Chris Cross, Ultravox star who co-wrote Vienna, dies aged 71
Cross, real name Chris Allen, was one of the band's founding members, and also part of its best-known line up.
Ultravox's Chris Cross, the band's bass guitarist who co-wrote their hit song Vienna, has died at the age of 71.
Cross, who was born Christopher Thomas Allen, was one of the group's founding members, and he died on 25th March, with the news being announced on 1st April.
Ultravox frontman Midge Ure paid tribute to him in a post on Facebook, saying: "Chris Allen. We worked together, we played together, made music and directed videos together.
"We were instant friends as well as Ultravox comrades. Even after years apart we managed to pick up where we left off like the years in between never existed.
"You were the glue that held the band together. You were the logic in the madness and the madness in our lives. It was great to know and grow with you. You are loved and missed old friend."
Meanwhile, the band's keyboard and strings player Billy Currie said in a post: "Hi people. So sorry to hear about Chris. Very shocked. We had some amazing times together. Laughing mostly."
Cross was born in Tottenham in 1952, and joined the band as one of its founding members when it formed in 1974, then known as Tiger Lily.
The original line-up included Cross, Dennis Leigh, Stevie Shears and Warren Cann, although Currie joined shortly afterwards.
They first used the name Ultravox in 1976, and the band saw multiple line-ups over the years, although the best known featured Ure, Cross, Currie and drummer Warren Cann, with this iteration starting from 1979.
Their breakthrough album, Vienna, was released in July 1980, with the single of the same name becoming a hit in January 1981, spending four weeks at number two in the charts.
It was voted the UK's favourite number two single in a 2013 poll by Radio 2 and Official Charts.
Other hits for the band included Dancing with Tears in My Eyes, All Stood Still and Reap the Wild Wind, but after producing five more albums in the 1980s, they drifted apart.
Ultravox reunited for a 2009 tour, producing a final album, Brilliant, in 2012.
Fans were quick to pay tribute to Cross following the announcement of his passing, with one commenting under Ure's post: "Such devastating news. Great bass player and one of the most endearing images at Live Aid was the joy on his face as he was performing."
Another said: "So very sorry for your loss. This is devastating news. I am eternally grateful for the incredible music."
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
