The music world was touched by a profound tragedy this weekend as iconic artist Gary Numan learned of his brother's sudden death mid-performance at a concert in Birmingham.
A Heartbreaking On-Stage Moment
During his show at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, part of the current Telekon tour, Numan was performing the song ‘Please Push No More’ when he received what he later described as the “worst news ever.” Distressing footage from the event shows the industrial music legend breaking down on stage, visibly overcome with emotion.
His wife quickly came to his side to offer comfort following the devastating revelation. The news confirmed that his brother, John, had died at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack.
The Final Hours With His Brother
In a deeply moving and heartfelt post on Facebook, Gary Numan shared the poignant details of his final moments with his brother. John had spent the evening with Gary in Leeds during the Telekon tour, where the two brothers caught up and talked for hours both before and after the performance.
They said their goodbyes around 12:20am, but tragically, John never made it back to his car. Numan wrote that his brother was “betrayed by his own heart,” and was found deceased near the tour bus. The singer expressed his lasting anguish, stating it will “haunt me forever that we may have driven off, not knowing he was lying in a rainy street just yards away.”
He confirmed that a passerby did see John and called an ambulance, but unfortunately, it was too late to save him.
The Tour Continues as a Tribute
Despite being “drifting, broken and shell shocked,” Gary Numan has made the difficult decision to continue with the Telekon tour. He explained that this choice was guided by the belief of his father and John’s wife that his brother would have wanted the shows to go on.
The tour's purpose has now been fundamentally transformed. It is no longer a celebration of the Telekon album but has become a heartfelt tribute to John. Numan shared that his brother was only 15 when the album was made and had always loved it, making the tour a fitting homage.
“It’s a tribute to John, my brother, the best brother a man could ever have,” Numan concluded in his emotional social media post, confirming the tour's new, sombre significance.
