Singer and model Nick Kamen, author of 'I Promise Myself', dies at 59

Nick Kamen in an image from 1986.picture alliance / picture alliance via Getty Image

The news was given by his friend, fellow singer Boy George, on his social networks.

"Rest in peace the loveliest and sweetest man, Nick Kamen," wrote the musician.

Kamen dragged a serious illness during the last years that has led him, yesterday Tuesday, to death at the age of 59.

More information

• Madonna, loneliness at the top

• "It is the people who make jeans sexy"

Kamen (real name Ivor Neville Kamen), born in Essex (England) in 1962, comes from a family of artists: his brother, Chester Kamen, has worked as a session guitarist for many years;

his clients include Pink Floyd or Brian Ferry.

Nick Kamen became world famous in 1984 when he starred in an advertisement for Levi's jeans brand.

While

I Heard It Through the Grapevine was

playing

in the voice of Marvin Gaye, the model walked into a crowded laundry room (mostly women) and undressed to put his jeans in the washing machine.

Her slender body provoked the admiration of those present.

The typical

light

eighties

erotic advertisement

that transformed Kamen into a sex symbol.

The model became so popular that Madonna contacted him and offered him a song,

Each Time You Break My Heart,

a scrap from her album

True Blue.

During the eighties, Kamen maintained reasonable success with songs like

Tell Me

, where Madonna performed backing vocals.

But it wasn't until years later, in 1990, that he achieved a musical number one with

I Promised Myself, a

fast-paced pop song adorned with his soft tone of voice.

This theme was played on the radio very frequently in the early nineties and continues to do so on nostalgic stations.

It currently reaches 30 million listens on Spotify.

Burdened by fame, Kamen drifted away in the mid-1990s.

Since then he has led a low-key life with few public appearances.

He painted and produced little commercial music with little impact.

He fled from everything that had to do with fame.

Some time ago it was known of his serious illness.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Boy George (@boygeorgeofficial)