Ronan will never forget 1998 rollercoaster

Ronan Keating has just had the most incredible rollercoaster ride of his life. 1998 was a year that he won't forget in a hurry. He had incredible highs and some tragic lows. He had to endure the deaths of his mother, grandmother and cousin. Yet balancing that he got married, had a massive number one, developed a new TV series - "Get Your Act Together", won countless Smash Hits awards and Record Of The Year, announced he's comanaging a new band, Westside, and best of all, found out he was going to be a dad...

How did it feel to be put through the emotional mangle?

I've changed so much as a person over this last year. So much that I couldn't even begin to put it into words. I'll never be the same person I was before my mother's death. It was the most painful experience of my life. In some ways it's still with me. There isn't a day goes by that I don't miss her. And it's changed my attitude to life. Now I won't put off until tomorrow what I can do today. Because you never know...

You don't think you rushed into marriage 'on the rebound'?

Not at all. I knew I was doing the right thing. What's the point in waiting when you know something is so right? We were going to get married in June, but we were on holiday and it seemed right, so we did it. Yvonne has helped me through the most difficult time in my life. She's seen more of me than most couples would before they get married. So becoming man and wife seemed the natural thing to do.

What did your family say?

They were a bit shocked but they knew how much we loved each other. And maybe they felt I needed something stable in my life with everything happening the way it was.

This is your fifth year in Boyzone. Do you feel a bit of an old lag on the pop scene?

I'm only 21 so I don't know about the 'old lag' bit. It does make me feel old when you see people like Billie around in the charts. When I go home to Dublin I find it hard to relate to people of my own age because I've done and seen so much in five years. My mates back home want to talk about everything I've been up to and I'm more interested in the football results.

What do you put your 1998 success down to?

It helps when you've got a brilliant song like No Matter What and a songwriter like Andrew Lloyd-Webber behind you. But I like to think that our music is consistently improving. We also try to be professional about everything we do and that keeps people on our side.

Did you have a quiet snigger about all the people who reckoned you'd split up after the press discovered Keith and Mikey's girlfriends?

No, not at all. If I'm honest I'd say none of us ever dreamt Boyzone would still be going five years down the line, let alone winning a cupboard full of Smash Hits awards. It's gone past all our expectations. We've sold more records this year than ever before.

Were you chuffed when your band Westside won the best new act on the Smash Hits roadshow?

Oh yes, it's a great start for them. We won the same award in 1994 and it was a huge help in getting us started. I'm really proud to be co-managing them - quality will always shine through! I think they've got the potential to go very far.

You've got a new TV show, more singles, a new album, a greatest hits album, a new band and a new baby in the spring. How are you going to manage it all?

I'll manage somehow. We've already started writing material for the new album so that's under way. It's going to be a busy year, but I'm sure it's going to be a happy one. We'll try and get Record Of The Year two years running!

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