Paul Cattermole passed away at the age of 46, just weeks after S Club 7 announced a comeback tour. “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the untimely passing of our beloved son and brother, Paul Cattermole,” his family and the pop group said in a statement.
It was stated that the cause of his death is unknown, but there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his passing on Thursday.
S Club 7 was one of the most popular musical groups during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Their most popular songs were Reach, Don’t Stop Moving, and S Club Party. They had eleven top 10 singles in the United Kingdom, including four number ones, and sold over 10 million albums worldwide. Moreover, they won two Brit Awards.
The statement read,
“While the cause of death is currently unknown, Dorset Police has confirmed that no suspicious circumstances were present.” Paul’s family, colleagues, and fellow S Club members ask for privacy at this time.”
On social media, his companions expressed their devastation.
“There are no adequate words to express the profound sorrow and loss we all feel,” they wrote.
“We are so grateful to have had him in our lives and for the incredible memories we have.”
Each and every one of us will mourn him tremendously.
The group announced a reunion tour in February, with 11 arena dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland scheduled for later this year.
“Gentle and timid”
Fan and acquaintance tributes have flooded in. Vernon Kay, a radio and television host, described the news of Cattermole’s demise as “so very sad.”
Jeremy Edwards, the ex-boyfriend of S Club 7’s Rachel Stevens, sent his condolences to her family and friends.
“Paul was a beacon for a generation of pop music fans, and he will be greatly missed,” said the group’s manager, Simon Fuller, who founded the band in 1998. We are all startled and distressed by this news.”
Lorraine Kelly, a television host, described Cattermole as a “lovely man” to interview, adding that she was “struck by how gentle and shy he was.” Lost a portion of our youth.
When I was eight years old, my mother informed me that she had secured tickets to the trendiest show in town, S Club 7 at Wembley Arena in 2002.
At the height of their popularity, it was impossible to attend a school disco or birthday party without swaying to Reach or S Club Party.
As I entered the arena, after pleading with my mother to purchase me a band T-shirt and an enormous glow stick, I was unaware that this would be one of Paul Cattermole’s final live performances with the band. A few months later, as the group transitioned from S Club 7 to S Club, he departed.
Everyone in elementary school was devastated when their favorite seven-piece band disbanded. Paul’s media presence had never been at the vanguard of the band, but he felt like part of the furniture.
I was excited to see him and the rest of the band perform at the O2 later this year after he revealed he would be participating in the 25th-anniversary celebrations. It’s tough to lose a piece of your boyhood today, and I’m sure many other fans feel the same way.
Cattermole was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and his grandfather worked at the famous Abbey Road studios in London, inspiring him to pursue a career in music at an early age.
As a teenager, he joined the National Youth Music Theatre and envisioned a future in large stage productions.
At the age of 16, he decided to pursue a different musical path, founding the heavy metal band Skua. A few years later, he was ambivalent about joining a pop group, but after initial reluctance, he decided the opportunity was too excellent to pass up.
S Club 7 rose to prominence in 1999 on the BBC children’s television program Miami 7 before achieving massive chart success.
Cattermole left the group in 2002, citing the band’s desire to adopt a more cool and modern sound as opposed to the management’s insistence that they adhere to bubblegum pop.
In 2019, he stated to the Guardian,
“I had to leave because things were being handled so poorly.”
Paul Cattermole rejoined his former band but struggled to break out of the pop ghetto; his association with S Club prevented him from pursuing a credible rock career.
Following his departure, the remaining members of the band omitted the number from their name and disbanded the following year.
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, there were reunions, some of which included Cattermole.
He told the Guardian,
“It was five years of my life.” “When I was 20, I firmly believed that it would be accomplished by the time I turned 40. And it is not… I’ve responded to S Club queries for twenty years.
“It will be great – it will be bliss – to one day not have to, but I fully accept that it is a part of life.”
The seven members of S Club reunited in 2014, and Cattermole starred in The Rocky Horror Show the following year. However, he claimed he was severely injured during that voyage.
In 2018, he told NME:
“There was an unchoreographed bit of dancing that went wrong, and someone fell on me.”
The injury made it difficult for him to obtain performing work, and he claimed he never saw much of the group’s earnings.
In 2018, he listed his 2000 Brit Award statuette for best newcomer on eBay. After a large tax bill, he claimed he was “penniless” and bankruptcy loomed.
He stated on ITV’s Loose Women that he desired to appear on a reality television program, but “they haven’t wanted me.”
The Guardian reported in 2019 that Cattermole had moved on to odd positions, including managing a community radio station.
In recent years, he provided personal tarot readings prior to the announcement of the most recent reunion.
The band was enthusiastic about their upcoming tour, telling the Sun that they hoped to bring “a little bit of joy” to the world following difficult times.
Paul Cattermole told the newspaper in February of this year,
“There is a genuine sense of optimism that I’ve taken up from everyone.
“It’s like, let’s go make people happy while simultaneously making ourselves happy.”
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