Stephen Gateley’s Boyzone bandmates have paid tribute to their late friend 13 years after his death.
and remembered their fellow No Matter What singer on Monday (October 10), which aged 33 from pulmonary oedema resulting from an undiagnosed heart condition.
In an emotional post on Instagram, Ronan admitted he had ‘a heavy heart’ as he shared a series of photos with Stephen both with the band and more candid shots from their friendship.
He wrote: ’13 years and doesn’t get any easier because I know how much living ya had in ya. Miss ya dude. A heavy heart.’
His fellow Boyzone star Keith also posted his own tribute on the social media platform, and hailed their late friend as his ‘guardian angel’ after catching up with ‘the Gately boys’ at his Boyzlife concert with Westlife star Brian McFadden in Edinburgh this week.
He wrote: ’13 years my guardian Angel ! I’ll never meet another living soul who loved me as unconditionally and honestly as my buddy Steo !
‘Miss you every single day I had your brothers family with me for a Special moment last night ❤️ keep an eye on me brother’.
Denise Van Outen and Peter Andre were among those who responded to Ronan and Keith’s posts with messages of support, and the pair replied to both with heart emojis.
A Place In The Sun presenter Laura Hamilton – who appeared with him in a pantomime production of Cinderella in the mid-2000s – also commented: ‘Loved my time working with Him. Sending [love]’.
Over summer, Keith used his experience of grief after Stephen’s death to following Tom Parker’s death earlier this year.
He told Metro.co.uk: ‘Each individual member of the group is going to have to deal with the loss in their own way.
‘Keeping the spirit of Tom alive would be a lovely thing for them to do, which is one thing myself and Boyzone have always made sure and made a huge effort to do to keep the spirit of Stephen Gately alive when we’re together.
‘Not only with Boyzone but with Brian and Boyzlife, from the first gig that Brian and I ever did together, we made a decision that every concert we ever do, we take a moment now, whether it be the autobiographical show or a big concert, we always take a moment to at least raise a glass to Stephen Gately and to keep those memories alive.
‘We still do that to this day.’
