Nineties Dario G star Paul Spencer has died at the age of 53 as tributes pour in for the musician following his stage four rectal cancer diagnosis
Dario G star Paul Spencer has died at the age of 53 after being diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer.
The pop legend rose to fame in 1997 as part of the Cheshire dance trio Dario G. Tributes have poured in for the musician after it was announced he's died from rectal cancer. A social media statement for Dario G read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Paul Spencer earlier today.
"He was positive until the end but this was one battle he could not fight anymore. He leaves behind a wonderful musical legacy and many happy memories for many people. He will be sadly missed by everyone who loved him. Shine bright our big star." The musician announced his cancer diagnosis last June in a post on X.
He explained it was "hard to write" but he was trying to "stay positive." He said: "Hard to write this. I’ve just found out that I’ve got stage 4 rectal cancer and a shadow on my liver. That’s damn hard to read too I’m sure. Gonna give it my best shot though. Stay positive, cos I am. Always. Seeing the doctors on Friday to discuss the next steps."
Tributes have poured in for Paul as Farmer Michael star Stevo Timothy penned: "I just got news that the legend that is Dario G has sadly passed on to the other realm. The rave scene has lost a giant, from 'Carnaval de Paris' that became synonymous with the World Cup in 98 to the glorious Sunchyme'. But more that that, he was Paul, he was a friend and a good friend. I first met him when he came to our show in Manchester and I was astounded by his warmness, his friendliness and his supportive nature.
"We met up countless times since then in Ireland and the UK and every time he was such a consummate gentleman. On stage he was a ball of energy with his favourite trumpet absolutely belting out the tunes. We only spoke a few weeks ago and his positivity was unbelievable. He never lost that good nature despite his illness and what the world threw at him. I'll miss you Paul, in a world of egos, narcissism, and attitudes, you were the epitome of goodness. I hope they let you belt out the trumpet in heaven."
A fan added: "Carnaval de Paris was such an anthem that summer. It’s a song that always takes me back to a time and a place in life, even beyond France ‘98. The same with Sunchyme and the underrated Dream To Me. Dario G/Paul Spencer made soundtracks to moments in life. RIP." Someone else commented: "Such sad news about the passing of Paul Spencer (Dario G ). He fought a hard fight against his illness. RIP."
Paul, who rose to fame in the 90s with hit tracks Sunchyme and Carnival de Paris, shared how he was set on living his life to the fullest while receiving treatment. Speaking to Mirror Online at the end of last year, Paul explained his treatment and remained optimistic about the future. He said: "I'm doing really, really well. The chemo and the medication arrested and stopped the pain and then I think the chemo starts to take an effect.
"I think in a month's time I'll be having another scan so that'll be aroundChristmastime. So yeah, my Christmas present is a photoshoot of another CT scan or MRI scan. I had one done [recently] on my brain as well because little problems appeared because of the chemo."
Discussing the side effects, Paul added: "I even faced in the last week, my sense of taste has changed," before joking: "But my friends are probably telling me I've always had a terrible sense of taste in clothes anyway. I've had a problem with my eye as well with various stuff. There's always another thing and another thing. When the chemo is over, maybe they will hopefully go away."
The star told us he wanted to remain optimistic following his cancer diagnosis and picked up new hobbies. He enjoyed football games, running as well as writing happy notes to himself on his phone. Paul heartbreakingly shared how he was hoping to 'ring the bell' to mark the end of his cancer treatment.
"One of the things I've looked into is watches and things like that," Paul said. "I've never had a watch so maybe when I get to ring that bell, I've thought about buying myself a nice watch. I was looking at buying a classic car and stuff like that. I've had one of them before, but it probably breaks down.
"I thought, 'Well, no, I might buy a watch because it's there. And it's, you know, it's something you can look at. It's something that's a reminder of the future. I'll try and make it a positive thing like, 'That was when I reached that milestone.' When I do reach that milestone, one of the things I've had is well, I'll buy a watch and then I'll buy a new watch every year for the rest of my life."
The Macmillan Support Line offers confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000.
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