Boyzone were an Irish
boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager
Louis Walsh
Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...
. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's ''
The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of
Keith Duffy
Keith Peter Thomas Francis Julian John Duffy (born 1 October 1974) is an Irish singer, actor, radio and television presenter and drummer who began his professional music career as part of Irish boy band Boyzone alongside Ronan Keating, Mik ...
,
Stephen Gately
Stephen Patrick David Gately (17 March 197610 October 2009) was an Irish singer, who, with Ronan Keating, was co-lead singer of the pop group Boyzone; all of Boyzone's studio albums during Gately's lifetime hit number one in the United Kingdo ...
,
Mikey Graham
Michael Christopher Charles "Mikey" Graham (born 15 August 1972) is an Irish singer-songwriter, actor and record producer, best known as a member of boy band Boyzone.
Early life
The youngest of seven children, Graham was born to housewife Sheil ...
,
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career start ...
, and
Shane Lynch
Shane Eamon Mark Stephen Lynch (born 3 July 1976) is an Irish singer, but best known as a member of Boyzone. In recent years, he has taken up auto racing, participated in reality shows such as '' Celebrity Big Brother'' in 2018 and appeared as ...
. As of 2018, Boyzone have released seven studio albums and nine compilation albums.
In 2012, the
Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts in ...
revealed the biggest selling singles artists in British music chart history, with Boyzone currently placed at 29th and the second most successful boy band in Britain, behind
Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
. According to the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI), Boyzone has been certified for six million albums and over seven million singles in the UK, with 25 million records sold by 2013 worldwide.
Boyzone have had six UK No.1 singles and nine No.1 singles in Ireland. Of the 24 singles they released in the UK, 21 entered the top 40 (including 18 in the top 10 and 12 in the top 2) in the
UK charts and 22 singles (including 19 in the top 5) in the
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
charts. They have had five No. 1 albums in the UK.
The group split in 1999. Boyzone made a comeback in 2007, originally with the intention of just touring. Gately died on 10 October 2009 of natural causes while on holiday in the Spanish island of
Majorca.
Boyzone went on tour in late 2018 to celebrate their 25th anniversary. An album to celebrate the anniversary was released on 16 November 2018. On 28 April 2018, it was announced that the band would split for good after their anniversary celebrations, which ended in 2019.
History
''Said and Done'' (1993–1995)
In 1993, an advertisement appeared in Irish newspapers calling for auditions to form a new Irish "boy band" group. The advertisements were sent out by theatrical manager
Louis Walsh
Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...
who was looking to make an "Irish
Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
" following on from their success. The auditions were held in The Ormond Centre, in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
, in November 1993. More than 300 people replied to the advertisement. At the auditions the applicants were asked to sing the song "
Careless Whisper
"Careless Whisper" is a song written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Released on the 1984 Wham! album '' Make It Big'', the single release was credited either to ''Wham! featuring George Michael'' (in North America and several other coun ...
" by George Michael. Each audition would be taped and watched again to judge the applicant's performance. Out of the 300, 50 were selected for a second audition. For the second audition the applicants where asked to sing two songs, including one of their own choice with a backing tape.
Mikey Graham
Michael Christopher Charles "Mikey" Graham (born 15 August 1972) is an Irish singer-songwriter, actor and record producer, best known as a member of boy band Boyzone.
Early life
The youngest of seven children, Graham was born to housewife Sheil ...
sang "
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" is a power ballad performed by the American musician Meat Loaf. It is a track off his 1977 album ''Bat Out of Hell'', written by Jim Steinman. It spent 23 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at #11, and earned ...
" by Meat Loaf,
Keith Duffy
Keith Peter Thomas Francis Julian John Duffy (born 1 October 1974) is an Irish singer, actor, radio and television presenter and drummer who began his professional music career as part of Irish boy band Boyzone alongside Ronan Keating, Mik ...
sang "
I'm Too Sexy
"I'm Too Sexy" is a 1991 song by British group Right Said Fred, released as their debut single from their first album, '' Up'' (1992). It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, "I'm Too Sexy" topped the chart ...
" by Right Said Fred,
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career start ...
sang "
Father and Son Father and Son or Fathers and Sons may refer to:
Literature
* ''Father and Son'' (book), a 1907 memoir by Edmund Gosse
*Father and Son (comics), cartoon characters created by E. O. Plauen
* ''Fathers and Sons'' (novel), an 1862 novel by Ivan Tur ...
" by Cat Stevens (a cover version of which the band would later release), and Stephen Gately sang "
Hello
''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses
''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwich ...
" by Lionel Richie. Out of this 50, 10 were selected for a third audition. In the end, Keating, Gately, Duffy, Richard Rock (son of
Dickie Rock
Richard "Dickie" Rock (born 10 October 1936) is an Irish singer. He experienced much success on the Irish charts during the 1960s, but has continued on as a popular live act as well as occasionally hitting the charts ever since.
Early fame
Rock ...
),
Shane Lynch
Shane Eamon Mark Stephen Lynch (born 3 July 1976) is an Irish singer, but best known as a member of Boyzone. In recent years, he has taken up auto racing, participated in reality shows such as '' Celebrity Big Brother'' in 2018 and appeared as ...
and Mark Walton were chosen. This lineup of the group were mocked by both the audience and presenter
Gay Byrne in an appearance on ''
The Late Late Show'' in 1993, where they mimed and danced to the
Clubhouse
Clubhouse may refer to:
Locations
* The meetinghouse of:
** A club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal
** In the United States, a country club
** In the United Kingdom, a gentlemen's club
* A ...
hit "
Light My Fire
"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967, it spent three weeks at number one on ...
".
Graham originally was rejected but later join after the departure of Rock.
Boyzone played through 1994 in pubs and clubs all over Northern Ireland before
PolyGram signed them up in 1994 and released the cover version of the
Four Seasons' hit "
Working My Way Back to You
"Working My Way Back to You" is a song made popular by The Four Seasons in 1966 and The Spinners in 1980.
Written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, the song was originally recorded by The Four Seasons in 1966, reaching No. 9 on the U.S. ''B ...
", featuring Graham and Gately on lead vocals. It reached No. 3 in the Irish Charts. The release of their cover version of the classic
Johnny Bristol song, "
Love Me for a Reason
"Love Me for a Reason" is a song by Johnny Bristol. It was recorded most famously by The Osmonds, and released in 1974. Twenty years later, Boyzone covered the song. Both versions were successful, reaching the top ten of the charts in many coun ...
", broke into the British charts. The song hit No. 2 in the UK and was included in their 1995 hit debut album ''
Said and Done''. The album reached the No. 1 spot in Ireland and the UK. In 1995, the singles "
Key to My Life
"Key to My Life" is the third single from Irish boy band Boyzone, taken from their debut album, '' Said and Done'' (1995). After two covers, it became their first single to be an original song, co-written by members of the group. The song becam ...
", "
So Good" and "
Father and Son Father and Son or Fathers and Sons may refer to:
Literature
* ''Father and Son'' (book), a 1907 memoir by Edmund Gosse
*Father and Son (comics), cartoon characters created by E. O. Plauen
* ''Fathers and Sons'' (novel), an 1862 novel by Ivan Tur ...
" were released, which all got the attention of new fans in Europe.
''A Different Beat'' (1996–1997)
Their second album, ''
A Different Beat'', was released in 1996. It was the album that would bring the band worldwide success, and sold 2 million copies worldwide. The song "
Coming Home Now
"Coming Home Now" is the sixth single taken from Irish boy band Boyzone's debut album, ''Said and Done'' (1995). It was their only single to be written solely by the group, without any outside co-writers. The song peaked at number four on the UK ...
" was released as a single. Boyzone had their first UK No. 1 single, a cover of the
Bee Gees' hit "
Words
A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no conse ...
". The album also contained the hit singles "
A Different Beat" and "
Isn't It a Wonder".
In 1997, Boyzone released three singles: "Isn't It a Wonder", "
Picture of You", and "
Baby Can I Hold You/Shooting Star". The group performed "Let The Message Run Free" at the
Eurovision Song Contest 1997, co-hosted by Keating, in Dublin and tried to break the US market with their version of "Mystical Experience", which they also recorded in Spanish. Ronan Keating – who by now had emerged as the lead singer and frontman – won the
Ivor Novello Award
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...
for songwriting in 1997 for "Picture of You".
''Where We Belong'' (1998)
Their third studio album, ''
Where We Belong'', was released in 1998 and featured Boyzone's writing abilities; the album sold over 3 million copies worldwide. It contained the hit singles "
All That I Need" (which stayed for six weeks in the MTV Asia charts), "
Baby Can I Hold You" (
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason".
Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...
cover) and "
No Matter What".
Originally written for the
Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical ''
Whistle Down the Wind'', "No Matter What" was the group's best ever selling single selling over 4 million copies worldwide and it is the biggest selling record for a boy band, it was also voted Song of the Year, 1998. Since the song was also recorded by
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
, Boyzone shared the stage with him to perform the song during his 1998 live concert in Dublin. They also sang the song in Italy with
Luciano Pavarotti. Their 1998 tour of Ireland broke all sales records when 35,000 tickets were sold out in four hours.
''By Request'' and break (1999–2000)
In 1999, "When the Going Gets Tough", "You Needed Me" and "Every Day I Love You" were singles released which were worldwide hits. As well as their greatest hits compilation ''
By Request''—the highest-selling Boyzone album, having sold over 4 million copies worldwide—a tour followed from May–July 1999 in Ireland, the UK and Europe. In June 1999, Stephen Gately revealed that he was gay and was in love with the ex-
Caught in the Act member Eloy de Jong. Also during this year Keating released his first solo single, "
When You Say Nothing at All
"When You Say Nothing at All" is a country song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. It was a hit song for four different performers: Keith Whitley, who took it to the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart on December 24, 198 ...
", an
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...
song which he had recorded for the movie ''
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road Ma ...
''.
In November 1999, after six years together and amid growing tensions behind the scenes, the group members decided to take some time off from Boyzone to pursue solo projects. Boyzone performed together for the last time in Ireland at the point depot during nine dates running from 3–8 January and 10–12 January 2000. They had sold more than 20 million records in total and all 16 of their singles reached the UK top five, making them the first Irish act to have four No. 1 hits in the United Kingdom charts.
Hiatus (2001–2007)
For seven years after their split, the members had mixed success in their individual careers. Keating in particular remained a force in the music industry as he continued writing and managing other bands. Gately also continued his career as a solo artist, appearing in a number of
West End stage musicals, and Duffy had some success as an actor, including a role in the UK television soap ''
Coronation Street''. Rumours came to a head and in early 2007 there were news reports that all five members and their manager, ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' judge Walsh, had met in Dublin to discuss and organise a comeback tour. On 11 October 2007, Walsh was interviewed on ''
The Graham Norton Show
''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton s ...
''; when asked by
Norton Norton may refer to:
Places
Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada
* Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan
*Norton Parish, New Brunswick
**Norton, New Brunswick, a ...
whether there was going to be a re-launch of Boyzone he replied "I think so". On 5 November 2007, Keating confirmed that Boyzone would reunite for a special appearance on the BBC's annual fundraiser, ''
Children in Need'', performing a medley of hits, although had not yet commented on the possibility of a new tour or album. On 14 November 2007, it was reported that all five members of Boyzone were to begin a UK tour in May, which would be their first in seven years. Keating, who left the group to pursue a solo career, joined them for the series of concerts. On 16 November, Boyzone made a comeback appearance as part of ''Children in Need'' on BBC1 in the UK, with an Irish and UK tour announced for June 2008.
''Back Again... No Matter What'' tour and Gately's death (2008–2009)
The group sold 200,000 tickets for the tour within three hours and sold 20,000 tickets on the first day of them going on sale for their concert in the RDS Dublin. Keating told the ''Daily Star'': "We've been taking it easy on the
Guinness and been out for dinners and just a couple of drinks. We're taking the tour plans very seriously. We're all on diets and we've been training in the gym every day. I'm probably the fittest now that I've ever been. I think we all look better now than before. I can't wait to be back on the road and all the guys feel the same." The 29-date tour, taking in cities such as Cardiff, Newcastle, Liverpool, London at the O2 Arena and Wembley, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Edinburgh Castle and the RDS in Dublin.
The tour began on 25 May 2008 at Belfast's
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...
arena and finished at Carlisle Bitts Park on 23 August 2008. On 29 August 2008 Boyzone played alongside other acts such as
Sandi Thom
Alexandria "Sandi" Thom () (born 11 August 1981) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Banff, Scotland. She became widely known in 2006 after her debut single, "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)", t ...
and
Scouting For Girls
Scouting for Girls are an English pop rock band. Their name is a play on the title of the 1908 Scouting handbook ''Scouting for Boys''. The band was formed in 2005 by three childhood friends from London, Roy Stride on piano and lead guitar/voca ...
at an event in Blackpool to switch on the
Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool Illuminations is an annual Illuminations (festival), lights festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year, held each autumn in the British seaside resort of Blackpool on the The Fylde, Fylde Coast in Lancashire ...
, an annual event in the town. The event received coverage on
BBC Radio 2. On 3 September, the video for
Love You Anyway debuted on the digital music channel
The Box. It features all five members of the best-known lineup of Boyzone with Keating taking most of the lead vocals. The single received its first play on 20 August 2008, live on
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 week ...
's Radio 2 Breakfast show. On 6 October 2008, "Love You Anyway" entered the UK charts at No. 5, making it their 17th consecutive top five single. On 8 December their second single of 2008 "Better" was released and charted at No. 22 in the UK charts, No. 26 in the Irish charts and N. 63 in the European hot singles charts. On 28 August 2009 the group joined
Yvette Fielding
Yvette Paula Fielding (born 23 September 1968) is an English television presenter, producer and actress. She became the youngest presenter on ''Blue Peter'' aged 18, and one of her episodes was subsequently voted the "Favourite ''Blue Peter'' mom ...
in Edinburgh for a ''
Ghosthunting with...'' show for ITV2.
In 2009, Boyzone played their Better Tour, which was the last tour to feature Gately. On 10 October 2009, Gately died suddenly at his flat in
Port d'Andratx, Majorca.
Gately's bandmates flew to Majorca on 11 October 2009;
Walsh was expected to join them soon after. The surviving members of Boyzone,
Keith Duffy
Keith Peter Thomas Francis Julian John Duffy (born 1 October 1974) is an Irish singer, actor, radio and television presenter and drummer who began his professional music career as part of Irish boy band Boyzone alongside Ronan Keating, Mik ...
,
Mikey Graham
Michael Christopher Charles "Mikey" Graham (born 15 August 1972) is an Irish singer-songwriter, actor and record producer, best known as a member of boy band Boyzone.
Early life
The youngest of seven children, Graham was born to housewife Sheil ...
,
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career start ...
and
Shane Lynch
Shane Eamon Mark Stephen Lynch (born 3 July 1976) is an Irish singer, but best known as a member of Boyzone. In recent years, he has taken up auto racing, participated in reality shows such as '' Celebrity Big Brother'' in 2018 and appeared as ...
, issued a joint statement: Post-mortem and toxicology tests took place on 13 October and showed that Gately died from a
pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema, also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive liquid accumulation in the tissue and air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause hypoxemia and respiratory failure. It is due t ...
resulting from an undiagnosed heart condition.
On 16 October, accompanied by the four surviving members of Boyzone,
his body was brought from Majorca to Dublin where his funeral took place at the Church of St Laurence O'Toole the following day.
Fans responded with messages of sympathy on the
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
.
Boyzone manager
Louis Walsh
Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...
was quoted as saying: "We're all absolutely devastated. I'm in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don't know much about what's happened yet. I only heard after ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' (UK television talent show on which Walsh is a judge) and we will rally around each other this week. He was a great man."
''Brother'' (2010–2011)
![Boyzone2011tour](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Boyzone2011tour.jpg)
The four surviving Boyzone members were originally going to release the new album in mid-2010 with a summer tour following the album, but the album was released in March 2010 which was earlier than planned. The album was released as a tribute to Gately which included two new songs that were performed by Gately before his death. One song was written by singer-songwriter
Mika
Mika is a given name, a nickname and a surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include:
People known just as Mika
* Mika (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Michael Penniman, Jr.
* Mika (footbal ...
, who has also claimed that the new song he wrote for Boyzone is the last one which will feature Gately's vocals in which he and Keating shared the vocals and originally the song would have led to Ronan singing first then Stephen would sing the second part prior to that, the song was released as their fourth studio album on 8 March 2010. The track written by Mika became the lead single from the new album, titled "
Gave It All Away". Graham stated that "Gave It All Away" would be released on 1 March 2010 and the album was released a week afterwards. To date, the single has sold over 130,000 copies in the UK alone. The single charted in Australia and New Zealand and peaked at No. 9 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and at No. 1 on the
Irish Singles Chart.
Boyzone's fourth studio album, ''
Brother
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
'' was released on 8 March 2010 and become their fourth studio number one album so far in both Ireland and the UK selling 400,000 copies in the UK, 30,000 copies in Republic of Ireland and 7,000 in Germany, the album also charted in several other European countries, Australia and in the top ten in New Zealand. It has sold over 600,000 copies worldwide as of 2012. "
Love Is a Hurricane" was the second and final single from ''Brother''. It was released on 17 May, peaking at No. 44 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and at No. 39 on the
Irish Singles Chart, selling 12,000 copies. In mid-2010, it was announced that they would be touring the UK and Ireland during February and March 2011 with a 21 date tour of Ireland and UK with their arena-based
Brother Tour
The Brother Tour was the first tour by Irish boy band Boyzone following the death of Stephen Gately.
Background
At first the band were uncertain about promoting Brother but due to the album's success they decided to go on tour. The act includ ...
and four outdoor shows around the UK during August, the tour was seen by 160,000 fans and the tour grossed million in total. A Huge contribution to the background and lead vocals in their tours since 2011 has come from backing vocalist Jo Garland who has sung with
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career start ...
in his solo ventures since 2001 and with Boyzone since 2008, her vocals have been more prominent often covering for vocals that
Stephen Gately
Stephen Patrick David Gately (17 March 197610 October 2009) was an Irish singer, who, with Ronan Keating, was co-lead singer of the pop group Boyzone; all of Boyzone's studio albums during Gately's lifetime hit number one in the United Kingdo ...
sung. A DVD of the tour from
The O2 Arena
The O2 Arena, commonly known as the O2 (stylised as The O2 arena), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of the O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the s ...
will be released in December 2013. Boyzone performed "No Matter What" with
Kym Marsh
Kimberley Gail Ratcliff (''née'' Marsh, previously Ryder and Lomas; born 13 June 1976) is an English actress, television presenter and singer. In 2001, she won a place in the band Hear'Say as a result of appearing on the reality television ser ...
on an ITV programme called ''Coronation Street: The Big 50'', broadcast on
ITV1
ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...
on 10 December 2010, but Graham was not present due to other commitments.
BZ20 (2013)
Lynch said in an interview on
ITV1
ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...
show
Loose Women that Boyzone will be releasing a new album and be touring in 2013 which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band forming. Duffy told The Sun newspaper, "We've plans in place for a tour and an album next year for the 20th anniversary, The album will probably involve the O2 arena in London, it's very exciting!, we've a very loyal fanbase that always come in their thousands. It's a nice set-up. We never broke up, so we can take time out to do our own thing, and then get back together when it suits."
Tickets for the anniversary tour
BZ20
''BZ20'' is the fifth studio album by Irish boy band Boyzone, released on 22 November 2013 by Rhino Records. It was mainly produced by Brian Rawling, Paul Meehan, and Matt Furmidge. As of October 2014, the album had sold 250,000 copies worldwide ...
went on sale on 14 February 2013, the tour was released in a cd format and include the DVD of their 2011 tour which has been held back from release until December 2013. As part of the 20th anniversary the band recorded a programme on 12 June 2013 which aired on Irish channel
RTÉ One
RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís ...
on 27 August called "Boyzone - For One Night Only". On 24 September 2013, the band performed one of the songs from their new album called "Love Will Save the Day" on ''
The X Factor Australia
''The X Factor'' is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent. The first season of the show premiered on Network Ten on 6 February 2005. Ten dropped ''The X Factor'' after ...
''. It was announced on the same day that the brand new album will be released on 25 November 2013 and became available to pre-order from Amazon. Boyzone released their new studio album
BZ20
''BZ20'' is the fifth studio album by Irish boy band Boyzone, released on 22 November 2013 by Rhino Records. It was mainly produced by Brian Rawling, Paul Meehan, and Matt Furmidge. As of October 2014, the album had sold 250,000 copies worldwide ...
in November 2013 and it sold 200,000 copies in the UK, peaking at number 6 in the UK charts and number 7 in the Irish charts. ''Love Will save The Day'' was released a week previously and peaked at number 39 in the UK charts selling 20,000 copies.
''From Dublin to Detroit'' and Asian/UK festivals (2014–2017)
In early 2014, a compilation album ''Love Me for a Reason: The Collection'' was released and it has charted in Ireland and Belgium. In 2014, further dates were added to their
BZ20 Tour
The BZ20 Tour was a tour by Irish boy band Boyzone, celebrating the band's 20 years of existence. It included dates in England, Scotland, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. A huge contribution to the background and lead vocals ...
. On 17 July 2014, it was announced that Boyzone would be releasing a sixth studio album called ''From Dublin To Detroit'', a 12-song album with covers of motown hits. Keith Duffy said "We're basically just covering some of our favourite songs from the Motown era, and putting a full album together. So we've got 12 really exciting tracks coming out. It's going to give us a whole new catalogue of music to perform. And it will be very interesting how it fits in with our own back catalogue. It's kind of rejuvenating us. It's giving us just good times and good memories in the studio. So fingers crossed people will receive it well and it goes well for us."
On 29 September 2014 a few songs from the album were announced on Twitter; Upon release, the album
Dublin to Detroit
''Dublin to Detroit'' is the sixth studio album by Irish boy band Boyzone. It was released on 21 November 2014 by East West Records. It is the group's first concept album and features renditions of classic Motown hits. ''Dublin to Detroit'' becam ...
featured 11 songs with a deluxe version having an extra 2 songs. The album sold 90,000 copies in the UK. In 2015, Boyzone toured Asia, England and Scotland with 12 dates.
Boyzone toured the UK in late summer of 2017 along with 4 outdoor dates in
Chelmsford City Racecourse
Chelmsford City racecourse, originally known as Great Leighs Racecourse, is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Great Leighs near Chelmsford, Essex, England. When it opened in April 2008, it was the first entirely new racecourse in the ...
,
Derby County Cricket Ground,
Hastings Pier
Hastings Pier is a public pleasure pier in Hastings, East Sussex, England. Built in 1872 and enjoying its prime in the 1930s, it became a popular music venue in the 1960s. The structure suffered major storm damage in 1990, and was closed to the ...
and
Windsor Racecourse
Windsor Racecourse, also known as Royal Windsor Racecourse, is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the United Kingdom, the other being at Fontwell Park.
Des ...
.
''Thank You & Goodnight'' and 25th anniversary (2018)
In December 2017, it was announced that the album had been finalized and was ready for release in 2018.
In April 2018, it was confirmed that Boyzone will be releasing a new studio album in September and will tour the UK in 2018 with arena shows. Keith Duffy announced in March 2017 that Boyzone had a signed a contract with
Warner Music
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...
for an album and an arena tour. The album was be titled ''
Thank You & Goodnight
''Thank You & Goodnight'' is the seventh and final studio album by Irish boy band Boyzone, which was released on 16 November 2018. The album sold 100,000 copies in the UK.
Background
Keith Duffy announced in March 2017 that Boyzone had a signed ...
''.
The album was released on 16 November 2018 by
Warner Music
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...
and it peaked at number 10 in Ireland and 6 in the UK. Shane Lynch compared the album's style to that of American singer
Charlie Puth
Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube. Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after p ...
, and both
Sam Smith
Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on Disclosure's breakthrough single " Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, they ...
and
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently re ...
wrote some material for the album.
30th anniversary
It is speculated that the band will re-form for their 30th anniversary in 2024 With a new album and tour
Discography
*''
Said and Done'' (1995)
*''
A Different Beat'' (1996)
*''
Where We Belong'' (1998)
*''
Brother
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
'' (2010)
*''
BZ20
''BZ20'' is the fifth studio album by Irish boy band Boyzone, released on 22 November 2013 by Rhino Records. It was mainly produced by Brian Rawling, Paul Meehan, and Matt Furmidge. As of October 2014, the album had sold 250,000 copies worldwide ...
'' (2013)
*''
Dublin to Detroit
''Dublin to Detroit'' is the sixth studio album by Irish boy band Boyzone. It was released on 21 November 2014 by East West Records. It is the group's first concept album and features renditions of classic Motown hits. ''Dublin to Detroit'' becam ...
'' (2014)
*''
Thank You & Goodnight
''Thank You & Goodnight'' is the seventh and final studio album by Irish boy band Boyzone, which was released on 16 November 2018. The album sold 100,000 copies in the UK.
Background
Keith Duffy announced in March 2017 that Boyzone had a signed ...
'' (2018)
Tours
Awards and nominations
, -
, style"text-align:center;" rowspan="5", 1999
, Boyzone
,
BRIT Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
for Best International Group
,
, -
, "When the Going Gets Tough"
,
BRIT Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
for Best International Single
,
, -
, ''By Request''
,
MTV Europe Music Award
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
for Best Album
,
, -
, Boyzone
,
MTV Europe Music Award
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
for Best Pop
,
, -
, Boyzone
,
MTV Europe Music Award
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
for Best UK and Ireland Act
,
, -
, style"text-align:center;" rowspan="3", 1998
, "No Matter What"
,
BRIT Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
for Best International Single
,
, -
, "No Matter What"
,
The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year was an award voted by the United Kingdom public. For many years it was given in conjunction with television programmes of the same name. The first show ran in the early evening on a December Saturday just before Christmas ...
for Best Single
,
, -
, Boyzone
,
MTV Europe Music Award
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
for Best Pop
,
, -
, style"text-align:center;" rowspan="3", 1997
, Boyzone
,
BRIT Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
for Best International Group
,
, -
, Boyzone
, Irish Music Awards for Best Group
,
, -
, "Picture of You"
,
Ivor Novello Award
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...
for Best Contemporary Song
,
, -
, style"text-align:center;" rowspan="2", 1996
, Boyzone
,
BRIT Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
for Best International Newcomer
,
, -
, Boyzone
,
Metro Broadcast Corporation
Metro Broadcast Corporation Ltd. () is one of Hong Kong's three radio broadcasting corporations. It was founded on 1 July 1991, and is owned by the Hong Kong-listed CK Hutchison Holdings.
Services
Metro Broadcast operates three radio chan ...
Hit Awards for Best Team Achievement
,
, -
, style"text-align:center;", 1995
, Boyzone
, ''Smash Hits'' poll winner for Best Group
,
References
External links
Official websiteBBC Gallery: Boyzone at Blickling Hall (summer 2008)Boyzone Back in Germany!Boyzone Fanzone- Boyzone fan forums
Meet Me Halfway- Website for Michael Graham fans with adjoining forums
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyzone
Irish pop music groups
Irish boy bands
Musical groups from Dublin (city)
Musical groups established in 1993
Musical groups disestablished in 2000
Musical groups reestablished in 2007
Musical groups disestablished in 2019
Musical quartets
1993 establishments in Ireland
2000 disestablishments in Ireland
2019 disestablishments in Ireland
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Teen pop groups
Ballad music groups
Polydor Records artists
Rhino Records artists
East West Records artists