[Boyzone] Stephen Gately Dead

Wow. This is a such a shock.

I just read from Jezebel that Stephen Gately has died! And almost lost in a long list of the week’s random celeb news. He didn’t even get his own post. 🙁

If you don’t know, Stephen Gately was a member of the 90s boyband Boyzone. If you’re under the age of 25, you probably don’t know who the heck they were. But they were one of the first boybands, even before the Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, Code Red and whole slew of boys whose bands names have slipped me by. A long gone era. But not forgotten.

Especially not Stephen. He was the first of many boys I loved who turned out to be gay. Yes. I could see the signs. The high notes his shrilly voice could reach. His ultimate dream of singing in a Disney movie. (He got that. He sang Shooting Star, but I forget which movie.) But he was so cute with his bright blue eyes and cherry lips. I couldn’t help it. And in his interviews, he said he liked girls!!!

I joined the Boyzone fan club for him! And then when he came out and I heard he was shacking up with this other super cute guy from another defunct boyband (you know, the one that sang Boom, the moon and stars, lalala ok I forgot), my heart broke. And I wrote him a long long long letter telling him how I felt and sent it to his fanclub address and all I got was a thank you fax in return, but which I carefully kept in my wallet for months, because all five boys had signed it. Then one day I opened it again and the page was blank. Oh you, evil fax paper, you. I didn’t know fax paper did that. My heart broke again.

Sigh. I turned my affections to Ronan after that. Then he got married, and well, by that time I think I was into other boybands…

Oh, the times. The times.

Stephen was so young. Only 33. I’m sure he still had so many dreams left unfinished. And my heart can’t help but ache for the boy, whom once upon a time when I was very very young, I thought I knew and loved and wanted to marry.

Here’s to you Stephen. Thanks for the memories.

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