Boyzone have been paying tribute to the late Stephen Gately, on the anniversary of his passing.
The Irish boyband member passed away suddenly in October 2009 at the age of 33, at his holiday home in Majorca. It was later confirmed that Stephen died as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition.
To mark 16 years since his tragic passing, two of his fellow Boyzone singers - Ronan Keating and Keith Duffy - have taken the opportunity to honour his anniversary.
Earlier today, Ronan took to Instagram to post an old photo of himself and Stephen, during the early days of Boyzone.
“Years are passing fast. Miss you my friend my brother my Wing man,” the 48-year-old penned in his caption.
Ronan then went on to acknowledge Boyzone’s final two farewell concerts, which are due to take place at London's Emirates Stadium in June of next year.
“I’m sure you are laughing at the fact we have decided to approach this next chapter. Kills me to do it alone. But I know you are there. X,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Keith also took to Instagram to upload a video montage of moments from Stephen’s life, including the duo performing on stage together.
“16 years an Angel. Remembering our brother Steo today, forever in our hearts, voices, and every song we sing,” Keith wrote alongside the video.
Following their heartbreaking tributes, many Boyzone fans have also been taking to social media to extend their condolences.
“Still a big loss, he will never be forgotten. Lots of love today,” one follower commented.
“He will be there with you like he always has been,” another agreed.
“Always remembered, never forgotten. Sixteen years, but his light still shines through you all,” a third fan replied.
After announcing Boyzone’s two farewell concerts with Ronan, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch, Keith explained how the foursome intend to honour Stephen throughout their final shows.
“It wouldn’t be right or just to do the show without remembering Stephen. That will be a part of the show that we hope everybody will join in and celebrate with us. We don’t quite know exactly what that is yet. Every show that we’ve ever done without Stephen, we’ve always had a moment,” the 51-year-old stated at a recent press conference.
“We usually get a lot of feedback from the fans telling us that they loved that moment in the show, that it touched them, that it was perfect. Getting that right is going to be very important to us, but we wouldn’t be able to do a show without bringing him in,” Keith added.
