Ultravox star Chris Cross dies aged 71 as lead singer Midge Ure pays tribute to 'old friend'
Chris Cross has died at the age of 71
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Midge Ure, the front-man for Vienna hitmakers Ultravox, has paid tribute to his bandmate and "old friend" Chris Cross.
Cross, 71, died on March 25, according to the Daily Mail, with a cause of death still to be confirmed.
Cross - real name Chris Allen - was an integral part of Ultravox, playing and co-writing their biggest hit Vienna.
His bandmate and singer Ure took to Facebook to share a tribute to his friend which included an old snap of the two on a skiing holiday.
Ure penned: "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," he signed off. (sic)
Over on X, formerly Twitter, diehard fans of the iconic group also flooded the site with their own tributes expressing how much Cross's music meant to them.
One music fan penned: "I learned this evening @UltravoxUK @UltravoxU @midgeure1 with great sadness, that Ultravox bassist Chris (Cross) Allen passed away last week. It is difficult to know what else to say. RIP Chris, and thank you for the music."
Chris Cross pictured performing in 2013
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A second echoed: "So sad to hear about Chris Cross from @UltravoxUK who passed away last week. My all time favourite band since 1980, I was lucky enough to meet him a few times and he was such a funny and friendly fella. Absolutely gutted, RIP Chris and thanks for the music and memories."
Meanwhile, a third weighed in: "RIP Chris Allen (aka Chris Cross) from Ultravox. Vienna was one of my first record purchases.
"So glad I got to see the band when they reformed a decade or so back. The trilogy they made with Connie Plank in 1978-1981 are three of my most beloved albums."
And a fourth simply put: "Devastated to learn of the death of Chris Cross, bass player from Ultravox. Rest in peace, guy."
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Midge Ure led tributes to his bandmate
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Cross became an integral part of '80s pop band Ultravox having been a part of Tiger Lily from 1974.
The band evolved into the iconic group with Ure at the helm and went on to light up the charts for decades.