SINGER Matt Goss fought back tears as he paid tribute to James Whale with a hauntingly beautiful performance at his funeral.
Following a 30-year friendship with the broadcast legend, Bros star Matt bravely sang a medley of In The Wee Small Hours and Unforgettable in front of a packed-out church.
Singer Matt performed at the church service[/caption]
Matt Goss with his arms around his late friend James Whale[/caption]
The broadcast legend’s coffin was carried by his long-term radio co-host Ash Gould[/caption]
He wrapped his arms around Talk star James’ wife Nadine as he performed with a guitarist during the emotional service yesterday.
Speaking to The Sun, 56-year-old Matt said he believes James was at his send-off in spirit, which was attended by famous friends including Nigel Farage, Christopher Biggins, Bobby Davro, Tom Tugendhat, Jeremy Kyle, Mike Graham and Lizzie Cundy.
“I think he is here and I think he’s going to be very p***ed off that there is something after this, that there’s something more than he realised,” Matt told us.
“He will be looking down, smiling on all of us.
“That’s why I sang for him with his wife under my arm.
“It was just a very emotional, very emotional experience.”
Musician Matt met James when he started out in the industry as lead singer 80s pop group Bros with his twin brother Luke.
They remained close friends ever since – and spent time together in the days before James’ death aged 74 from cancer.
“He asked me to sing at his funeral and also insisted that When Will I Be Famous? was played as his coffin was carried in – you can’t convince anyone not to do that if they want to”, laughed Matt.
“It was just a massive honour because he was a friend for 30 years.
“It was tough to get through the songs without crying. I just had to stay focused.
“He always used to say that he loved my voice and he’s been a great friend to me for ages so I just wanted to hold it together for him.”
Despite many decades as pals, Matt says his favourite memory of James was in the weeks before he died.
“I have many, many memories of him,” he added.
Saying goodbye to the late great James Whale
By Amanda Devlin, The Sun’s Assistant Showbiz Editor (Features)
“I wish I had more time,” James Whale told me during our final conversation, just weeks before his death aged 74.
For a man who’d enjoyed an illustrious career in radio spanning six decades, you’d think he would have been happy to hang up his headphones and see out his final days in retirement.
But James died as he lived – determined and dignified – with a passion to inform and entertain.
That’s why he worked at Talk until the very end of his life, even when his health was failing him.
You’d never have known it though. Despite the agony caused by his horrific disease, James was still as sharp, witty and opinionated as ever.
I first met James as a co-panellist on Talk’s Plank of the Week years ago and formed a lovely friendship. I could listen to his stories for days on end as he told me about what he got up to in the good old days of our industry – most of it too outrageous to repeat.
He was always incredibly generous with his time and would offer his kind advice at every opportunity.
Far from being too busy, too important or too experienced to talk, James relished the chance to engage with the younger journalists coming up the ranks.
At his funeral it was clear he had been special to so many others as people spilled out of the fully-seated church where his minister brother delivered an emotional, funny and heartfelt service with a hauntingly beautiful performance from Bros star Matt Goss.
Like you, James, I wish we had all had more time together – but we got lucky having enjoyed even just a moment in your company.
“James would always call me up and say, ‘Matt, will you jump on this or will you come on this?’
“It was nice to always be there for him whenever he needed me.
“We took him for lunch two weeks before he died for a roast dinner.
“He wasn’t going to come out, but I love the fact that I gave him his last roast dinner, his last Sunday Roast and I got him a Guinness.
“He told me ‘I’m not hungry’ and then he finished the whole lot.
“He was a lovely man.”
Read more about James’ funeral here.
James pictured after being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)[/caption]