Singer Faye Fantarrow has died aged 21 after being signed to Eurythmics legend Dave Stewart’s music label and being hailed as one of the U.K.’s brightest young talents. Her mom announce on Instagram that the British-born musician was killed by a rare brain tumor and died on Saturday, August 26.
Her family revealed her passing in a post on Faye’s Instagram page by captioning a black-and-white picture of the singer dipping her hand into water. In a long caption, her family wrote, “We are beyond grief, We are broken beyond repair, We are cast adrift, beyond despair.”
They added there was now a “gaping void” in their lives after Faye died at home after twice beating leukemia since learning she had cancer at ages eight and 13. She was then diagnosed with a rare glioma brain tumor in September 2022.
Her family went on to say, “Faye fought with a strength and bravery that kept her with those she so desperately loved and who loved her beyond compare. Faye was the sun, the light, the life we all gravitated to and wanted to be near, she gave us joy, laughter, and the gift of her music, she was the kindest most generous soul who had so much living left to do.” They signed off the message with, “Shine bright my baby.”
Eurythmics guitarist and songwriter Dave replied to the post, “She Broke The Mould, This Breaks My Heart.” In 2021, Faye was signed to his Bay Street Records label and they had been working on an EP together.
Dave added in a statement, “I can’t put into words how devastated I was when, just after spending an amazing creative time with Faye last summer making her debut album, Faye found out she had this very aggressive brain tumor. Faye was a joy to be around, full of fun, laughter and sharp as a razor – a true artist in every sense.”
“Being with her and watching her at work is a diamond stuck in my head, moments I will never forget,” he continued. “I’m lucky to have met Faye and her Mum Pam, two humans together battling against all odds for Faye’s survival. It has been both traumatic and beautiful to witness their strength and dignity, and I am so sorry the world only got to witness Faye’s genius for such a short time. She is one of the true greats, a northern girl on fire with her lyrics and melodies. I loved her deeply.”
Born on 28 April 28, 2002, Faye was tipped as “One to Watch” by BBC Music Introducing, and in 2021 received Alan Hull’s annual Songwriting Award. Through a fund-raising campaign to pay for experimental treatment at City of Hope, she raised more than £235,000 in the first of several planned trips to California in a battle against her deadly tumor. But she was too sick to return for follow-up care, her publicists said.
Excess funds raised by the campaign were donated to charity to fund further research in her memory, they added. Faye said at the time of the release of her single “AWOL” in May, “Life very rarely goes to plan, but the plan was always to write, sing and perform, and I’ve been lucky to be able to do that.
