Stephen Gately 17/03/1976 – 11/10/2009

“A man, a friend, a brother, a son, a husband and a hero.” These are the words Ronan Keating used to describe his best friend and band mate of 16 years at his funeral on Saturday.

Anyone who follows me on twitter will know I have been MIA due to the lack of internet after moving back to the North East and into a house that is apparently stuck in some parallel universe that BT can’t reach. But when I heard about the tragic and untimely death of one of the members of my first musical love Boyzone, I had to break my blogging silence.

Being 23, I was one of those defenceless girlies that was caught up in the inception of the Irish boyband craze, and like so many others I fell for the charms of the five Irish lads we now know as Ronan, Mikey, Shane, Keith and Stephen.

Over the years I have been lucky enough to meet the lads not once but twice. The first time I was only about eight years old. The boys had stepped in for PJ & Duncan – I know, ridicularse – to play at Summerland in the Isle of Man after they’d dropped out last minute. My mum’s friend was head of security at the venue so managed to get me back stage to meet the five men of my dreams – well realistically I was only interested in Ronan, Stephen as a back-up plan! They all gave me a little cuddle and signed this horrible orange t-shirt for me, which my mum later got framed and it now takes pride of place in our dressing room. I remember feeling so lucky and showing off my t-shirt to all my friends. I thought I was ace!

When the band announced their reunion tour a few years ago, I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. My mum’s friend got us tickets and I almost peed my pants with excitement as they burst on stage singing Picture of You. Naturally I knew all the words to every single song and nabbed myself a copy of the programme. Later in the year I befriended ‘Editor Ed’. He clearly fell for my charms and asked me to go with him to a festival called Faenol, the headline act, Boyzone. He swooped us press passes and I embarked on what is definitely up there as one of the best days of my life.

As we walked into the back stage area, Ronan and Stephen got out of the car in front of me and I wasted no time in running over, programme in hand and asking for their autographs. I was a little disappointed by Ronan. Granted he was a little late to their sound check but given that I have been buying his records for over 15 years, I don’t think a few minutes is too much to ask. Stephen on the other hand showed me why so many people in the music industry loved him. I asked him for his autograph and said with a huge smile and that gorgeous accent: “of course.” I told him that I had got the programme at their show in Newcastle and he proceeded to quiz me about the show, asking if I liked it and what I liked about it. It probably only lasted a few minutes but he made me feel like he really cared about what I thought. From everything I’ve heard since his death, this reflects his love for the band and his ambition to make their fans happy. Later I got to watch Stephen and Ronan sound check before watching the first few songs of their set from the pit. Ed also managed to catch all of them as they were leaving the venue for a quick pic.

Since hearing about Stephen’s death I have felt privileged that I got the chance to meet him and got a slight glimpse at the genuinely lovely person he was. My heart goes out to his husband, his family and the four boys that became his honorary brothers. Stephen will always have a special place in my heart as one of my very first crushes and a man who completely lived up to my expectations in real life. Boyzone will never be the same without the man who was so instrumental in bringing them back together but he will live on through their music. RIP Stephen, we will never forget you, no matter what.

“A beautiful man who is now the perfect angel…We know you have found peace, perfect peace.” – Ronan Keating