Tom Parker went from The Wanted star to brain cancer activist
Tom Parker achieved great success as a member of one of Britain’s chart-topping boy bands and later triumphed on stage and television.
he singer was born in Bolton in 1988 and struggled through several failed attempts to break into the music industry in his youth.
Parker initially auditioned for The X Factor after learning to play the guitar at the age of 16, but did not advance past the first round of the competition.
He gave up his musical activities for a short time to study geography at Manchester Metropolitan University, but later dropped out to make another attempt to pursue his dream of becoming a professional singer.
For a time Parker was part of a Take That tribute band called Take That II before eventually finding success in British-Irish boy band The Wanted.
Tom Parker (left) with The Wanted (Ian West/PA)
The Wanted formed in 2009 and consisted of Parker and other band members, Jay McGuinness, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran and Nathan Sykes.
Parker and his bandmates released their eponymous debut album in 2010 and quickly achieved success when it peaked at number four in the UK Albums Chart. Their debut single, All Time Low, debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart.
During Parker’s time with The Wanted, the band achieved widespread international success, releasing three studio albums and 15 singles.
In January 2014, The Wanted announced a hiatus to allow the band members to pursue solo projects.
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During the hiatus, Parker continued to work on his music career. In 2014 he collaborated with rapper and DJ Richard Rawson, known by his stage name Fazer, to release the track Fireflies.
In 2015, Parker released a solo single, Undiscovered.
Parker also began exploring opportunities in television, participating in the series Celebrity Masterchef in 2015 and later in 2016 on Channel 4’s skiing reality show The Jump, where he finished third.
Tom Parker on The Jump (Channel 4)
In 2017, Parker made his stage debut as Danny Zuko in Grease during the musical’s UK tour.
Parker married his longtime partner Kelsey Hardwick in 2018 and the couple had two children, Aurelia Rose, born in 2019, and Bodhi, born in 2020.
In 2020, Parker announced that he had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
Barely a year after his diagnosis, Parker and his bandmates announced The Wanted would be reuniting to release a greatest hits album in 2021.
The band also announced they would be performing at a benefit concert in support of Parker, marking their first performance together in seven years.
Inside My Head – The Concert, organized by Parker, was held at the Royal Albert Hall raising money for Stand Up To Cancer and The National Brain Appeal.
Parker and his bandmates released Most Wanted: Greatest Hits in November 2021. The album peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, making it their fourth UK Top 10 album.
Shortly before the album’s release, Parker announced that his brain tumor was “stable” and “under control.”
Speaking to his wife in October 2021, Parker revealed they might discuss having their third child in a year or two, but admitted their “new mission is to improve the treatment of cancer.” “.
Parker later revealed how “shocked” he was that no better treatments had been found for people with brain cancer, despite a vaccine for Covid-19 being found within a year.
Throughout his battle with cancer, Parker, with the support of his wife and bandmates, stayed upbeat and positive. In 2021, Parker revealed that he “didn’t want to pay attention to cancer.”
He spoke openly about his illness ahead of his benefit concert, saying: “It’s not that I ignore cancer, but I just don’t want to pay attention to it.
“The more attention you give it, the more it eats up your life, and I don’t want to consume my life.
“I have children, I have family. So I just try to ignore it as much as possible.”
https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/tom-parker-went-from-star-of-the-wanted-to-brain-tumour-campaigner-41504936.html Tom Parker went from The Wanted star to brain cancer activist