Nitzer Ebb frontman Douglas McCarthy dies age 58 after serious health diagnosis
Douglas McCarthy, best known as the co-founder and frontman for Nizter Ebb, has died at age 58.
He had previously stepped away from performing after being diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, a serious and incurable scarring of the liver.
The influential 90s dance band announced his death on Instagram with a statement asking for privacy at this time.
'It is with a heavy heart that we regret to inform that Douglas McCarthy passed away this morning of June 11th, 2025,' it read. 'We ask everyone to please be respectful of Douglas, his wife, and family in this difficult time.
'We appreciate your understanding and will share more information soon.'
No cause of death was given but in March 2024, McCarthy stepped down from touring after his diagnosis.
In a statement at the time he said he had been sober for two years but 'following years of alcohol abuse' was suffering from liver cirrhosis.
McCarthy added that 'recovery is a long process' and did not rejoin the band on tour.
Nitzer Ebb formed in 1982, consisting of McCarthy and his school friends Vaughan 'Bon' Harris and David Gooday.
Gooday and McCarthy met when they were just 10 years old, forming the band in their teen years and bonding over a love of sneaking into discos and nightclubs.
After experimenting with post-punk sounds, the band evolved into a more industrial and electronic genre — becoming one of the biggest names in the electronic body scene.
McCarthy has cited artists like Roxy Music, Slade, Talking Heads, and even Showaddywaddy as influences on their music.
In 1987, the group released debut album, That Total Age, and secured a number nine spot on the Billboard Club chart with Join the Chant. More Trending
They toured with Depeche Mode and continued to rise in prominence with various tracks charting such as Control I'm Here, Lightning Man and Fun to be Had.
In 1995, Nitzer Ebb split with McCarthy moving to Los Angeles and Detroit before reloacting home to the UK and studying design and film at Cambridge.
After a decade-long break, Nitzer Ebb reunited in 2007 and three years later released one final LP called Industrial Complex.
While they continued to tour, McCarthy dropped his own solo album, Kill Your Friends, as well as Recoil with Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: 'Underrated' 90s thriller compared to Criminal Minds is finally coming to Netflix
MORE: Scarface and Ghostbusters star Harris Yulin dies age 88
MORE: The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson's daughter 'at a loss for words' after his death
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
Nitzer Ebb frontman Douglas McCarthy dies age 58 after serious health diagnosis
Douglas McCarthy, best known as the co-founder and frontman for Nizter Ebb, has died at age 58. He had previously stepped away from performing after being diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, a serious and incurable scarring of the liver. The influential 90s dance band announced his death on Instagram with a statement asking for privacy at this time. 'It is with a heavy heart that we regret to inform that Douglas McCarthy passed away this morning of June 11th, 2025,' it read. 'We ask everyone to please be respectful of Douglas, his wife, and family in this difficult time. 'We appreciate your understanding and will share more information soon.' No cause of death was given but in March 2024, McCarthy stepped down from touring after his diagnosis. In a statement at the time he said he had been sober for two years but 'following years of alcohol abuse' was suffering from liver cirrhosis. McCarthy added that 'recovery is a long process' and did not rejoin the band on tour. Nitzer Ebb formed in 1982, consisting of McCarthy and his school friends Vaughan 'Bon' Harris and David Gooday. Gooday and McCarthy met when they were just 10 years old, forming the band in their teen years and bonding over a love of sneaking into discos and nightclubs. After experimenting with post-punk sounds, the band evolved into a more industrial and electronic genre — becoming one of the biggest names in the electronic body scene. McCarthy has cited artists like Roxy Music, Slade, Talking Heads, and even Showaddywaddy as influences on their music. In 1987, the group released debut album, That Total Age, and secured a number nine spot on the Billboard Club chart with Join the Chant. More Trending They toured with Depeche Mode and continued to rise in prominence with various tracks charting such as Control I'm Here, Lightning Man and Fun to be Had. In 1995, Nitzer Ebb split with McCarthy moving to Los Angeles and Detroit before reloacting home to the UK and studying design and film at Cambridge. After a decade-long break, Nitzer Ebb reunited in 2007 and three years later released one final LP called Industrial Complex. While they continued to tour, McCarthy dropped his own solo album, Kill Your Friends, as well as Recoil with Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'Underrated' 90s thriller compared to Criminal Minds is finally coming to Netflix MORE: Scarface and Ghostbusters star Harris Yulin dies age 88 MORE: The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson's daughter 'at a loss for words' after his death
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
90s music star dies after battle with cirrhosis
90s music icon Douglas McCarthy has passed away at the age of 58, his bandmates confirmed. Born and raised in Essex, the musician co-founded electric body music band Nitzer Ebb, who thrived throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The group announced his passing on their official social media channels on Thursday. Their statement read: 'It is with a heavy heart that we regret to inform that Douglas McCarthy passed away this morning of June 11th, 2025. 'We ask everyone to please be respectful of Douglas, his wife, and family in this difficult time. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'We appreciate your understanding and will share more information soon.' While Douglas's cause of death is yet to be confirmed, he was forced to pull out of a European tour with Nitzer Ebb in March 2024 due to liver cirrhosis. Douglas said at the time that the disease had been caused by 'years of alcohol abuse... for over two years I have not been drinking, but recovery is a long process.' Nitzer Ebb was formed by McCarthy and bandmates Bon Harris and David Gooday in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1982 before the band went onto pioneer the British industrial music scene. With a stripped down and aggressive style, the group shot to stardom by combining combined synthesizers with incredibly raw vocals. Front man Douglas was at the forefront of his band's success, leading Nitzer Ebb with a style he described as 'shouting and pointing'. The band released their debut album That Total Age in 1987 before going onto release a string of projects the following decade including Showtime and Ebbhead. They broke up in 1996 but got back together in 2006 and had been touring ever since. Later this year, McCarthy and his bandmates had been set to embark on a tour of North America. A host of supporters paid tribute to Douglas following his death this week, including co-founder Bon Harris. The 59-year-old described his band mate as 'one of the most extraordinary people I have ever known', calling his passing a 'profound loss'. Other tributes read: 'I hope he knew how much he was loved and appreciated by his fans', 'Just heartbreaking. Very underrated band and he was a very nice guy when I met him in 1990. RIP.', 'So sad to learn of his passing. Just saw NE (Nitzer Ebb) without him last month in Detroit and, of course, it wasn't the same without him. His voice and sound was so influential and it rocked my world in the 90s. Was lucky to get to see them perform 3 times. Was said to learn his liver was failing from alcohol abuse and he had to quit touring because of it. RIP Douglas McCarthy!', 'A true pioneer. Absolute energy and passion into every song. Really struggling to come to terms with this'.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
Douglas McCarthy, frontman with industrial group Nitzer Ebb, dies aged 58
Douglas McCarthy, the irrepressible frontman and chief lyricist of British industrial band Nitzer Ebb, has died aged 58. A statement on the group's social media reads: 'It is with a heavy heart that we regret to inform that Douglas McCarthy passed away this morning of June 11th, 2025. We ask everyone to please be respectful of Douglas, his wife, and family in this difficult time. We appreciate your understanding and will share more information soon.' No cause of death was given. With a style he succinctly described as 'shouting and pointing', McCarthy had an almost preacher-like quality as he sang full-throated commands and declarations, revelling in the 'body rapture' described on their song Hearts and Minds. Paired with the pulsating electronics of the group, their music became a major influence on artists such as Nine Inch Nails. Born and raised in Essex, McCarthy met future Nitzer Ebb drummer David Gooday aged 10, and formed the group with fellow friends Bon Harris and Simon Granger in 1982. With cheap synths and beats hammered out on a metal bin they dubbed 'John', the group gradually welded together their sound, releasing a demo in 1983 followed by debut single Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works two years later. Their ironically martial sound and aesthetic would be misinterpreted by some – 'the totalitarian imagery reflected the austere political time, the miners' strikes and riots,' Harris later explained – but it proved infectious on dancefloors, as tracks such as Let Your Body Learn and Warsaw Ghetto crossed over into the burgeoning worlds of techno and acid house. 'The closest I felt to God was listening to Join in the Chant,' the era's legendary DJ Andrew Weatherall once said. They attracted the attentions of major label Geffen in the US, and Nitzer Ebb released their debut album That Total Age in 1987. The band toured with Depeche Mode that year, and McCarthy worked with Depeche Mode's Alan Wilder on side project Recoil. After five albums, Nitzer Ebb split in 1995. McCarthy moved to Los Angeles, then Detroit, then returned to England where he studied design and film in Cambridge followed by a spell working in advertising. He later returned to music, collaborating with techno producer Terence Fixmer, before a Nitzer Ebb reunion in 2007. The group released another studio LP, Industrial Complex, and continued to tour. McCarthy released a solo album, Kill Your Friends, in 2012. In March 2024, McCarthy stepped down from a European Nitzer Ebb tour, citing liver cirrhosis 'following years of alcohol abuse … for over two years I have not been drinking, but recovery is a long process'. Among those paying tribute following his death was the record label Dark Entries, who described McCarthy as 'a tour de force of musical innovation and acumen'.
