Thaindian News

London, October 17 (ANI): The remaining members of Boyzone have inked the date “76 - 09″ on their skin to mark the untimely death of fellow bandmate Stephen Gately, it has emerged.

Numerals “76 - 09″ mark the years of Stephen’s birth and death.The four stars Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy, and Mikey Graham, also got a superman-style S design, tattoo similar to the one the late singer had on his chest.

Before leaving Majorca for Dublin with Stephen’s body, the band stood together to make a statement.

“Last Saturday our world changed forever when we lost our friend and brother Stephen,” the Mirror quoted Ronan as saying.

“We have come to Majorca today to accompany our pal on his final journey back to Dublin, where we know he will be given an unforgettable send off tomorrow,” he added.

The “Rollercoaster” hitmaker thanked the town’s authorities for their support.

He said: “We’d like to thank the authorities here for their help and for the respect they have shown to our friend. Stephen and Andrew had chosen to make Majorca their second home and we know that Stephen loved the times they spent together here.

“The countless messages of love and support we have received this week have truly overwhelmed ourselves and the Gately family. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for each and every one of them.

“We would also like to thank the media for respecting our privacy this week and ask that you continue to do so tomorrow.

“Stephen lived to perform and truly loved being centre stage. You can be sure he’s looking down on us wishing we’d move over so he could flash his smile for the cameras one more time.”

He added that the future of the band has been left undecided by the loss.

He added: “What the future holds for the four of us now is too hard to even think about.

“But we know nothing will ever be the same without our dearest friend Stephen.”

Gately had died on June 10 at his flat at Palma, Majorca, while on a holiday. (ANI)