Stephen Gately: A Pop Tragedy
24 October 2009
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The pop world was rocked to its core earlier this month with the news that Boyzone's Stephen Gately had died aged just 33. The mild-mannered singer, famed for his clean-cut image and devotion to his fans, passed away while at his holiday home in Majorca, Spain, with his civil partner Andy Cowley after a Saturday night (10.10.09) out where they met and befriended Bulgarian Georgi Dochev.
The trio returned to the home together to continue drinking, before Georgi retired to a bed, leaving Andy and Stephen asleep together on the sofa. Andy later woke up and went to bed as well, leaving his beloved partner on the couch. But, the day after, Stephen couldn't be stirred from what was believed to be a heavy slumber, he had slept for the final time in his too-short life never to awake again.
Theories as to why this seemingly fit and healthy young man could just suddenly die began to circulate, but a prompt post-mortem revealed Stephen died from a pulmonary oedema, a build up of fluid on the lungs which is often connected to heart problems.
His family believe he had an undetected heart condition. The singer's mother Margaret Gately told family friend and lawyer Gerald Kean: "As soon as I head he had died I knew it was a heart problem. It has lifted a huge burden off our family's shoulders."
Gerald added: "There is a heart condition on his dad Martin's side of the family. Stephen would have had no idea he had this condition."
Medical experts confirmed the post-mortem tests suggest he may have been a victim of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), caused by an undetected condition.
Dr. Sanjay Sharma, consultant cardiologist at King's College hospital, London - a leading expert in SADS - said: "The fact they found waterlogged lungs in this young man suggests his heart failed suddenly. That is a heart attack.
"In young people like Stephen, the vast majority of heart attacks are due to either hereditary diseases affecting the heart muscle itself or an electrical fault of the heart."
As soon as the news broke tributes began flooding in for Stephen, with many pop and rock stars amazed that someone so young and seemingly full of life could have passed on.
Boyzone manager Louis Walsh was among the first to pay his respects to Stephen.
He said: "We're all absolutely devastated. I'm in complete shock. I only saw him a few days ago at an awards ceremony. He was a great man."
Louis is currently mentoring the Groups on UK TV talent show 'The X Factor' and was left so devastated following the news he felt unable to take part in that week's programme. He also did not participate in this weekend's shows as he struggles to come to terms with his grief and mourn his friend at his funeral on Saturday (17.10.09).
It was an emotional day. Thousands of well-wishers, most of whom would never have met Stephen, lined the streets and gathered outside the St Laurence O'Toole Church in Dublin, Ireland, to pay their respects, lay flowers and tributes outside the chapel and listen to the service on loudspeakers.
And those who did know him, both privately and from the showbiz world, gathered in their hundreds to say one final goodbye.
As soon as I head he had died I knew it was a heart problem. It has lifted a huge burden off our family's shoulders.
As well as Stephen's parents, family and Andy, other mourners included Louis, Jason Donovan, actor Christopher Biggins, the members of Westlife - Kian Egan, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily - Sir Elton John's long-term partner David Furnish and ex-Westlife singer Brian McFadden.
Messages of condolences were also received from George Michael, David and Victoria Beckham, Simon Cowell, Take That, U2, Robbie Williams, Cheryl Cole, Colin Farrell and Sharon Osborne.
Stephen's bandmates - Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham and Keith Duffy - bravely took responsibility for many aspects of the service with all of them acting as pall bearers as well as performing a musical tribute to their late friend, a version of Ronan's solo song 'In This Life'.
Ronan - who was Stephen's closest friend in the group - was unable to contain his emotions as he broke down in tears while delivering his eulogy to his "brother".
He said: "The world has lost one of its brightest stars. We have lost a brother and I have lost my wing man. For Stephen, we will carry on but the band will never be the same without him.
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