Philosophy of the Day

Have life been too simple yet it seems like thousand miles before you reach your goal ?

Stephen Gately - Boyzone

It is sad that you are no longer with us. However, we will always remember you for who you are. We will always be with you so that you are never lonely. Rest in peace.

Stephen Gately - 1976-2009

Stephen Gately was born in Ireland in March 1976 and joined Boyzone in 1993 after answering an advert in Dublin to audition for Ireland's first boyband.

He and Ronan Keating shared lead vocals and band had huge success with six singles reaching reaching number one, including "Stay" in 2001.

The band decided in 2000 to move on to solo projects. Gately was the first with his debut solo single titled New Beginning and later a debut solo album of the same name.

He went on to appear in various stage productions including starring in Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Gately hit the head lines in June 1999 when he admitted he was gay in our sister paper the Sun disappointing hundreds of his girl fans. His manager Louis Walsh was unaware of Gately's sexuality when he selected him for the band and has said that, had he known, he would have thought twice before picking him, citing that "it wasn't cool then to have a gay guy in a band.

(As for my own opinion, I don't think being gay is not cool, in fact, it is cool. I admire your courage for standing out for your own sexuality. Even though people do not accept you, it is who you really are and that is what makes you Stephen Gately.)

Gately wed Andrew Cowles, first in a commitment ceremony in Las Vegas in 2003 and more formally in a civil partnership ceremony in London in 2006.

Happy times: Andrew Cowles and Stephen Gately after their civil partnership ceremony at the Goring Hotel in London

Boyzone got back together in 2008 and Gately was enjoying the second coming when he tragically died last night in Majorca. This year in had made his film debut in the horror movie Credo.

Last week he attended the Pride of Britain Awards and the band were intending on bringing out a new album in 2010.

More pictures of Boyzone:

Heart-throb: Stephen Gately flexes his muscles on stage

Reunited: Boyzone take to the stage after an eight year hiatus at the Belfast Odyssey Arena

Full Monty: Boyzone show off their newly-toned bodies in a homage to the classic British comedy.

As they were: The group at the height of their fame in the 1990s

Passage taken from:
News of the World
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/544219/Boyzone-star-Stephen-Gately-dies.html#comments

Pictures taken from:
Mail Online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1219826/Stephen-Gately-Police-trace-Bulgarian-man-Boyzone-star-husband-took-1m-home-night-died.html

Philosophy of the Day

Love them for who they are but not for what they possess,
Love through their hearts but not through simple words,
Love their inner beauty not just physically,
Love them because you care for them,
Love them because they love you.

~Michael Ch'ng~

Philosophy of the Day

It is not who you are, but what you becomes determine your future ~ Michael Ch'ng