Stephen Gately's death puts a spotlight on a young man who grew up in public. Boyzone's success was launched on the Late Late show, and his public coming out and civil marriage allied with a solo career stretched the previously narrow boundaries for a boyband star, writes KEVIN COURTNEY

YOU DON’T expect boyband members to die young. You expect them to wither away on reality TV shows or become lost in panto-land, but you don’t expect them to be found dead on a sofa at the tender age of 33 after a night out on the town. It’s just not rock ‘n’ roll. The untimely death is very much the preserve of the hard-living rocker, whose passing can usually be attributed directly to a drink and drugs lifestyle. Boyband members aren’t permitted to enter this pantheon – those elite places are usually reserved for those with a willingness to push things to the extreme.

You could hardly call Stephen Gately a hard-living rocker, but that doesn’t make his death on Saturday any less significant. He may have just been a second-string singer in a boyband long past their prime, but let’s not forget that this was Ireland’s very first boyband, and in setting out into unknown territory with only their raffish charm, a few dance moves and the managerial skill of Louis Walsh to guide them, Boyzone were something akin to pioneers. U2 may have shown the world that the Irish were a rock force to be reckoned with, but it was Boyzone who gained Ireland entry into the united nations of pop.

Walsh formed Boyzone in 1993 after seeing the success of Take That and reckoned he could replicate that success on home ground. There was no shortage of bright-eyed, fresh-faced youngsters willing to audition for the chance of a lifetime, and Walsh quickly had a line-up of presentable young Irish fellas ready to roll out. Within a day of forming, Boyzone were on The Late Late Show, "freeform" dancing to a generic disco backing track, while a bemused Gay Byrne – and an equally bemused nation – looked on. They didn't have any songs, their singing ability was still an unknown factor, and their line-up would go through a few swift changes, but their youth, vigour and enthusiasm was not in question.

It didn't take long for the nation to become intimately acquainted with the Boyz: Ronan Keating quickly emerged as the band's leader; Shane Lynch was the fly guy, Keith Duffy was the charmer, Mikey Graham was the boy next door – and Stephen Gately, well, he was the baby in the band. The diminutive singer, however, soon showed he had more than enough charisma to hold his own in this famous fivesome. Although Ronan was the band's lead vocalist, Gately proved well able to take the lead when needed. In Boyzone's early career, the rest of the group were accused of merely miming behind Keating, but on the Andrew Lloyd Webber song No Matter What, Gately showed that he had a perfectly serviceable set of pipes – a bit reedy and slight, perhaps, but distinct enough to earn him co-lead vocalist status.

Boyzone’s success made them the envy of every budding Irish rocker, and an easy target for every Irish critic – including this one. But they were an instant success with the people that mattered, the teenage girls who were crying out for something to fill up the empty spaces on their bedroom walls.

After Take That broke up in 1995, Boyzone were perfectly poised to take their place in the hearts and pillowcases of a generation of broken-hearted fans. Many girls who needed counselling after Take That broke up found solace in the smiling Irish eyes of Ronan, Keith, Shane, Mikey and Stephen. During their short six years together, Boyzone enjoyed success beyond their wildest dreams, scoring 16 Top Ten hit singles, including six Number Ones, and selling more than 10 million albums. Boyzone's success signalled a change in the aspirations of Irish teenagers – across the nation, youngsters were putting aside the guitars and practising their dance moves instead. Bewitch'd, featuring two sisters of Shane Lynch, had a UK No 1 with C'est La Vie, and Westlife took the baton from Boyzone and went on to even bigger success in the Noughties.

Meanwhile, tabloid newspaper the Sun was preparing to break a massive story – it was about to reveal details of Stephen Gately's relationship with Dutch singer Eloy De Jong of boyband Caught in the Act. Rather than be outed by the Sun, Gately chose to come out himself, and became another pop pioneer – the first boyband member to openly admit to being gay.

Pop music has long sought to cover up homosexuality, fearing it may scare away its target audience of teenage girls; Gately’s coming-out was a bombshell that exploded the flimsy myth of manliness that many pop acts try and promulgate. In a genre that values tanned, toned physique, high-pitched vocals and effete dance moves, it’s hardly a shocking revelation that some who work in this milieu might possibly be gay.

Gately never got a chance to find out if Boyzone’s fanbase would remain loyal after learning the truth. The band broke up in 2000 after much internal bickering; this time there were few tears in teen-land – they were too busy mooning over Ireland’s next big boyband, Westlife.

GATELY WAS NOT QUITE LEFT high and dry by Boyzone’s break-up, however. Considered the nicest guy in the band, he had no shortage of famous friends, including Elton John and his partner David Furnish, who introduced him to businessman Andrew Cowles. Gately and Cowles were married in a civil ceremony in 2006.

While Keating embarked on a successful solo career, Gately gravitated towards his first love – stage musicals. He had appeared in many musicals as a teenager growing up in Dublin's Sheriff Street. Now, he fulfilled his childhood dream by starring in Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoatin London's West End; he counted Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber among his friends. He also starred as the Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bangat the London Palladium, and had a short run in a touring production of Godspell.

And, yes, Gately did feature in panto-land in recent years, but at least he embraced it with gusto and that same boyish enthusiasm that prompted him him to make a holy show of himself on that fateful Late Late Showall those years ago.

At the time of his death, Gately was enjoying a second crack at the charts with the reformed Boyzone; despite reports of sluggish ticket sales for their concerts, the band scored their 17th Top Five hit last year with Love You Anywayand were planning to release a new album in 2010.

More poignantly, Gately had been putting the finishing touches to a children's fantasy book, The Tree of Seasons. His final Twitter post talked about "focussing on finishing his book". For many, Stephen Gately will always be the little boy lost who finally learned to stand on his own two feet.

THIS BOY'S LIFE

1976Stephen Patrick David Gately born in Dublin. He grew up on Sheriff Street

1993Joins Boyzone after auditioning with 400 other hopefuls. The group's hits include covers of the Osmonds' Love Me For a Reason, Tracy Chapman's Baby Can I Hold Youand Cat Stevens' Father And Son

1999The Sun publishes an interview with Gately, in which he reveals he is gay and in a relationship

2000Boyzone break up. Releases his first solo single, A New Beginning. Album of the same name goes into the Top Ten. Includes a version of Bright Eyes, recorded for a TV version of Watership Down(he also voices Blackavar in the film), and I Believe, for the soundtrack of Billy Elliot

2001Dropped by his label Polydor

2003Dons the dreamcoat in Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

2004Plays the Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bangat the London Palladium

2005Makes his panto debut in Cinderella

2006Marries his partner Andrew Cowles in a civil ceremony

2007Gets his skates on for ITV's Dancing on Ice. Reunites with Boyzone