Douglas McCarthy, the lead singer of Nitzer Ebb, has passed away. The band has confirmed that their founder member and legendary front man died on 11 June 2025.
Raised in Chelmsford, Essex, McCarthy was the cousin of Perry McCarthy, the first race driver known as The Stig on BBC’s Top Gear.
Nitzer Ebb was discovered by Phil Harding, the PWL engineer. Harding took the band to Daniel Miller at Mute Records, and the group established a long relationship with the indie label.
McCarthy maintained side projects, including Fixmer/McCarthy and DJM/REX. He also contributed vocals to a number of other projects, including tracks by Client, Die Krupps, Recoil and ADULT.
McCarthy withdrew from touring in 2024 to address progressively burdensome health issues.
He is reported to have passed away in London, aged 58.