Boyzone

Theatrical manager Louis Walsh decided in 1993 there was a gap in the market for an Irish boy band to rival Take That and advertised for members. Among the applicants were Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately with whom he formed Boyzone. Their first single, a cover of the Four Seasons' 'Working My Way Back to You' in 1994 charted in Ireland, but it was their second single, a cover of The Osmonds' 'Love Me For a Reason' which marked their breakthrough in the UK. For the next six years they became prime pin-ups, dominating the charts with massive hits like 'Words' and 'No Matter What' until splitting in 2000. They pursued other ventures and Keating achieved solo success, but they reunited in 2007 for an appearance on 'Children in Need'. Announcing a tour for 2008, the band released 'Back Again... No Matter What' which featured some of their greatest hits as well as new singles 'Love You Anyway' and 'Better'. In 2009, while at his home in Majorca, Stephen Gately died from a pulmonary edema as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition. Wishing to honour the memory of their band mate, the four surviving members of Boyzone released 'Brother', an album that they recorded with Gately before his death. The album topped the UK and Irish Albums charts with the single 'Gave It All Away' also making number one. In 2013 they celebrated their 20th anniversary with a new album and tour. 'BZ20' charted at number six in the UK and they embarked on a tour of the UK and Asia performing at several festivals along the way. Five years later, to mark their 25th anniversary, they released 'Thank You & Goodnight'. With a slight change of pace from their usual ballad style, the album was released as their last offering together before they disband.

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