Boyzone: History of the band as Shane Lynch quits showbusiness

Boyzone look done as we know them. The popular Irish boyband have been shocked by the sudden departure of Shane Lynch who announced he was retiring from showbusiness this morning.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, Lynch said: "I've just been very open that I'm out of the industry - music, TV and everything."

He also revealed that he had not formally told his fellow bandmates about his decision to step away from the limelight.

Read more: Mikey Graham thinks Boyzone should have split after Stephen Gately's death

Boyzone had previously announced that they were wrapping up the band in 2019 after their 25th anniversary tour but with 2023 marking 30 years since the forming of the group, fans were hopeful of a reunion of some sort given all of the surviving members of active in the entertainment industry.

But with Lynch announcing that he won't be involved in the music world in anyway, it doesn't look good for the future of the group which have survived through so much.

1993: Boyzone begins

Boyzone were formed in 1993 by Louis Walsh who was looking to create an Irish version of Take That. The initial five members were Lynch, Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Keith Duffy, Richard Rock and Mark Walton but Rock and Walton quickly departed and Mikey Graham joined the group.

They were signed by Polygram a year later after performing in pubs and clubs with their first single being a cover of the Four Seasons' Working My Way Back To You.

1994: Breakthrough

Their breakout track was their follow-up Love Me For A Reason which paved the way for their 1995 debut album Said and Done.

Following the success of Said and Done, a second album quickly followed a year later and sold over 2 million copies worldwide and gave the group their first number one single with Coming Home Now.

During this period, Keating emerged as the band's frontman and principle songwriter and won an Ivor Novello Award for Picture of You.

The band also attempted to crack the US market with little success but continued to be superstars in the UK and Europe.

1998: Biggest hits

In 1998, No Matter What became their biggest selling single and the best-selling single from any boyband as it shipped four million copies worldwide. The same year also saw the release of their third album Where We Belong which sold over 3 million copies.

1999: Stephen Gately comes out

The following year saw much change in the band as Stephen Gately publicly came out as gay after a tabloid threatened to reveal his sexuality. Gately was supported by his bandmates who always knew he was gay.

The year also saw Keating release his first solo single – the smash hit When You Say Nothing At All off the Notting Hill soundtrack.

1999-2000: Split

The success of Keating's single led to tensions within the band as he was starting to be positioned as a solo star so at the end of the year, the group agreed to go on hiatus after their current tour and pursue individual projects with the intention of reuniting. At the time of their first split, Boyzone had sold over 20 million records.

During their hiatus, each of the members pursued various different projects. Keating enjoyed a successful solo career, selling over 20 million records on his own. Gately also attempted a solo career with less success but enjoyed a thriving second career in the West End where he appeared in musicals such as Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Duffy and Lynch released one single as a duo entitled Girl You Know It's True before becoming an actor, most notably on Coronation Street. Lynch also started acting in Sky One drama Dream Team and pursued motorsports and reality TV. Graham also trained as an actor and released a solo album in 2001.

The group announced they were reuniting for a 2008 tour which proved to be highly successful and they remained on the road the following year.

2009: The death of Stephen Gately

Gately died suddenly at the end of 2009 due to an undiagnosed heart condition with the remaining members planning on releasing an album in tribute to their friend.

Brother was released in 2010 and marked their first album in over a decade and featured vocals recorded by Gately before his death. The album was well-received and led to another successful tour – their first as a four piece.

2013: 20th anniversary

In 2013, they celebrated their 20th anniversary with another album and tour with them going on to perform regularly until 2019.

To celebrate their 25th anniversary Boyzone embarked on the Thank You & Goodnight Tour which they confirmed would be their last. An album of the same name was also released and featured contributions from Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.

Since the 2019 tour, Keating has worked in TV on The Voice and The One Show, Duffy has continued to perform Boyzone songs as one half of BoyzLife with Westlife's Brian McFadden, Lynch formed supergroup Boyz on Block while Graham has stayed out of the spotlight.

Watch: Colin Farrell auditioned for Boyzone