Tom Parker Passes Away On 30 Mar, Fellow Artistes Pen Tributes
90s kids will be familiar with The Wanted’s top hits like ‘Glad You Came’, ‘All Time Low’, and ‘Walks Like Rihanna’, tunes that helped tide us through long schooling days.
Back in Oct 2020, Tom Parker, a member of the British boy band, broke the news that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumour.
On Wednesday (30 Mar) afternoon, Tom passed away peacefully with family and bandmates by his side.
The 33-year-old leaves behind his wife and 2 young children.
Tom Parker passes away at 33 years old
On Wednesday (30 Mar), The Wanted’s Facebook page shared the unfortunate news that band member 33-year-old Tom Parker had passed away peacefully at lunchtime. His bandmates and family were by his side at the time.
Bandmates Max, Jay, Siva, Nathan, and the whole Wanted family are “devastated” at the premature loss of Tom, said the post.
The Wanted said Tom had been an amazing husband to his wife, father to his 2 children, and brother to them.
Tom’s wife, actor Kelsey Hardwick, also confirmed the news of his death on Instagram at 5pm UK time.
She wrote that their hearts are broken as Tom had been the centre of their world. She also expressed how difficult it would be to imagine life without his “infectious smile and energetic presence”.
Kelsey shared that Tom had fought until the very end and she will always be proud of him.
The 30-year-old also thanked everyone for the outpouring of love and support that they had shown in this challenging time. She asked that everyone unite to ensure “Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children”.’
Tom is a father to almost 3-year-old Aurelia and 1-year-old Bodhi, who was born after his diagnosis.
Diagnosed with inoperable brain tumour in 2020
Tom Parker rose to fame when The Wanted, which was formed in 2009, became one of Britain’s biggest pop bands.
The band enjoyed success with several songs like ‘All Time Low’ and ‘Glad You Came’, both of which were No.1 singles in Britain. Globally, The Wanted has in excess of 12 million record sales.
After a long hiatus, they discussed getting back together in 2020 to commemorate their 10th anniversary. However, that year, Tom was diagnosed with a brain tumour after suffering 2 seizures.
In Oct 2020, Tom announced that he had stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour that was inoperable, reported CNN.
On 20 Sep 2021, Tom organised a Stand Up To Cancer concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall where The Wanted reunited on stage to help raise money for the National Brain Appeal.
The Wanted later released a greatest hits album on 12 Nov 2021.
According to BBC, following that, Tom told fans his brain tumour was “stable” and “under control”.
The band then went on a reunion tour. In their last shows earlier this month, Tom had emerged onstage in a wheelchair.
Earlier this week, Tom posted a photo of The Wanted on stage, captioning it ‘Dream Team’.
The Instagram post was sadly his last before his passing.
Celebrities pay tribute to Tom Parker
After news of Tom’s passing broke, many fellow singers and celebrities took to social media to pay tribute to him.
His own bandmate, Siva Kaneswaran, said he hoped Tom was “having a blast up there”.
Siva expressed his gratitude for having the chance to witness Tom’s true courage and how he “light[s] up the world”.
English singer Ed Sheeran also posted a photo of Tom on Instagram, saying he was a “lovely guy” and his thoughts are with Tom’s family.
Former One Direction star Liam Payne also said on Twitter that he is “heartbroken” to hear of Tom’s demise.
Liam shared that Tom was full of life and humour, and his memories of Tom will stay with him forever.
May he rest in peace
Tom had endured a long and challenging 2-year battle with his brain tumour.
Throughout the journey, he had inspired many with his strength whilst helping to raise funds for medical research seeking new treatments for the condition.
Though Tom has left this world prematurely at 33, he has also left an indelible mark on many. May he rest in peace.
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Featured image adapted from The Wanted on Facebook and MySpace.
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