The Wanted singer Jay McGuiness has become the final member of the group to pay tribute to the late Tom Parker.
more than a year after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
He is survived by wife Kelsey and their two children, Aurelia and Bodhi.
The Wanted stars , Nathan Sykes and Siva Kaneswaran have already , and now Jay has joined them in paying tribute.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Jay, 31, shared a black and white photo of his late bandmate, and wrote: ‘Tom, I miss you so much. I don’t know where you are now, but I am so honoured we got to spend time together on earth. An honour.
‘I keep reminding myself to be grateful for that time, and I really really am. I am.
‘You knew how to live life, fearlessly and with heart. You were so reassuring to be around. What a man. I can’t believe that it’s all memories now, every single memory now is priceless. Life is a gift and you made use of yours in the most powerful ways, you made your dreams come true, you found the love of your life, you brought two beautiful humans down to earth, you sang so so powerfully and beautifully and that will never die.’
Jay described how meeting Parker was always memorable as he didn’t ‘slip into anyone’s life quietly’, instead ‘[hitting] them like a ton of bricks and [looking] them square in the eyes’.
‘You talked to absolutely everyone as if they were no more and no less than you. What a man,’ Jay continued.
‘You really took your place in the world and you are so loved. I just wish you had more time, that’s selfish. You did amazing things. I just miss you. Thank you for always being there for me, without fail, always turning up, always looking out, always setting me straight lol. Ok enough. Give ‘em Hell.
‘I love you forever. from JayBird.’
Parker’s widow Kelsey replied: ‘Beautiful ❤️❤️ We all loved him so hard & he loved us hard. He was 1 in a million!! ❤️❤️ so bloody loved xxxx.’
Jay’s bandmate Siva Kaneswaran wrote: ‘Beautiful Bird x.’
and had been open about his health battle. In the weeks before his death, he flew to Spain for specialist treatment but still managed to make it in time to join The Wanted on their UK tour.
He appeared on stage at the shows seated on a chair while surrounded by his bandmates, and performed their last gig just two weeks before his death.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their , or for more information.
