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S Club 7's Paul Cattermole dies at 46, weeks after the band announced its reunion

Rebecca Cohen   

S Club 7's Paul Cattermole dies at 46, weeks after the band announced its reunion
  • S Club 7's Paul Cattermole died at 46 years old, the band announced on Twitter Friday.
  • According to a statement from his family, Cattermole was found dead at his home Thursday.

S Club 7 member Paul Cattermole died at 46 years old, the band announced in a tweet.

"We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul," the band wrote Friday. "There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel. We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have."

"He will be so deeply missed by each and every one of us. We ask that you respect the privacy of his family and of the band at this time," S Club 7 said.

The BBC reported that Cattermole was found dead at his home Thursday, according to a statement from Cattermole's family. The cause of death is not known, the statement said.

S Club 7, which was created in 1998 by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, had just announced a 25th anniversary reunion tour in the UK.

"I think where we are in the world right now, we just want to get up there and bring some joy and positivity," bandmate Rachel Stevens said at a press conference in February.

The British pop group's original lineup also included Tina Barrett, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O'Meara, and Hannah Spearritt. All seven were set to return for the anniversary tour.

The septet quickly rose to fame after starring in the BBC series "Miami 7," created and cowritten by Kim Fuller, who also spearheaded the 1997 film "Spice World."

S Club 7 won the BRIT Award for best newcomer in 2000. The group scored four UK No. 1 hits in just five years ("Bring It All Back," "Never Had A Dream Come True," "Don't Stop Movin,'" and "Have You Ever"), as well as a No. 1 album with their sophomore release "7."

"Never Had a Dream Come True" also became a hit in the US, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Don't Stop Movin'" won British single of the year at the 2002 BRIT Awards.

After the release of their third album "Sunshine," the group embarked on two tours: S Club Party 2001 and S Club 7 Carnival in 2002.

Shortly after the latter wrapped, Cattermole left S Club 7 to join the heavy-metal band Skua. "I want a change musically," he said, the BBC reported.

Cattermole had previously been the frontman of a rock band called Skewer, which he described as having a "Limp Bizkit vibe."

"It was kind of like Rage Against the Machine, but six or seven years ago," he told CBBC in 2002. "I do bite my tongue a little bit sometimes when I see bands like Limp Bizkit doing so well, 'cos we sounded so similar. But we used to write our own tunes so the vibe was much more creative and organic."

However, tabloids speculated that Cattermole's exit was due to strain with his fellow bandmate Spearritt, whom he'd begun dating the previous year. A reporter for CBBC also opined that Cattermole was "forced out" because he was a "quirky member" who "wasn't exactly boyband material."

A spokesperson for the group told the BBC that the split was amicable. S Club 7 continued for a few years with its six members, rebranded as S Club.

Cattermole's Skua never managed to land a record deal and in 2008, he toured with McIntosh and O'Meara as S Club 3. Barrett also joined the lineup in 2014.

Shortly after, all seven bandmates reunited for a comeback UK tour, Bring It All Back 2015, which marked S Club 7's first live performances in 12 years.

"It was difficult. Not everyone in the band sees eye-to-eye," Cattermole later told NME. "There was a fall-out over whether we should be doing a dance troupe, diversity-type show with choreography to backing tracks, or do what we've always done and have a live band. I was being forceful about the live music to the point where I upset some people. It's my fault. I shouldn't have pushed it so hard. There was even shouting."

He also said the tour helped him pay off his debts after he'd been declared bankrupt: "We would be playing in arenas to 20,000 people just after I'd had conversations on the phone like, 'We need £10,000 right now!'"

In 2018, Cattermole made headlines for auctioning off his 2000 BRIT Award on eBay.

"It's time to let the past be the past," he wrote in his listing, according to The Guardian.

In his interview with NME, Cattermole said he'd suffered a back injury while performing in a stage adaptation of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which made it difficult for him to find work in the entertainment industry.

He also said he planned to use the eBay money to pay bills and potentially record a solo album.

"I've always wanted to record a covers album. I know it's a cliché to do it, but the reason people do it is that they sell. It is something that does sell in the music industry these days," he said. "I've actually always wanted to do a Motown album. Polydor bought the Motown back catalogue at the end of the '90s and they were our label, so I should ask if I can record some of them."

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.



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