Father of Westlife singer dies

Westlife member Nicky Byrne has flown back from a tour in London to comfort his mother in Dublin following the death of his father, Nicky Byrne Sr.

Nicky Sr, 60, was a singer in his own right on the Irish cabaret scene.

His death follows other recent boy band tragedies with Westlife bandmate Kian Egan and Take That’s Gary Barlow also losing their fathers, not to mention the death of Boyzone’s Stephen Gately.

Kian said he spoke briefly with Nicky Byrne yesterday and said the young singer was inconsolable: “He was very broken up. I never expected to be talking to the boys about another death of our parents so soon after my own father died.”