Westlife To Split After 14 Years
Thursday, October 20, 2011Omoba
Westlife
are to split “amicably” after 14 years, the band announced. The Irish pop group
will finish with a farewell tour next year and said they were looking forward
to “new ventures”.
Westlife – for many years managed by X
Factor judge Louis Walsh – have had 14 UK number one hits over the course of
their career.
The group said in a statement: “Over
the years Westlife has become so much more to us than just a band. Westlife are
a family.”
The band, whose number one singles includes:
Swear It Again and Flying without Wings,
has sold more than 44 million records around the world. They survived the
departure of founding member Bryan McFadden in 2004 to continue as a
four-piece.
‘Amazing journey’
Remaining members Mark Feehily, Kian
Egan, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne are due to release a greatest hits album on
21 November. In a statement on their website, the band thanked their fans “who
have been with us on this amazing journey and are part of our family too”.
They said: “The decision is entirely
amicable and after spending all of our adult life together so far, we want to
have a well-earned break and look at new ventures.” In 2001, the band was
chosen to record the Comic Relief single, a cover of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl.
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