Beautiful stories in here. :cry:

 

The posts in this thread today have been absolutely beautiful.

 

One of the strongest memories that’s kept coming back to me today, was seeing Girls Aloud perform at the Astoria (G-A-Y). I’d only just started going clubbing - and I just remember loving every minute of it. Sarah loved playing with the crowd and they somehow seemed so relaxed there - it felt intimate. I saw them a couple of times there.

 

Bob voyage Sarah :heart:

Absolutely devastated :( So incredibly unfair, such a young age to go. I'm glad she felt comfort from the well wishes she has received over the past year and I truly hope she had some wonderful days.

 

This really hits me hard. Like many of you I grew up with Girls Aloud and their music. I was instantly obsessed, so captivated by this group of girls who seemed so exciting, with edgy/fun/unique/quirky pop music. I was 14 when they formed, 21 when they took the hiatus, I followed them avidly all that time - so their music/videos/tours/interviews etc really were something of a soundtrack when I was growing up. I have many happy memories of them, they got me through difficult times because they were so joyous that they'd uplift me. Some of my friendships were formed because of a shared passion for Girls Aloud. :wub:

 

Sarah was a force - a personality that was so infectious, warm and bubbly. She was a commanding stage presence, had a strong voice that really provided many moments in so many of their songs and concerts. A wonderful legacy. :heart: After almost 20 years, it feels like someone I knew, and it hurts.

 

It feels a bit surreal. Life can be fragile and so cruel. :( Rest in peace Sarah :(

Please not trying to sound insensitive, are all Girls Aloud songs on iTunes??

 

Heard the news from my Dad, and I was completely lost for words, and I'm still saddened.

Not all of them, but the majority is - the 5 studio albums and their compilation 'Ten' are available ^

I think this is also the hardest I've ever been hit by a celeb death as well.

 

Girls Aloud weren't just a girlband for me, they're special and have been such a key part of my life. They were with me through my formulative teenage years of becoming a queer man and soundtracked my whole journey throughout everything. To lose one of them at such a young age is just unthinkable. So massively unfair. :(

 

I'm mid-way through reading her book at the moment, even though it's really sad in parts I never realised or appreciated what a sharp and actually really quite funny person she is.

So sad to hear this, Sarah was way too young and with the rest of the girls created some great musical works in her time (I'm going to have to re-appreciate them now, I've had the songs I love from them occupying my mind since I heard the news), a very sad loss.

 

Especially feeling for all of the members here who loved her and Girls Aloud as a whole, thanks for sharing, I've been reading through and they are beautiful tributes.

It's been so lovely reading all of your memories here, and also on Twitter. This tweet including a gif of The Show when she laughs :wub: Just a small moment but it's lovely.

 

@1434504434810335238

 

 

Here's Nicola's post, I don't think it was shared. Extremely touching :(

 

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I’m absolutely devastated and I can’t accept that this day has come. My heart is aching and all day everything we went through together has raced round my mind. Especially this last year since her diagnosis, as hard as the year has been, our new memories are strong in my heart. There are so many things to say and at first it felt to personal to put them here and then I remembered that there are so many other people grieving her too. A part of me or us isn’t here anymore and it’s unthinkable and painful and utterly cruel. She would have loved your messages today ♥️

Electric girl, you made us. You gave it everything and still with a smile.

A white butterfly flew past my window this morning before I knew, it must have been you 🦋

I think its lovely that the girls became close again and had some real special time since Sarah's diagnosis, I'm sure todays news has seen 20 years flash through heads in whizz making her passing just horribly real.

It has been heartbreaking, but at the same time lovely, to read all the messages and tributes. Obviously Nadine's and Nicola's hit hard, but Keisha also made a very touching post as a lot of others have done. Appearantly Xenomania were interviewd by Radio 1 for a tribute that will be broadcasted today, so that will also be an interesting one I imagine.

Oh I hope not, I always found the Boyzone without Stephen very icky and tacky and I'd feel the same about Girls Aloud. I think it's a bit different when a member leaves or doesn't want to return as to when a member was there throughout and then dies so cannot be there but you know they 100% would have been. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't hold it against them if they did and would totally wish them the best of luck but I don't think I'd be having anything to do with it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they should tour, or release new music or anything. That's entirely up to the Girls and their feelings. Just a little something, even if it's an insta live performance or something might be nice (if the tour was being discussed, it could be something to mark the anniversary they were discussing). As long as it celebrates Sarah and stays respectful - which I have no doubts about - I'm sure it'd be really nice!

This is one of the most devastating deaths, I grew up with them. It just puts so much into perspective and it really didn’t seem like 4 years ago she won Big Brother.

 

Such awful and sad news, life really is short.

 

The tributes and love is so special though and like others have said I’m so pleased the girls all got back together and even under the circumstances they put whatever behind them and shared memories had a laugh that must of been so so lovely for her.

 

RIP Sarah you’ll be massively missed

 

This is such a devestating death... Sarah really was the glue of Girls Aloud and probably the most consecutive one. She had that girl-you-would-meet-in-a-club-toilet vibe about her and her death is truly heartbreaking.

 

I wish her solo stuff was on Spotify... 'Indelible' is such a great song. For now, we have her outro of 'Whole Lotta History', which has to be one of the best moments of Girls Aloud's discography (and I dont even really like the song that much).

Hope it’s ok to comment here as don’t really get involved much but this affected me more than I originally thought it would. My partner was with me when I found out yesterday and I just shut down.

 

What Will The Neighbours Say? was my very first album from a girl group and Sarah’s vocals always really stood out to me. One of my favourite Sarah moments was her experience on “Ghosthunting With…” and I felt that’s where you really got to see how open minded and empathic she was as a person. As well as her being very open about her life experiences

 

One thing that really bugs me whenever a celebrity dies is when people all of a sudden praise the same things they criticised the celebrity for when they were alive (talking about mental/physical illness, showing signs of not doing well, being “boring/crazy” etc). Then there’s the people that preach “be kind” and “cherish everyone in your life” when a celebrity dies and then 24 hours later, goes back to posting horrific comments about people.

Girls Aloud were such a formative band for so many people — especially LGBTQ+ millennials. It feels like losing someone in your extended family, which is just a testament to Sarah and the magic the girls made together.

 

Really gutting.

So very sad about Sarah Harding still today.

 

As a Alouder, the news hit me quite hard yesterday, i was shocked by just how hard i found it to accept. It's difficult to imagine that perhaps someone you never met, who never knew you, could affect you so very much.

 

I've spent the best part of the last twenty years following Sarah and Girls Aloud journey and career, I've been there for every up and down and in the end it was Sarah's ridiculous vibrant zest for life, personality and likeability that charmed me into a constant supporter and fan.

 

Thinking today of Sarah's family, friends, fans and bandmates.

I always found Sarah to be probably the most non celebrity in the group, i mean in a way i think if we had been lucky enough to have met her she would be like someone who is very famous but acts like she is just a normal person. I strongly got that vibe of her when she did Big Brother. She also did a show here in Ireland Living with Lucy, the host stays with the celeb for 2-3 nights and she just came across so normal but yet showed vulnerability in that she lacked self confidence and it was this side of her that i found so relateable.

Its sad Sarah didnt get the time to be part of the Girls Aloud 20th anniversary as I genuinely think its something she would have relished and would have also gave her that further fulfillment that i think she would have liked before her horrible illness came along, of course when her diagnosis came work it was the last thing on her mind.

Luckily Girls Aloud left their mark in pop history and thankfully it will always help keep Sarahs memory alive and i hope that gives comfort to her close friends and family.

There is still a part of me that thinks its not real that she has passed away, its such a huge loss and tragically sad.

Kimberley and Cheryl have shared now too :heart: :cry:

 

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Beautiful Sarah this hurts so bad. To wake up and know that you are really gone is too much to bear. Hearing your infectious chuckle was one of my favourite things in the world. Your fire burned so bright and you loved, lived and laughed so hard. Sending love and strength to everyone who is grieving today. My heart is broken 💔

View this post on Instagram

 

Although we knew this day would arrive I am somehow still feeling at a loss for words that our stunning, unique, crazy, quirky, kind and soft hearted girl has departed. As I try to navigate my way through these painfully strange and horribly unfamiliar waves of disbelief & finality I am experiencing, I wanted to extend my condolences to all of our GA fans. We were like an extended family for so long and we know so many of you by name. I wanted to make sure you knew just how much your love and continued support meant to Sarah through her most vulnerable times. She was so grateful and you really lifted her spirits when she needed you most 🙏🏼 I also realize so many will be deeply affected by the circumstances of Sarah’s passing… I am sending you all so much love 💔 I love you Sarah… farewell 🕊

 

Sarah Nicole Harding forever in our hearts 💖💞🙏🏼

Oh Cheryls post is so lovely, and so nice that she acknowledged how the fans must be feeling too.

Oh dear.

We all knew this was coming, but that doesn't make it any less devastating.

 

I think I'm noticably older than most people here (I'm even older than Sarah herself - and will remain so, apparently...), so my formative years were in the '90s, and my taste in music is even "older than me": the bands making the biggest impact on me were all going already for 10+ years at the time.

Those bands are made up of people who were born in the late '50s or early '60s, so they're mostly in their 60s now, and - almost miraculously - they're all here and still going strong today. They made it through the hedonism and the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the '80s, they (well, some of them) survived brain aneurysm, alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide attempts, cancer (caught early) and everything else that can happen to musicians who regularly tour the world for 4 decades. This kind of gave me a false sense of security, that tragedies happen to others, but not them (and through them, to me), so then seeing someone so much younger becoming the first to go is almost incomprehensible.

 

My favourite bands don't necessarily sound alike, what they seem to share is more of an attitude, a way of doing things, which leads to their musical output being a bit too weird for most of the mainstream audience, but still accessible. Oddly enough, I found that Girls Aloud also hit that sweet spot. I never cared for "standard" pop bands (not on principle, just experience), I need something unusual to get me interested, and I suspect that having "not standard girlband material" members like Nicola and Sarah played a huge part in the way GA turned out. I'm not trying to suggest that only those 2 pushed them towards more adventurous directions, but their presence must have been essential, especially knowing what kind of music each girl did without the others.

 

I'm eternally grateful to Sarah for all her contributions to the band, for entertaining us with her singing, acting, stage presence and endlessly fascinating personality. She will be missed, but always remembered.

May she rest in peace.

It was a really nice message from Cheryl and with what we have heard from the girls so far you just know their hearts are broken. I understand the girls would have known in the last couple of weeks/days that Sarahs health had deteriorated but equally like the fans they would have had secret hopes that Sarah could have more time here on earth.

Im just reflecting back when the news broke about Sarahs diagnosis which was very close to a year ago i was initially convinced she would beat it and would comeback stronger than ever, obviously the later announcement Sarah made about the cancer spreading and doctors telling her it was terminal made me think uh no this is not good but there was still part of me thinking with treatments etc. Sarah may manage to contain it and live for a couple of years.

39 is really no age, im a couple of years older than that myself and i still in my head think i am very young and that sticks with me with Sarahs age and how her life was cruelly cut short.