Who is Feargal Sharkey? The Undertones frontman diagnosed with prostate cancer after a casual doctor visit 

Feargal Sharkey is the former frontman and lead vocalist and currently an environmental activist. The singer was born on August 13, 1958, in Derry, Northern Ireland, and began his music career in 1974, when he formed The Undertones alongside John O'Neill, Damian O'Neill, Michael Bradley, and Billy Doherty.

During their Sharkey era, The Undertones released a total of four studio albums, starting with their self-titled debut, The Undertones, in 1979, then Hypnotised in 1980, followed by their third album, Positive Touch, in 1981, and their fourth album, The Sin of Pride. The band achieved particular success with the album Hypnotised, which reached the 6th position on the UK album chart subsequent to its release.

The Undertones disbanded in 1983, before reforming under a new member lineup led by Paul McLoone in 1999. Sharkey, however, joined The Assembly soon after The Undertones disbanded in 1983. He remained with The Assembly for a few months before transitioning to a solo career.

The singer's solo career as a singer lasted till 1991, with his debut self-titled album, Feargal Sharkey, being the most notable of the three albums he released. After the third and final release of his album, Sharkey transitioned to a career in music industry management, becoming a managing director at EXP Ltd. in the late 1990s and then becoming a member of the Radio Authority from 1998 to 2003.

The singer is also an environmental activist, having campaigned and participated in environmental protests, particularly against the pollution of rivers and water bodies. The singer has campaigned extensively against the dumping of sewage and waste into water bodies by companies in the UK. Feargal Sharkey was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his work in music in 2019.

Feargal Sharkey diagnosed with prostate cancer

Feargal Sharkey was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a casual visit to the doctor. According to the Mayo Clinic is a growth of cells in the prostate and is one of the most common forms of cancer. People who are obese, older than 60 years old, as well as those with a history of smoking or DNA changes, are susceptible to prostate cancer.

Advanced stages of prostate cancer, like other cancers, can spread to other parts of the body and cause incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Treatment choices include surgery, radiation therapy, and so on.

Feargal Sharkey announced his diagnosis of prostate cancer during an interview with The Express on May 23, 2025, stating:

"About a year and a half ago, I randomly went to see my GP with a sore throat. Now I’ve known him long enough but he goes, ‘No no, you’re that bloke that used to sing. So if you’re telling me you’ve got a sore throat, there’s something going on’."

The singer continued:

"So my doctor, being the beautiful, wonderful, awkward, cantankerous old man that is went, ‘Oh Feargal, by the way, you’re 65 now, I’m going to run the full battery of tests. Two days later, it turns out, I began a journey which led to the [diagnosis] of prostate cancer. Thankfully, that’s all now been resolved a year ago."

The singer added:

"But here we are, had it not been for that random visit to my local GP, I would never have known that I was at that point carrying prostate cancer, and if it had not been seen to, it could have been a very different ending and a very different outcome to my life."

The singer stated:

Trending

"The reason I’m very happy to talk about it is because if there’s one man out there over the age of 45 go and see your GP. Go and get the blood test done."

Feargal Sharkey appealed to men in the general public to get tested later in the interview, giving the example of Olympic medalist Chris Hoy, who also revealed back in 2024 that he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback