Rock singer’s fiancee dead after going overboard ‘80s-themed cruise ship – syracuse.com
Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat performs at Beale Street on April 2, 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images)Getty ImagesA rock singer’s fiancée is dead after allegedly falling off an ‘80s-themed cruise ship.Kimberly Burch, who was engaged to Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe, died when she went overboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on Monday. TMZ reports her body is still missing, but her family said she is presumed dead. “It is with broken hearts that we share the sad news that Kimberly Burch has passed away,” her family wrote on Facebook Tuesday. “She was a beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law and aunt. She will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her. We ask for prayers during this time for our family as we try to wrap our minds around this heartbreaking tragedy. We love and miss you Kimberly Burch!!”Kimberly’s mother, Carnell Burch, told TMZ that her daughter had been looking forward to the cruise with Downe. The couple posted a selfie together on Instagram Sunday, the day the boat departed Miami.“Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement. “To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share.”A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard told TMZ that helicopters and other personnel were assisting the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in the search. The incident occurred about 20 miles outside of Freeport, Bahamas, officials said.Officials have not said if they believe Kimberly Burch jumped or fell from the cruise ship. Her mother told TMZ that Burch had been drinking on the cruise and recently had an argument with Downe.Burch, 56, was a realtor in Los Angeles, according to her Instagram profile. She and Downe had been dating since 2015, according to E! News.Downe, 60, is the lead singer of Faster Pussycat, a glam metal/hard rock band best known for late ‘80s hits “House of Pain” and “Bathroom Wall.” The music group toured with big names like KISS, Alice Cooper, Motley Frue and David Lee Roth, and sold more than two million records worldwide.Faster Pussycat broke up in 1993 but reformed in 2001 with Downe as the sole remaining original member. Downe has also collaborated with Skid Row, led other bands like Pigface and The Newlydeads, and worked in L.A. as a club owner, promoter and DJ.According to Variety, the cruise featured a 1980s entertainment lineup that included Faster Pussycat, Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany, Christopher Cross, Sheila E., Men At Work, Andy Bell of Erasure, Quiet Riot, Warrant, Dokken, FireHouse, Information Society, Kurtis Blow, T’Pau, Naked Eyes, Musical Youth and MTV personalities Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and Downtown Julie Brown.The cruise is scheduled to return to Miami on March 9.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025).© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.YouTube’s privacy policy is available here and YouTube’s terms of service is available here.Ad Choices
