S Club are joining forces with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to shine a spotlight on heart conditions in memory of their much-loved bandmate, Paul Cattermole.
Ahead of their 25th anniversary ‘Good Times Tour’, the group have teamed up with the organisation in memory of the late singer, who died in April, aged 46, from an underlying heart condition.
As part of the British Heart Foundation’s Spotlight On campaign, the band are helping raise funds for vital research this September, encouraging fans to post a picture on social media with the hand heart gesture with the hashtag #showyourhearts.
Jon Lee said: “As a band we all personally know the devastating effect heart and circulatory diseases can have on people’s lives. Our hearts feel emptier without him, and we miss him every single day.
“It’s heartbreaking to know that this isn’t uncommon and far too many people die too soon from heart conditions they didn’t know they had. That’s why we’re asking everyone to show their heart and join the BHF by shining a spotlight on these conditions this September.”
Ahead of their upcoming run of shows, Jo O’Meara, Rachel Stevens, Jon Lee, Tina Barrett and Bradley McIntosh appear on the cover of RETROPOP’s October issue, celebrating their classic hits and opening up about honouring Paul during the concerts.
“We’re all in such an exciting place. I can’t believe how quickly the tour’s come around and all the planning is happening. We’re about to kick off rehearsals which is just so exciting. I think as a band, we’re closer and more together than ever,” reflects Rachel, with Tina adding: “Losing Paul was so traumatic and such a shock, but we held each other up and we are closer for it and stronger for it. We’re doing this in memory of Paul and we’re just trying to keep upbeat and positive. This tour is so much more than it was before and we want to make it the biggest and best show we’ve ever done.”
“Obviously, it’s been horrendous, but it’s made us bond together and look out for each other more so than ever, because at the end of the day we’ve got to look out for one another and celebrate Paul’s life as best as we can moving forward,” continues Jo, with the group set on him being the star of the show. Case in point the rebrand to ‘The Good Times Tour’, a nod to the 2001 album track on which Paul performed lead.
And when you hear him on the record, he’ll be in the show too. “There are bits in the show that are iconically Paul’s vocals,” says Jon, “so we’re not gonna mess with that; he’s very much still in the show and very much still a part of the tour. That was really important for us.”
“It’s a celebration. It’s going to be the best show we’ve ever put on,” beams Rachel. “We’ve got all the memories that we can share with the fans and he’ll be such a huge part of it. It’s brought us closer together and that feels really special.”
