Breakable: One final tour as boys call it a day
Over the course of their career the group achieved 14 number one hits.
In a statement the group said tonight: “Over the years Westlife has become so much more to us than just a band. Westlife are a family.”
The group — for many years managed by Louis Walsh — survived the departure of one of its founding members Bryan McFadden, and continued seamlessly as a four-piece.
They produced hit after hit, with singles such as Swear It Again and Flying Without Wings among their number ones. Many of their big hits over the years were cover versions and they capitalised on a swing revival by recording a Rat Pack-style album Allow Us To Be Frank.
Members Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne are due to release a greatest hits album shortly.
They said they had “countless memories that we will forever cherish” from their years together.
In a statement posted on their website, they said: “We today announce our plan to go our separate ways after a greatest hits collection this Christmas and a farewell tour next year.
“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.
“We see the greatest hits collection and the farewell tour as the perfect way to celebrate our incredible career along with our fans. We are really looking forward to getting out on the tour and seeing our fans one last time.”
It continued: “We would like to thank our fans who have been with us on this amazing journey and are part of our family too”
The band has notched up 11 top five albums — seven of which have gone to number one — which have together sold 44m copies globally.
The group were initially groomed as the natural successors to Boyzone, but their astonishing string of number ones — each of their first seven singles topped the charts — meant they outstripped their predecessors.
The Boyzone connection helped to raise their profile in the early days, with the group’s Ronan Keating co-managing Westlife at one stage.
They began life in July 1998 as IOU, headlining an annual Irish radio roadshow, and soon went on to land a record deal with RCA.
Prior to a support tour with Boyzone, the group changed its name to Westside, a name which Walsh had apparently seen written on the side of a bin. They then took part in the annual Smash Hits Roadshow, and were handed the best new act award at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party.
But as a result of legal wrangles over the group’s name they were renamed Westlife and released first single Swear It Again with instant success.
An uninterrupted run of consecutive number one singles followed, including their collaboration with Mariah Carey on the ballad Against All Odds, with an eye on breaking the US market which had so far failed to succumb to their charms.
In 2000, they won a head-to-head chart battle with Spice Girls, with Westlife’s Coast To Coast triumphing.
But there was disappointment when What Makes A Man failed to take the Christmas number one — held off by Bob The Builder.
They were chosen to release the 2001 Comic Relief single, a version of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl with Claudia Schiffer in the video.
They recorded and toured relentlessly until shortly after a show in 2008 at Dublin’s Croke Park — selling out 82,000 tickets in a day — when they decided to take a year off.
WESTLIFE’S website was flooded with comments from fans expressing sadness and thanks. Others took to social media to leave less poignant comments.
* A big part of music in my heart has just gone... Westlife, you are the reason why I still believe in this world, where music is getting worse and worse and is losing all of its romance, there’s still a star shining in the middle of it, that’s the 4 of you, Cian, Mark, Shane, Nicky. — Thach PV
* Im 16 and grew up listening to Westlife i feel as if i know them. absolutely devastated they are splitting up — Emma Lynch
* my heart genuinely feels broken, this is another thing that has followed such a terrible year how could you do this?!!! — Catherine
* All good things must come to an end! It has been the best fourteen years ever! Good luck with everything in the future and hope to see you again soon!! — Laura
* What happens now? I don’t know a life without Westlife being part of it!? no more saving money just for them, no more albums, no more merchandise to collect. I’m gutted. !
— Hanna Gustafsson
Westlife, of course, had the honour of some of their biggest hits being covered by other artists years before they got together. — @ajhmurray (Comedian Al Murray)
westlife make statement about splitting up. One of them read the statement, two of them mimed it & the other guy just looked bewildered.
— @wilhanafin
I saw westlife once, in a field, and I fell asleep and missed half. But I saw the good bit where they key change and stand up.. Oh.. Wait. — @Becbrum7
The only thing I ever heard by #westlife that I liked was today’s announcement — @freebornjon
I guess we’ll always remember where we were when we tried to work out if Westlife are the ones with Ronan Keating in or not.
— @simonblackwell
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