Former co-leader of internationally successful Irish boy band Westlife, Mark Feehily embarked on a solo career three years after the group split in 2012. Born Markus Feehily on May 28, 1980 and brought up in the seaport of Sligo in northwest Ireland, he grew up singing in the church choir and, while still in his teens, formed the boy band IOYOU with his friends Shane Filan and Kian Egan. The band came to the attention of impresario Louis Walsh, manager of Boyzone, who was looking to add another act to his stable. Walsh signed the band, tweaked the lineup, and Westlife was born. The band debuted in 1998 and was an immediate success. For almost 15 years, they topped charts around the globe, touring internationally and selling over 55 million records. In 2005, Feehily came out as gay in a newspaper interview after years of stress created by being in the closet had caused him to go into therapy; despite his fears, the response from the group's predominantly female fan base was largely positive. The split of Westlife in 2012 coincided with his breakup from his fiancé, and he went through a period of depression, which he channeled into his dark 2015 solo debut Fire, released under his birth name. A move home to Sligo from London to be closer to his family coincided with a new relationship, leading to a happier period in his life. In 2017, he shortened his name to Mark for the release of his sophomore album, Christmas, which he promoted by supporting Mariah Carey on her U.K. winter tour. ~ John D. Buchanan