‘Everyone loved Timmy, the way he died doesn’t change a thing’
OVERTONES TALK FOR THE FIRST TIME
THE Overtones have opened their hearts about singer Timmy Matley’s death in a drugs-related fall.
He plunged 13 floors from the balcony of a flat while high on crystal meth.
Fans originally believed he had died from cancer.
Speaking for the first time about learning the truth, bandmember Mike Crawshaw said: “The way Timmy died doesn’t change anything about the way we felt about him.
“No-one who knew Timmy personally, or any of his fans for that matter, will ever see him as anything other than the wonderful, loving, kind, generous guy who touched people with his talent, personality and his music.
“Timmy was going through a lot emotionally at the time. I’ll never judge him for that and I don’t want anyone else to.
“We don’t want anyone to demonise a beautiful person for their mistakes.”
Timmy, Mike, Mark Franks, Darren Everest and Lachie Chapman found fame in 2010.
Since then, the vocal harmony group have had four top 10 albums.
Lead singer Timmy died in April, aged just 36.
At the time, it was suggested his death was down to the skin cancer which he had been battling for two years.
Mike said: “It wasn’t a conscious decision for us to make his death ambiguous.
“Everyone assumed Timmy had died from cancer and we didn’t feel it was our place, or fair on Timmy’s family, to talk about what had happened.
“It was such a difficult situation to be in. We were all in shock and grieving ourselves.
“We all had to grieve for Timmy and work and the band came secondary.”
The lads released their new album on Friday. Mike said: “It wasn’t an easy decision to carry on without Timmy. But it was the right one.
“We are all still grieving and heartbroken. It feels weird and will never be the same but he wouldn’t have wanted us to stop.
“This album is a huge deal for us. It is a tribute to Timmy but also a celebration of what The Overtones achieved with him and what The Overtones have in store for the future.”
Paying his own tribute to Timmy, Mike added: “He could talk the hind legs off a donkey, but in the best way possible.
“If you were his best mate or a stranger he would treat you exactly the same.
“He would talk to anyone and make everyone feel incredibly special.
“I love that about Timmy. I’m more shy, but I’m trying to be more like that for Timmy.”
The Overtones’ self-titled fifth album is out now.