and innovative CAR-T therapy, doctors were unable to prevent the cancer progressing.