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Boyzone star Stephen Gately dies | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, 33, has been found dead while on holiday in Majorca. | The Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, 33, has been found dead while on holiday in Majorca. |
The group's tour website said that he had "tragically died" and that the rest of the band would be flying out to Majorca on Sunday. | The group's tour website said that he had "tragically died" and that the rest of the band would be flying out to Majorca on Sunday. |
The website also said Gately had been on holiday with his long-term partner Andy Cowles when he died on Saturday. | The website also said Gately had been on holiday with his long-term partner Andy Cowles when he died on Saturday. |
Boyzone announced their comeback tour last November. The Irish band had six UK number one hits from 1994 to 2000. | |
The News of the World's showbusiness editor Dan Wootton told BBC News Gately had gone out for drinks, returned to his accommodation and gone to sleep, but never woke up. | |
still busy - lots going on. Focussing on finishing my book next so may be quiet here [sic] Gately's last Twitter post, 6 October In pictures: Stephen Gately | still busy - lots going on. Focussing on finishing my book next so may be quiet here [sic] Gately's last Twitter post, 6 October In pictures: Stephen Gately |
Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, who is due to appear as a judge on the X Factor results show on Sunday, told the newspaper: "We're all absolutely devastated." | |
He said: "I'm in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don't know much about what's happened yet. | He said: "I'm in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don't know much about what's happened yet. |
"I only heard after The X Factor and we will rally around each other this week. He was a great man." | "I only heard after The X Factor and we will rally around each other this week. He was a great man." |
Music journalist Paul Gambaccini said: "He's a performer with the word 'boy' in his professional title and boys aren't supposed to die. | |
"This is way too soon and way too unspecific for us to feel that this is at all the right thing to happen. | |
"It's sad on a personal level and a professional level." | |
Boyzone sold more singles than Take That in the 1990s, he said, and had 16 Top 5 singles. | |
Going solo | |
A year before Boyzone split, Gately revealed that he was gay and had a boyfriend, in June 1999. | |
Gately and Cowles tied the knot in 2006 | Gately and Cowles tied the knot in 2006 |
The two later held a private civil partnership ceremony in London in 2006. | The two later held a private civil partnership ceremony in London in 2006. |
After Boyzone, Gately continued his career as a solo artist, but was dropped by Polydor in 2001 after three Top 20 singles. | |
He enjoyed further success performing in musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2003-04. | He enjoyed further success performing in musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2003-04. |
Gately also appeared in 2007 on ITV1's reality series Dancing on Ice, and was voted Hero of 1999 at the Smash Hits Poll Winners' Party. | Gately also appeared in 2007 on ITV1's reality series Dancing on Ice, and was voted Hero of 1999 at the Smash Hits Poll Winners' Party. |
His last message on the social networking site Twitter, posted on 6 October, said: "still busy - lots going on. Focussing on finishing my book next so may be quiet here" (sic) | His last message on the social networking site Twitter, posted on 6 October, said: "still busy - lots going on. Focussing on finishing my book next so may be quiet here" (sic) |