Fame Academy star Gary Phelan dies, aged 42

Gary Phelan, one of the stars of BBC show Fame Academy, has died aged 42.

The Newcastle musician rose to fame on the second series of the talent show in the year that saw Alex Park crowed winner.

According to tributes paid to Phelan on social media, the musician died last month in Dubai. His cause of death has not yet been confirmed; a JustGiving page has been set up to help return his body to the UK.

On that, a post read: “For all of us that knew Gary Phelan, his passing away has come as a total shock, created enormous sadness for his family, friends and past work colleagues leaving a massive hole in all of our lives. Many people have been asking, can we help? Can we do anything for Barbara, his mum? How can we show love?

I have set up this urgent JustGiving page because we have one ask of everyone that knew him. That is we need to get him home to his family from Dubai. Gary had moved there just over a year ago to begin a new chapter in his life performing almost daily with a mixture of his own songs and covers that he loved. “

A post update on the page said that Phelan’s body was returned over the weekend to his family in the UK.

The Just Giving page added a further tribute, writing: “Gary lived his 42 year long life to the full, created many wonderful memories for us all to look back on and cherish. He was generous, giving and thoughtful and each and every one of us that knew him will have stories to tell for the rest of our days. He was truly the best of friends, and someone I know we are all going to miss.

“Please share to anyone you know that knew Gary as a person or through his big love of Music. We all know how much joy he got from writing a new song, performing as a solo artist or as part of a band. Im sure everyone that knew him got to see him sing at one time or another, he really sang with such heart!”

Phelan’s former manager Simon Hanning also paid tribute to the musician on Facebook. He wrote: “I am so so sad to share the tragic news that my buddy, my friend and artist I managed Gary Phelan was found in his apartment in Dubai at the weekend.

“I am beyond devastated and can’t as yet put into words how this news has left his family and friends feeling. He was loved by so many people, and I am already missing our chats, his sending me his latest song he’d written and the general banter we had.

“We did some amazing things together, he was everything you would ask of a friend. I’m truly heart broken.”

After finishing Fame Academy in 2003, Phelan went on to record new music and tour the country before recently moving to Dubai. Earlier this year, as per Metro, he performed at the What’s On Dubai awards.

Tributes to the musician have been shared on social media. Writing on Facebook, one friend wrote: “We had some wonderful times together in our twenties. I played bass for him for 5 years, he took me on a journey touring the UK and recording in top studios.”

It added: “Gary opened up the world for me musically and professionally and we shared some once in a life time moments together – I’ll always be grateful.”

This is a developing story – more to follow

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