View Full Version : Boyzone
Back in May the five members of Boyzone - Ronan, Stephen, Keith, Shane and Mikey - regrouped for their first tour in nine years. It went so well, with 300,000 pop fans coming to see them at 29 shows across the UK and Ireland, that they're now releasing a brand new single and an updated greatest hits set. But are the boys back together for good? We gave Stephen a call to find out.
What made you want to get back together now?
"Just time, really. We went to see Take That on their reunion tour and they had such an amazing response. We thought, 'We used to do this. We used to have all this noise and screaming,' so we decided to give it a bash."
Were Take That a bit of an inspiration then?
"Oh yeah! They really raised the bar. We knew we had to put on a fantastic show and we waited until the time was right - we were in chats for about two years. It wasn't a money-making thing for us because we spent £3m on the tour's production. We wanted to give fans the best show we've ever done and I believe we achieved that."
Who was the driving force behind the reunion?
"I don't know, really. Myself and Ronan met up at this charity bash and someone bid £20,000 for me and him to sing 'No Matter What' together. The vibe up there was just fantastic and it was really fun to sing with him again, so meetings started happening and it all just snowballed from there really."
Were any of the guys reluctant to reform the group?
"No, I don't think so. We're more chilled out now, more grown up and hopefully a little bit wiser! We're not winding each other up - there's just no point. We can't believe how much warmth there is for us out there and we're really enjoying it."
'Love You Anyway', your first single since 1999, is out on Monday. Are you feeling nervous about the chart position?
"You know what, I'm very nervous about it being released. The market's changed and I just want it to do well. If it went top ten, I'd be very happy. If it went number one, I'd be absolutely ecstatic. I'd go out and buy a really good bottle of champagne and drink it through a straw! It's a song that really grows on you and it's a fun song to perform. We didn't want to do what was expected of us and come back with a ballad."
You've got a new greatest hits album coming out, but is there going to be a new Boyzone studio album?
"There will be. Myself and Ronan are going into the studio in January to do some writing and then the rest of the guys are joining us in February. It's a really exciting time for us. We've also got another tour coming up in May and June, and before then we're going to Asia and Australia - places we haven't been in ages."
Do you see the reunion as a long-term thing?
"I hope it goes on for a long, long time. We're in this for the long run really. The reaction to the tour has been so fantastic that we've just decided to run with it. We've all done our different bits and pieces but you can't beat the fun we have together."
Will Louis be getting you on The X Factor this year?
"You know what, I really hope so because I love The X Factor. He'll have to, I'll be disappointed if he doesn't! We said to him recently, 'Come on Louis, you have to get us on the show for a song'. It probably won't be this single, but hopefully we'll do the next one, which is a beautiful ballad that's coming out just before Christmas."
Boyzone release 'Love You Anyway' on Monday. Their greatest hits album, Back Again... No Matter What, follows on October 13.
Love them and their music :D
Bad Wolf
29-09-2008, 08:03
i do actually lik their new single, they are not TT but they are ok and much better than west life who i cant stand!!
Their new song is really catchy!
Hollywood actor Colin Farell has said he’s glad he failed an audition for boyzone years ago - because he wouldn’t have “lasted too long” in the band.
The actor tried out with the boyz in the 1990s while he was a struggling actor in Ireland, but was rejected during the audition phases for his lack of vocal talent.
Farrell eventually landed a role in the drama series Ballykissangel in 1998 and went on to forge a high profile career in Hollywood.
And the star admits he’s pleased he was never accepted into boyzone - because it would have sent his life off on a very different path.
He says, “I don’t think I would have lasted in the band too long. Life would have been very different, very different.
“I certainly wouldn’t have lasted a reunion I don’t think.”
I couldnt picture CF in Boyzone at all
YouTube - Boyzone - Better
interesting video for new single Better
i prefer Tom Baxter's version of Better
Three months after the tragic death of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, his bandmates have paid tribute to him in a moving video.
The group's new single Gave It All Away will be the last Boyzone release featuring the vocals of the Irish singer, who died aged 33 in his Majorca holiday home in October.
In the unashamedly sentimental video, frontman Ronan Keating and his three remaining bandmates are seen writing emotional letters to Gately.
The video starts with Gately's voice as a black and white video of him singing and larking around with his bandmate is played on a projection screen in an empty room.
One of the first lyrics sung by Gately is the poignant verse: 'I will learn to live before I die.'
All four Boyzone members, Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch, take it in turns to contemplate their thoughts and shed tears for Gately against a backdrop of fond memories with the singer.
Towards the end of the video, the group have all written letters addressed to dear 'Steo' and are seen laughing as they reminisce over happier times with Gately.
The band refused any offers by their record company to make a big-budget video, preferring to film the simplistic video with just them and the director Paul Griffin.
Keating explains: 'The footage is incredibly raw and tough to watch at times but we didn't want it being too mournful and there's lots of laughter.
'It's us reminiscing about the times we had with our other brother. My favourite scene sees us four sat around a table at the end with Stephen's favourite picture hanging behind us.
To film this video without him was one of the toughest things we've done.'
Keating played the song on his Magic FM radio show yesterday and informed fans the single would be released on March 1.
He lamented: 'It's a great tribute and a great memory, thank God we have it.'
A forensic report last month confirmed Gately's death was caused by an undiagnosed heart condition and was not linked to drink or drugs.
A report handed to a Spanish judge investigating the tragedy revealed the star suffered from atheromatosis, a thickening of the arteries. It also revealed he was dead for eight hours before his body was found.
Gately was found dead on October 10 by a Bulgarian who had been partying with him and his civil partner Andrew Cowles after their night out on the Spanish island.
A preliminary pathology report said the star died from an acute pulmonary oedema, a build-up of fluid on the lungs caused by the atheromatosis and said the death was due to 'natural causes'.
Boyzone - Gave It All Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsNPRh9PNTM
tammyy2j
21-01-2010, 12:02
I like the new song and video very sad
Here’s the cover for the new boyzone album, “Brother”, which is due for release on 8th March.
http://www.boyzone.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/boyzone-brother-300.jpg
Mikey Graham was on Celebrity Mr And Mrs last night and he won £30000 which was donated to a charity very close to Stephen's heart, I can't remember the name of it now. I thought that was very lovely
sindydoll
31-01-2010, 15:38
thought we had seen the last of boyzone
I think they won't be touring again, or not for quite a while, but I think they will continue recording
sindydoll
31-01-2010, 16:45
and all that rubbish one of them came out with that he wont go on stage with steve been dead
That might have been arranged a long time before Steven died and a different kind of stage. It was for charity
sindydoll
31-01-2010, 17:11
supose
tammyy2j
31-01-2010, 18:48
I think the new album was planned when Stephen was alive
I dont think they will be touring since Keith is back on Corrie and Ronan is also trying his hand at acting
Boyzone have played together for the first time since the death of Stephen Gately last October.
The band appeared on GMTV to perform their new single 'Gave It All Away', one of the final tracks to include Gately's vocals.
Singer Ronan Keating admitted that the group were nervous about their first live performance as a four-piece.
"We've spoken about it. We recorded this song about nearly 18 months to two years ago - when Stephen first put the vocal on," he said.
''So we've had it for a long, long time. But this is now the point where we start performing it.
"This is the part we've been nervous about. Because we don't know what it's going to be like as a four-piece and actually getting out there and singing it - so I guess it will just take time to figure out.''
Mikey Graham added: ''I think we're just still trying to find our way, moment by moment really.
''It's a very difficult process to be doing the new single without Steo - though we feel he's with us.'"
Boyzone release 'Gave It All Away' on March 1. Their album Brother follows on March 8.
Boyzone have topped the Irish singles chart this week with 'Gave It All Away'.
The track, which features vocals from late band member Stephen Gately and has been released as a tribute to the star, pushes John & Edward's 'Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)' down to second spot.
tammyy2j
08-03-2010, 11:01
In at No. 9 in the UK charts
tammyy2j
08-03-2010, 14:30
I love it :D :wub:
me too the video is very sad
tammyy2j
15-03-2010, 10:13
Boyzone have reached number one in the UK with their album Brother.
Gorillaz had been on course to top the charts with Plastic Beach but Boyzone ended up selling more copies of their record, their first album since band member Stephen Gately passed away in October.
"We're just over the moon," band member Ronan Keating told Radio 1. "We can't believe it. It's quite emotional for us to be honest. We've worked hard on this one for obvious reasons.
"It's been an emotional time for us and for the album to go to number one was very important for us on so many levels."
sindydoll
19-03-2010, 09:40
theres a tribute to steven gatley on sunday
tammyy2j
19-03-2010, 10:23
Why isnt Stephen's picture on the new album cover?
i wondered that, it seems odd as he is featured vocally on it. Gave it all away is heartbreaking, its so sad listeneing to it.
Lavender
19-03-2010, 20:34
I love Boyzone and it was very sad when stephen died,Gave it all away is one of their best tracks i reckon,As someone mentioned there is a programme on sunday *a tribute dedicated to him*also afterwards on itv2 i think it is a programme about his life which will be very sad.
Stephen Gately's posthumous children's novel is likely to go straight into the bestseller list when it is published this week.
Boyzone singer Gately was finishing his 300-page fantasy novel when he died suddenly in Spain aged 33.
More than 15,000 copies of 'The Tree of Seasons' have been pre-ordered -- 10,000 in Ireland and 5,000 in Britain -- according to its publishers.
That level of sales in Ireland would put the book straight into the top three next week.
"Stephen was so loved in Ireland that, predictably, interest in his book has been huge," a spokesman in Ireland for publishers Hodder & Stoughton said yesterday.
"We think it may be one of the biggest children's titles this year."
Breda Perdue, the managing director of Hodder in Ireland, was one of the first people to read the book.
She said: "It was clear to me immediately that Stephen was a really talented writer.
"The story is a really involving one, creating a detailed imaginary world along the lines of Narnia. I realised straight away that it deserved to be published in Britain as well as here, so I urged our parent company in the UK to take it on."
The last few pages of the book were completed by Stephen's partner Andrew Cowles and by the Irish writer June Considine, who is a sister of well-known author Dermot Bolger.
The book tells the story of three British children who live near a forest where they discover a tree that is a doorway into a magical and dangerous world. There are four kingdoms in that world, each forever stuck in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The book will be published in hardback in Britain on Thursday priced at €18.50.
Like Harry Potter, it is expected to appeal to all ages. Elton John pays tribute to Gately in the foreword.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/tragic-boyzone-star-gately-set-for-bestseller-list-14804417.html#ixzz0ndGulz00
Just heard on the radio that Ronan Keating has split from his wife :(
tammyy2j
20-05-2010, 12:14
It’s just been announced that Ronan Keating and his wife Yvonne have split after 12 years of marriage.
“With great sadness, Ronan and Yvonne Keating today announce their separation,” reads the official statement on Ronan's website. "The separation is amicable and they will continue to work together in order to provide the best for their children. The family ask for privacy at this difficult time.”
The couple, who’ve been together since their teens, have three children, Jack, Marie and Ali.
Rather unfortunately, only a few days ago, Ronan said in a new interview that he didn’t know why Yvonne was still with him.
“I can’t believe Yvonne has stuck with me for so long,” he said. “I still get incredibly jealous. The green-eyed monster rears its ugly head and brings out all my insecurities. I don’t like it if Yvonne is out without me. I just can’t help it.”
Chloe O'brien
20-05-2010, 12:32
No way that is awful news.
moonstorm
20-05-2010, 12:33
Sorry Tammy I have double posted this in Celeb Gossip :o
sindydoll
20-05-2010, 15:49
oh well he is a free man now
tammyy2j
20-05-2010, 16:19
I think Ronan might have got caught with his pants down and a kiss and tell will be out soon
Following the shock announcement yesterday about the marriage split of Ronan and Yvonne Keating, there are media reports today that it was the Boyzone star's close friendship with a backing dancer which led to the break-up.
The Daily Mail reports that Keating became close to the dancer during Boyzone's comeback tour last May and June.
The pair, who have three children, announced their decision to split yesterday after 12 years on marriage on the singer's website. In the statement they described the split as "amicable".
There was a large media presence at the couple's home in Dublin yesterday with security saying "They are making no further comment. They have asked for privacy."
Friends have expressed surprise at the news with Boyzone manager Louis Walsh saying "I'm absolutely stunned. If you asked me one couple I thought would never break up, it would be Ronan and Yvonne. They've been together since they were kids."
Keating has recently announced that he is going to be a judge on the Australian version of 'The X Factor'.
Chloe O'brien
21-05-2010, 12:51
I am shocked about Ronan cheating on his wife. He is the last celeb I would have expected to do that.
BOYZONE star RONAN KEATING's furious wife confronted him over his affair with a dancer after finding saucy texts from the blonde on his secret mobile phone.
Ex-model YVONNE, 36, went ballistic when she discovered the handset she did not recognise hidden in a bag.
There was no password and she soon came across the suggestive messages from Francine Cornell, who is ten years her junior.
Ronan, 33, broke down in tears as he admitted sleeping with the dancer on Boyzone's UK tour last year. And seething Yvonne ordered the cheating pop heart-throb to pack all his bags and "leave for good". However, Ronan has vowed to win back his wife of 12 years and is desperate to avoid a divorce.
A source said: "Yvonne confronted Ronan with the phone - there was nothing he could say.
"She ordered him to leave the family home and told him the marriage was over.
"She'd heard whispers and rumours about him cheating with Francine during the tour. Their dancing on stage was very raunchy, but she'd got used to that over the years and trusted him.
"When she saw the texts on the secret phone she was devastated. She realised he'd been lying. The bottom just fell out of her world.
"Ronan could only admit what had happened and take it. They agreed to put out a joint statement about their separation."
Yvonne and Ronan - who have children Jack, 11, Marie, nine, and Ali, four - announced their "amicable" split in a statement issued on Thursday.
It said: "With great sadness Ronan and Yvonne Keating today announce their separation.
"The separation is amicable and they will continue to work together in order to provide the best for their children. The family ask for privacy at this difficult time."
The couple's bust-up came at their home in Malahide, Dublin, late on Monday night. The Sun told yesterday how Yvonne threw her hubby out and dumped his clothes on their doorstep.
A source said yesterday: "Yvonne just can't bear to be around him and has told Ronan she wants him gone - it's over.
"She doesn't even know if she can continue living in the marital home. Her life has been turned upside down and she's trying to stay strong for the children.
"All she knows right now is that she wants him out. She will not tolerate lies - no matter how much she loves him."
Fellow Boyzone members SHANE LYNCH, KEITH DUFFY and MIKEY GRAHAM have all been in touch with Ronan's wife since the split was announced.
The pal added: "Yvonne asked them if they knew what was going on. She feels like everyone has been lying to her."
Ronan's affair with Francine began shortly after Boyzone's sell-out UK tour began in Belfast on May 24. The pair were both away from home and staying in hotels for five weeks.
Born in Leeds, 5ft 5in Francine boasts a 32B-25-35 figure. She deleted her Facebook page yesterday and went to ground.
Ronan, whose marriage was thought to be among the strongest in showbiz, is due to fly to Zurich, Switzerland, to perform at this weekend's SkyDance festival.
When he returns, he has been told to clear out the remainder of his belongings from the couple's £2.5million pad.
A source said: "The dates in Switzerland are a contractual obligation and it would have cost him a fortune to pull out. So he'll soldier on and perform. But he's feeling extremely miserable and embarrassed."
When Ronan gets back to Dublin he is planning to stay with friends while he tries to convince Yvonne to take him back for the kids' sake.
Former Boyzone manager LOUIS WALSH believes the couple CAN save the marriage.
He said: "I really do think they could get back. They were a very strong couple. Everyone is completely surprised.
"Maybe they can work it all out - if anyone can they can." Ronan has told Yvonne that he is in a "very bad place" and has been for some time because of the death last October of his best pal STEPHEN GATELY.
But he does not wish to use that as an excuse for his behaviour.
The source added: "Ronan is deeply ashamed of what he's done. He has vowed to honour the gigs this weekend. But he's cancelled all other engagements to try and make it up to his wife.
"He realises it is no excuse but he believes the death of Stephen has made the last few months particularly tough and he has not acted well." Catholic Ronan has even paid visits to his family priest to confess his sins and seek forgiveness for his cheating.
The pal said: "Ronan's family are all Catholics and so are Yvonne's. They are both very religious.
"Ronan is feeling extremely guilty about what has happened and wants to do anything he can to avoid a divorce. He has been to see the priest. He is really worried what his close family will think. He feels like he's let everyone down." Ronan had planned to spend the summer back home. He is due to travel to Australia in October to work on X Factor.
The couple's children were picked up from their house by a minder early yesterday. At 4pm, three of Jack's pals called to see if he wanted to play football - and one remarked: "I think he's gone on holiday."
The children were then let into the estate by Yvonne. An alarm installation van also turned up at the mansion yesterday afternoon
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2983325/Ronan-wife-found-secret-sex-phone.html#ixzz0obyfUAiO
If she takes him back I reckon she separated only to raise her profile
Boyzone's next album has reportedly been put on hold to give Ronan Keating time to focus on his private life.
The album was due to be released before Christmas and their 2011 arena tour, but according to the Daily Star it is currently on hold until Keating feels ready to record again after separating from his wife last week.
A source said: "Plans for a new Boyzone album at the end of the year have been shelved so that Ronan has time to concentrate on his private life.
"He's not in the right head space to think about recording, so unless he feels up to it there won't be another record before the 2011 arena tour."
Ronan Keating has reportedly been handed a final chance to save his marriage after it was rocked by allegations of an affair.
The Boyzone star, 33, has apparently begged his wife Yvonne to take him back after reports surfaced that he was sleeping with 23-year-old backing dancer Francine Cornell.
Yvonne, 36, has now agreed to give the marriage a final chance for the sake of the couple's children Jack, 11, Marie, 9, and 4-year-old Ali. A friend of the singer told the Sunday Mirror that emotions are still raw despite the move forward.
"Yvonne has made the huge step of admitting she is not ready to give up on the marriage but that doesn't mean she is forgiving him. The pair have been locked in talks for days.
"He has told her, 'I know things won't ever get back to normal, but I will do anything to make this work'. Yvonne is still desperately hurt, but she and Ronan are both very conscious of their kids, and they are trying to be as normal as possible," the source said.
Meanwhile, Cornell is said to be livid that she has been left in the lurch by Keating and has become the target of abuse from Boyzone fans.
"He's used me and left me high and dry. I left my boyfriend so I could be with him - it was Ronan who was cheating on his partner but I'm the one being crucified," she said.
Ronan Keating's estranged wife Yvonne has reportedly refused to jet off for a holiday with the star.
According to The Mirror, Ronan's Boyzone bandmate Keith Duffy and his partner Lisa had invited the Keating family on a break to France in a bid to get the couple's relationship back on track.
However, it is thought that Yvonne stayed home yesterday as her partner flew out for the trip with their three children.
A source said: "Yvonne needs time on her own. They are still way off getting back together."
Ronan and Yvonne announced last month that they were separating after 12 years of marriage. It was later claimed that the break-up came after Ronan confessed to an affair.
A spokesperson for the popstar refused to comment on the holiday situation.
tammyy2j
20-06-2010, 17:41
Boyzone star Ronan Keating may be planning to meet dancer Francine Cornell in the coming weeks.
Ms Cornell is expected to fly to Australia to discuss the fallout from their seven-month affair.
Friends say the meeting is "in no way" an attempt to rekindle any romance with his blonde lover, but rather to ensure damage limitation as the singer leaves his broken family behind.
"Ronan wants to make sure this will be the end of it now once he goes to Australia," said the friend. "He doesn't want to worry about any more stories blowing up in the papers when he is gone and knows that it's very important to keep Francine onside."
They continued: "In Australia they will be afforded a brief opportunity to talk things through, to make sure everything is smoothed out between them, and that Francine isn't left feeling bitter or sore about how she's come out of the whole thing."
In recent days the distraught Leeds woman has sought the advice of PR guru Max Clifford. The English beauty is said to be "considering her options" with the image expert to the stars.
A number of UK publications have already tabled offers to try to entice the blonde dancer to tell them her version of the story, now that Keating has ended the alleged relationship. Mr Clifford confirmed that Francine had been in touch to ask him how to handle the media and the pressures of being followed by the paparazzi. She also wanted to know how to stop any inaccurate information surfacing in the tabloids.
Recent reports say that the pint-sized performer tried to convince Francine that his marriage to 36-year-old Yvonne was over, while their alleged affair was on the go.
A friend of Francine's revealed: "She honestly believed the marriage was over and they were going to be together. That's what he led her to believe."
In recent days Francine stepped out in public for the first time since allegations of her affair with Keating became public. Looking groomed and care-free, the dancer returned to her parents' home in Leeds from a trip abroad.
Last month Keating and Yvonne made the shock statement about their decision to separate, despite seeming like one of the strongest marriages in showbiz.
Keating flew to France for a brief holiday with Boyzone bandmate Keith Duffy, while Yvonne stayed at home and tried to come to terms with the split.
Yesterday Keating and Yvonne continued to sort out their domestic arrangements, having moved from their luxury home in Abington.
They have now moved into Keating's bachelor pad in Malahide and will live there for the next few days until he jets off to Australia on Tuesday to take up his role as a judge on the Australian X Factor, which begins on Friday.
In recent days the couple moved into the €1.5m penthouse apartment in the Casino complex near Malahide Castle with their three children, Jack, 11, Marie, 9, and Ali, 4. But after Keating moves to Oz for the summer Yvonne will stay in the apartment until their new mansion in the upmarket Abington Estate, which is currently under construction, is ready.
tammyy2j
19-07-2010, 11:11
It has been reported this morning that Ronan and Yvonne Keating are set to renew their wedding vows.
The celebrity couple hit the rocks recently after allegations that Ronan had a seven-month affair with a dancer.
The pair plan to have two ceremonies, one in Australia where Ronan is filming 'The X-Factor' and one in Ireland for family and friends.
Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/entertainment/ronan-and-yvonne-keating-to-renew-vows-465999.html#ixzz0u7bPrIrQ
Boyzone have revealed plans to release a new album next year.
The group, who were said to have shelved plans to release a new record this year after reports of Ronan Keating's alleged affair, admitted that they have yet to start recording the LP.
Shane Lynch told the Daily Star: "We’re probably going to get in the studio to make another album next year, after the tour. This is what we love to do."
Discussing news of Robbie Williams's plans to rejoin Take That, Keith Duffy said: "I remember what it was like when we got back together so it’s great to see.
"Life is short and the older you get you realise that life is for living, for being nice and loving people. When you get old friends back, it’s great."
Boyzone's last album Brother topped the UK album chart earlier this year.
Ronan Keating has confirmed that his 12-year-marriage is back on track after claims that he had an affair.
Following reports that relations between Keating and his wife Yvonne were at their "most promising" since their separation in May, the Daily Mail claims that Keating's alleged seven-month fling with a dancer has been forgiven, allowing the couple and their three children to come together once again.
Speaking to the paper, Keating said: "We’ve been left to our own devices but we are now a happy family.
"It’s all good, thank God."
Keating was recently joined by his wife in Australia, where he is working as a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. The two are also reportedly planning to renew their vows in the near future.
Ronan Keating has reportedly admitted that his marriage to wife Yvonne has ended permanently.
The couple announced their separation in May, amid rumours that the Boyzone singer had a seven-month affair with backing dancer Francine Cornell.
Reports suggested that the couple were working on their relationship after Yvonne flew to join Ronan as he judged the Australian version of The X Factor. However, last month they released a statement confirming that they were still separated.
Now reports that the 33-year-old singer now accepts that he will not reconcile with Yvonne. A source told the magazine: "Neither of them wanted things to end this way, but Yvonne simply can't forgive and forget.
"The betrayal goes much deeper than Ronan just sleeping with someone else. He and Francine talked about getting married and starting a new life together.
"He broke Yvonne's heart and while they've both worked hard at trying to fix things, it's just been an impossible task."
The couple are expected to remain in regular contact for the sake of their three children - Jack, 11, Missy, 9, and Ali, 5.
Boyzone has funded a scholarship for a music student in memory of their bandmate Stephen Gately.
The four remaining members of the band will help decide who gets the award, worth 8,000 euro (£7,000), which will go towards fees at a Dublin music college.
Ronan Keating said he and fellow bandmates Mikey Graham, Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch were "delighted" to have set up the fund.
He said: "The other boys and I know how difficult it is for people to get a break in the music industry, so if this scholarship helps one student get closer to achieving their dream, then that's great. It really is a fantastic way to keep Stephen's memory alive among the next generation of successful Irish musicians."
Gately, who grew up in Dublin, died of natural causes in 2009 at his holiday home on the island of Majorca.
As well as his time with the band, Gately also appeared in stage productions including Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He announced he was gay in the Sun in 1999 amid rumours a national newspaper was about to out him.
The Stephen Gately Scholarship will be open to any musician applying for a place at BIMM Dublin which opens its doors this September. Keating has previously funded five scholarships at the BIMM centre in Brighton, England.
BIMM Group president Kevin Nixon said: "We are very very grateful to Ronan and other members of Boyzone for their continued interest in and support of BIMM.
"It also feels very right to be able to offer a music scholarship to a BIMM student during our first year in Stephen's own city and give us another reason to feel very excited about BIMM's future in Dublin."
:thumbsup:
tammyy2j
13-06-2011, 12:04
Boyzone have reportedly been ditched by manager Louis Walsh and advised to split up.
Low ticket sales for their latest tour and Ronan Keating's affair with a dancer were blamed for the move, the News of the World reports.
"Louis has told Boyzone they're finished. Ronan doesn't want to accept it but without Louis they have no chance," a source said. "The affair changed everything for many fans. It destroyed the family-friendly image that made the band popular.
"They kept a diehard fanbase but the 'Brother' tour earlier this year wasn't a big success. Louis didn't bother seeing a single show. [They] just couldn't compete with the Take That comeback and lots of tickets weren't sold. So Louis decided it was the right time for the band to finish."
However, a close friend of Keating's insisted that Boyzone will stay together, saying: "Despite what Louis might say, in the end he had very little to do with Boyzone - and the last tour was actually a success."
The band included a tribute to Stephen Gately in their 'Brother' tour, following his death in Majorca in 2009.
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