Who was Timmy Matley – age, songs, JustGiving page and The Overtones members after tragic death
Timmy Matley of The Overtones has tragically lost his battle with skin cancer at the age of 36.
The singer, from Cork, Ireland, was diagnosed with stage three malignant melanoma – a form of skin cancer – in September 2016.
His band, The Overtones, announced his death on Wednesday 11 April.
Their statement read: It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce that our dear friend and brother Timmy has passed away.
We know this news will be as heartbreaking for you all as it is for us. We appreciate your love and support at this difficult time. Mike, Darren, Mark & Lachie x.
It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce that our dear friend and brother Timmy has passed away. We know this news will be as heartbreaking for you all as it is for us. We appreciate your love and support at this difficult time. Mike, Darren, Mark & Lachie x
— The Overtones (@the_overtones) April 11, 2018
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Born 16 February 1982 as Timothy Thomas Matley, Timmy found fame when he joined The Overtones vocal harmony group in 2010.
He had been passionate about performing arts from the age of 14 and auditioned for performing arts school at the age of 16.
Deciding college wasnt for him though, he went travelling instead and upon his return, decided to try out songwriting and singing.
The Overtones
Before The Overtones formed, Timmy became a member of a band called DYYCE with three other members of The Overtones – Mark Franks, Mike Crawshaw and Darren Everest.
They soon rebranded themselves and became known as Lexi Joe, auditioning for The X Factor in 2009 but being rejected from the final 24.
However, they soon met Lachie Chapman and realised they all had similar taste in the doo-wop genre of music. They turned themselves into a five-piece group and became The Overtones.
It was Danny who came up with the idea of them creating a paining and decorating business to earn money while practising their vocals together.
While working on a shop on Oxford Street, they were then spotted by a Warner Bros Records talent scout and they soon had a five-album deal.
Their debut album, Good Ol Fashioned Love, was released in November 2010, entering number 16 in the UK charts. However, when it was rereleased in Mach 2011, just in time for Mothers Day, it hit number four.
Throughout their career, theyve appeared as the house band on a number of primetime TV shows, including Dancing On Ice, Britains Got More Talent, The Saturday Night Show and The Xtra Factor.
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It was ahead of their 2016 Christmas tour that Timmy announced he would be unable to join the other four boys as he had been diagnosed with skin cancer.
The Overtones members
As well as Timmy Matley, The Overtones was made up of:
Lachlan Alexander Lachie Chapman.
Born 7 February 1981, Lachie is from New South Wales, Australia. He came to the UK on his 25th birthday, hoping to become an actor.
Michael Mike Crawshaw
Born on 12 February 1980, Mike is from Bristol, England. He originally wanted to get into football and athletics.
Mark Robert Franks
Born 9 May 1977, Mark is from Sale, Greater Manchester, England. He attended the Royal Ballet School from age 11 to 16 and was a professional dancer for 10 years before he joined The Overtones in 2010.
Darren Daz Everest
Born on 30 May 1981, Daz is from Essex, England and, like Mike, originally wanted to go into football but after contracting glandular fever.
Charity sky dive
Timmy had been due to take part in a charity sky dive on 3 May for The Royal Marsden Hospital Cancer Charity.
He had created a JustGiving page for his Jump For Life in order to raise money for the charity.
On his JustGiving page, he explains the reason behind his sky dive, writing: On Thursday 3rd May 2018, I will skydive out of a plane at 15,000 feet to try and raise as much money as possible for a cause very close to my heart – The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
In Summer 2016, I found a lump in my underarm, and on the 2nd of September that same year, I was diagnosed with stage three malignant melanoma – a form of skin cancer.
It was a very frightening and scary time for me and my family. I had felt fine and had no symptoms (aside from the lump) so couldnt quite believe the diagnosis.
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Timmy goes on to explain the treatment he has undergone, revealing he had started treatment with new drugs in March 2017 and had been responding well.
It is not clear when he lasted updated his page.
Timmy finishes his message by saying: By doing this Skydive, I would like to raise as much money as I can to help them continue their incredible research and help more people in the way they have helped me.
Thank you so much for your support and any amount you can give will make a huge difference. Tim x.
Songs
To find out more about The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, click here.
MORE: The Overtones star Timmy Matley dies aged 36
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