Tom Parker, a member of the British boy band The Wanted, has died at the age of 33, his wife Kelsey and his bandmates announced on 30 March 2022.
Parker revealed in October 2020 that he had been diagnosed with a grade four glioblastoma, an aggressive and inoperable brain tumour. In their statements, his wife and the band said he died peacefully with his family and his fellow band members by his side.
Tributes from the band
The Wanted described the loss of their bandmate as tragic and premature. The group, formed in 2009, had hits including All Time Low, Glad You Came and Chasing the Sun, and reunited in 2021 after a break of several years.
Kelsey Parker wrote that the family’s hearts were broken and asked people to help keep his memory alive for the couple’s two young children.
Performing to the end
After his diagnosis Parker went through chemotherapy and radiotherapy and spoke openly about his illness. In September 2021 he sang at the Stand Up to Cancer concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, which he helped to organise to raise money for cancer research. He also joined the band on their greatest hits tour in early 2022, appearing on stage for part of each show.
In late 2021 he said scans showed the tumour was stable. A few days before his death he announced that he had written a memoir about living with cancer, titled Hope, due to be published in the summer.
Calls for research funding
Parker used his profile to call for more money for brain tumour research, which charities say receives only a small share of national cancer research spending in the UK despite brain tumours being a leading cause of cancer deaths in younger adults. Several of those charities said after his death that his openness had brought new attention to the disease.
Sources: statements by Kelsey Parker and The Wanted on Instagram (30 March 2022), earlier public statements by Tom Parker.