Family 'broken beyond repair' after Sunderland singer Faye Fantarrow dies from brain tumour
The family of a Sunderland singer say they are "broken beyond repair" after the death of 21-year-old Faye Fantarrow.
She was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour in 2020, and fundraising had been taking place to try to get potentially life saving treatment in the US.
Earlier this year though it was announced her health had deteriorated and she would be unable to continue with treatment.
Ms Fantarrow was previously diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just eight years old.
She underwent a gruelling course of chemotherapy, but the cancer returned in 2015 when she was 13, leading to long stays in hospital, more chemotherapy, radiotherapy and ultimately a bone marrow transplant.
In a statement posted on social media, Ms Fantarrow was described as 'beautiful, compassionate, intelligent and immensely talented.'
In 2021, she was awarded the Alan Hull award for songwriting and was signed to Dave Stewart’s Bay Street Records label.
She had also played a number of festivals in the North East, including Mouth of the Tyne and Stockton Calling.
In June this year she released a new music video for her song The Weekend
Eurythmics front man Dave Stewart - also from Sunderland and who worked with Faye, paid tribute to her 'genius', saying 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 tumour.
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 Iwill never forget.
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”
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