Boyzone’s Keith Duffy has spoken candidly about the tragic death of Liam Payne, calling it an “eye-opener” for the entire music industry. Speaking at the world premiere of the new docu-series Boyzone: No Matter What, Duffy, now 50, emphasised the importance of mental health support for artists, especially those in the spotlight. He highlighted how the pressure of fame often takes a toll on the mental well-being of young musicians.
The former Boyzone star was reflecting on the nature of the music industry, particularly in the 1990s, when boybands like Boyzone were in their prime. “Boybands have been known to be used as puppets and a marketable commodity that have a shelf life, but fame comes alongside that,” Duffy explained to the PA news agency. “And I think the great loss of that young man from One Direction is an eye-opener to everybody in the music business.”
Duffy’s comments came in the wake of Liam Payne’s tragic death. Payne, the former One Direction star, passed away aged 31 on October 16 after a fall from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The cause of death was reported as “polytrauma,” and five people have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the incident.
The Boyzone star went on to stress the importance of supporting young artists not just financially, but also emotionally and mentally. “It’s all well and good to make money from young guys in a band. It’s all well and good to promote their brand and their music,” Duffy said. “But somebody needs to take care of their mental state. Somebody needs to make sure that they’re OK. They need to be kind.”
At the same premiere, Duffy’s Boyzone bandmate Ronan Keating shared his thoughts on the making of Boyzone: No Matter What, describing the experience as “therapy.” Keating reflected on how the three-part Sky series, which revisits the band’s rise to fame, took them through an emotional journey. “It took hours and hours and hours to film this,” he explained. “And it took hours for us to actually get into that headspace. So the first hour might be quite light, but after two, three, four, five, six hours of talking about it, it’s incredible. It’s like therapy. You go darker and deeper into your life and into your experiences.”
Keating also touched on his complicated relationship with Louis Walsh, the band’s former manager. While expressing gratitude for Walsh’s contributions to Boyzone’s success, Keating admitted that some of Walsh’s decisions were less than ideal. “We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him, but some of the things he did were wrong,” Keating said. “The choices he made weren’t right, and he’s apologised somewhat, but you know. It is what it is. It’s grand. It’s OK. You know, I’m still here. It’s sad in ways, I wish we had a better relationship.”
Shane Lynch, another member of Boyzone, echoed the sentiment that while being in a band could have its dark moments, it was also an incredibly joyful experience. “There’s a dark side to it too, and we talk about some of it, but there’s also a lot of joyous times in there,” Lynch explained. “It was a mega time to be part of an industry called the music industry, being a pop star, what a beautiful honour to have a position like that in life. So it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s a lot of darkness in there, but there’s a lot of joy in there, a lot of sadness in there.”
More Read
The new docu-series Boyzone: No Matter What offers a candid look into the band’s journey, touching on both the highs and lows of their rise to fame. Duffy, Keating, Lynch, Michael ‘Mikey’ Graham, and Stephen Gately, who tragically passed away in 2009, made up the iconic Irish boyband that sold millions of albums and produced unforgettable hits like Words, A Different Beat, and No Matter What.
Fans of the band will be able to catch the three-part series, Boyzone: No Matter What, when it premieres on Sky and streaming service Now from February 2. The documentary is expected to delve into the personal experiences of the band members, exploring their time in the limelight and the emotional challenges they faced along the way.
For Keith Duffy, Liam Payne’s tragic death serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of mental health awareness within the music industry. As the band prepares to revisit their legacy in Boyzone: No Matter What, Duffy hopes the series will inspire a broader conversation about the pressures facing artists today.
