Keith Duffy shares heartfelt tribute on Stephen Gately's 50th birthday
"Always part of the family"
Last updated 7 hours ago
Keith Duffy shared a touching and personal tribute to his late Boyzone bandmate Stephen Gately on what would have been his 50th birthday. Marking the moment on St Patrick’s Day (17th March), Keith raised a toast alongside friends and family, honouring the singer’s memory.
Sharing a video on social media, the caption read: 'A very special St. Patrick’s Day as we raise a glass for Steo’s 50th birthday. 🥂☘️ 17 years an angel, but always part of the family.
'Whether you remember him from Boyzone, Joseph, or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, his light still shines. Happy Heavenly Birthday, Stephen. 🪽🎂' (sic)
Stephen was the sweet-voiced heart of Boyzone, the Dublin-formed boy band who dominated late‑90s pop charts. In October 2009, Stephen died suddenly in Mallorca at just 33, after a pulmonary oedema caused by an undiagnosed congenital heart condition, a death later ruled as natural causes.
Formed by manager Louis Walsh in 1993, Boyzone brought Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen together into an Irish vocal powerhouse. Across the decade, they scored multiple UK and Irish Number 1s with hits like 'Love Me For A Reason', 'Words' and 'No Matter What', becoming one of Britain and Ireland’s defining pop groups.
They first split in 2000 before reforming in 2007, continuing to tour and record in Stephen’s memory after his death.
Today, the remaining members balance solo careers, broadcasting and acting work with carefully chosen reunions. In December 2025, Ronan spoke to Magic Radio's Harriet Scott and co-host Harry Judd about how Ed Sheeran had a major influence in the band's decision to reunite for what would become their final farewell concert this year, after watching Sky's 'Boyzone: No Matter What’ documentary in early 2025.
"(Ed) said, ‘These are the people’s songs, you’ve got to give these songs back to people again,'" Ronan told the hosts.
He added that the comment stuck with him and helped drive his determination to move ahead with large-scale live performances, saying: "It was such a strong comment for him to make to me, that it was part of the catalyst to push for the stadium shows".
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