Singer Tom Parker, from the British-Irish band The Wanted, has died after a battle with brain cancer at the age of 33. His wife, Kelsey Parker, shared the sad news on Instagram today, saying Tom passed away peacefully and with his loved ones surrounding him.
In her touching message, Kelsey wrote, “Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence. We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children. Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end. I’m forever proud of you.”
After being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in late 2020, according to the BBC, the singer shared the news with his fans, saying he didn’t want to try to hide it. He underwent treatment and a year later, he revealed on Instagram that his cancer was “stable.” He continued treatment over the past few months, which caused him to miss part of The Wanted’s reunion tour that they embarked on this year, according to the Independent.
He wrote on Instagram at the beginning of March, “I’m obviously gutted that I’ll be missing the first few shows but as I’m sure you will understand, I have to complete my treatment cycle. I’ve been zooming into rehearsals all week and I know that the show will be incredible and that my boys will hold the fort until I’m back.”
Fortunately, he was able to join his bandmates on stage again before he died, using a custom throne in place of his requisite wheelchair. The happy-go-lucky group seemed almost back to the way it was a decade ago as they came together on stage as a full unit.
As the tour came to a close, Parker shared that he was working on a book about his life. Intended to show hope, the book will be about living out your dreams, just like Parker did for his whole life. Coming this summer, the book will touch on all aspects of his life, including his music career and his time as a husband to Kelsey and father to his two children, Aurelia and Bodhi.
Our thoughts are with his family, his bandmates and all of his fans as they go through this incredibly difficult time.
Photo via Getty/ Raymond Boyd
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