Dario G musician Paul Spencer dies after cancer diagnosis as tributes pour in

Dario G star Paul Spencer has tragically passed away at the age of 53, following a battle with stage 4 rectal cancer. The musician, who shot to fame in 1997 as a member of the Cheshire dance group Dario G, was mourned by fans and friends alike after his death from the disease was confirmed.

A statement on Dario G's social media expressed deep sorrow: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Paul Spencer earlier today. He was positive until the end but this was one battle he could not fight anymore.

"He leaves behind a wonderful musical legacy and many happy memories for many people. He will be sadly missed by everyone who loved him. Shine bright our big star."

Last June, Spencer shared his diagnosis on X, admitting the difficulty in confronting his illness while maintaining a hopeful outlook, reports the Mirror. He said: "Hard to write this. I've just found out that I've got stage 4 rectal cancer and a shadow on my liver.

"That's damn hard to read too I'm sure. Gonna give it my best shot though. Stay positive, cos I am. Always. Seeing the doctors on Friday to discuss the next steps."

Tributes have been flooding in with Stevo Timothy of Farmer Michael fame sharing his heartfelt memories: "I just got news that the legend that is Dario G has sadly passed on to the other realm.

"The rave scene has lost a giant, from 'Carnaval de Paris' that became synonymous with the World Cup in 98 to the glorious Sunchyme'. But more than that, he was Paul, he was a friend and a good friend. I first met him when he came to our show in Manchester and I was astounded by his warmness, his friendliness and his supportive nature.

"We met up countless times since then in Ireland and the UK and every time he was such a consummate gentleman. On stage he was a ball of energy with his favourite trumpet absolutely belting out the tunes. We only spoke a few weeks ago and his positivity was unbelievable. He never lost that good nature despite his illness and what the world threw at him. I'll miss you Paul, in a world of egos, narcissism, and attitudes, you were the epitome of goodness. I hope they let you belt out the trumpet in heaven."

A fan reminisced: "Carnaval de Paris was such an anthem that summer. It's a song that always takes me back to a time and a place in life, even beyond France '98. The same with Sunchyme and the underrated Dream To Me. Dario G/Paul Spencer made soundtracks to moments in life. RIP."

Meanwhile, another person expressed their sorrow: "Such sad news about the passing of Paul Spencer (Dario G ). He fought a hard fight against his illness. RIP."

Paul, who shot to stardom in the 90s with smash hits like Sunchyme and Carnival de Paris, has opened up about his determination to embrace life while undergoing treatment. In a candid chat with Mirror Online last year, Paul spoke about his therapy journey and maintained a hopeful outlook.

He remarked: "I'm doing really, really well. The chemo and the medication arrested and stopped the pain and then I think the chemo starts to take an effect."

"I think in a month's time I'll be having another scan so that'll be around Christmas time. So yeah, my Christmas present is a photoshoot of another CT scan or MRI scan. I had one done [recently] on my brain as well because little problems appeared because of the chemo."

While discussing the impact of the treatment, Paul mentioned: "I even faced in the last week, my sense of taste has changed," and quipped: "But my friends are probably telling me I've always had a terrible sense of taste in clothes anyway. I've had a problem with my eye as well with various stuff. There's always another thing and another thing. When the chemo is over, maybe they will hopefully go away."

The celebrity expressed his desire to stay positive despite his cancer battle and has taken up new pastimes. He's been enjoying football matches, going for runs, and writing uplifting messages to himself on his phone.

In a poignant admission, Paul revealed his aspiration to 'ring the bell' signifying the completion of his cancer therapy.

"One of the things I've looked into is watches and things like that," Paul revealed. "I've never had a watch so maybe when I get to ring that bell, I've thought about buying myself a nice watch. I was looking at buying a classic car and stuff like that. I've had one of them before, but it probably breaks down."

"I thought, 'Well, no, I might buy a watch because it's there. And it's, you know, it's something you can look at. It's something that's a reminder of the future. I'll try and make it a positive thing like, 'That was when I reached that milestone.' When I do reach that milestone, one of the things I've had is well, I'll buy a watch and then I'll buy a new watch every year for the rest of my life."

For confidential support with cancer-related issues, the Macmillan Support Line is available. Contact them at 0808 808 0000 for a compassionate conversation.

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