Former frontman of the new wave electronic band Tubeway Army, Gary Numan, recently divulged that his brother, John, passed away. Announced on Monday, November 17, Numan’s statement comes after the singer broke down in tears on Saturday, November 15, during a show at the O2 Academy in Birmingham.
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During the show, Numan sang his 1980 staple, “Please Push No More”, in which he became incredibly emotional. Consequently, his wife, Gemma O’Neil, came on stage to help him through the moment. Numan reportedly didn’t say much about what brought on the bout of troubling emotions, other than that he had told the crowd he had received “the worst news ever”, per the Independent. That being so, fans in attendance were curious and concerned as to why this new wave trailblazer was distraught on stage.
Despite the incident, fans of Numan still raved about the performance. On Facebook, a fan wrote, “Hats off to Gary!! Imagine having bad news and still coming onstage to perform to all his fans. Takes great courage!” Similarly, on X, a fan shared, “Gary Numan @ Birmingham O2 tonight. Absolutely, utterly outstanding. I mean the guy never misses imo but tonight was so, so good. Gary Numan @ Birmingham O2 tonight. Absolutely, utterly outstanding. I mean the guy never misses imo but tonight was so, so good.”
The “Worst News Ever” Was the Passing of Gary Numan’s Brother
On Monday, November 17, Numan let fans know what the “worst news ever” was. That news was the passing of his 60-year-old brother, John, who died the morning of Numan’s Birmingham show. In the post shared on Instagram, Numan wrote, “The last two days have been the hardest of my life. This is why.”
After giving further details about his closing moments with his brother, Numan concluded in the post, “So this tour is no longer a celebration of an album, it’s a tribute to John, my brother, the best brother a man could ever have.” The tour Numan mentions in his post is his current one, which, despite the grave news, he will continue on with.
No further details surrounding Numan’s tour or the tragic passing of his brother, John, have been disclosed. We’re wishing Gary and his family all the best and applaud him for keeping on with his tour.
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