Tom Parker, singer and co-founder of the British band The Wanted, has died from a brain tumor. He was 33.
Parker’s wife Kelsey Hardwick posted to Instagram confirming the news of his death.
Hardwick’s post featured a portrait of Parker and a family photo with the couple and their two children. In the caption, she wrote, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm Tom passed away peacefully earlier today with all of his family by his side. Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence. We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children. Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end. I’m forever proud of you.”
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Parker shared in October 2020 that he had been diagnosed with a grade-four glioblastoma tumor after being hospitalized for seizures during the summer of 2020.
With the announcement Parker wrote. “We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way. We don’t want your sadness, we just want love and positivity and together we will raise awareness of this terrible disease and look for all available treatment options. It’s gonna be a tough battle but with everyone’s love and support we are going to beat this.”
Born on August 4, 1988 in Bolton, Parker co-founded The Wanted with Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes in 2009. He was with the group through their rise to stardom until their indefinite hiatus in 2014. Since the hiatus, the singer released several solo tracks, worked as a prominent DJ, and collaborated with Richard Rawson on the song “Fireflies.” The band’s biggest singles were 2012’s “Glad You Came” and “Chasing the Sun.” In 2013, the band was the subject of a reality series on E! called The Wanted Life.
The Wanted’s last studio album was 2013’s Word of Mouth. This past November, the group released Most Wanted: The Greatest Hits.
Parker is survived by his wife and their two children.
