Stephen Gately Of Boyzone Dies Tragically In Majorca
Stephen Gately and Andy Cowles civil partnership ceremony at the Goring Hotel in London.
Boyzone singer Stephen Gately has died at the age of just 33,
a message on the band’s tour website.
The website went on to say that the Irish pop star and
actor was on holiday with his long-term partner Andrew Cowles
in Majorca when he “tragically died” on Saturday.It also said the
four remaining members of the band would be flying out to the Spanish island.
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.
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.
On 16 June 1999, The Sun newspaper covered its front page with what it described
as a “World Exclusive” and the headline, “Boyzone Stephen: I’m gay and I’m in love”.
Gately also revealed that in 1998 he had started a relationship with the then
27 year-old Eloy de Jong, who had been in the Dutch boy band Caught in the Act.
They had first met in 1995. Gately and de Jong split up in January 2002 and Stephen moved
back to Dublin.
After remaining single for a while, Gately then started dating internet businessman
Andrew Cowles, who had been introduced to him by Elton John and David Furnish,
who were friends with Gately and Cowles. Gately and Cowles held a commitment
ceremony in a wedding chapel whilst on holiday in Las Vegas in 2003. On 19 March 2006,
Gately entered into a civil partnership with Cowles in a ceremony in London.
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”