A friend confirmed that the other half of the Ryan duo, Barry Ryan, died at the age of 72.

On Facebook, Barry's friend Cat Stevens revealed the singer's tragic death through an emotional post. The 73-year-old British singer recalled his late friend as a "tuxedo-suited poppy teenage" star alongside his twin brother.

"Yesterday a good old buddy of mine passed away, his name was Barry Ryan. Our time together began back in the 60's when he and his twin brother, Paul, were all tuxedo-suited, poppy teenage stars," the statement began.

Stevens noted that he once wrote a song about Paul and Barry titled "Keep It Out of Sight." Since then, they began hanging out. He then thanked Barry for introducing him to Patti D'Arbanville - who he dated from 1968 to 1970 - and helping him when he faced a dreaded disease.

Per Stevens, it was Barry who helped him get through tuberculosis by giving him a book about Buddhism and meditation. Following that event, the singer reportedly found the ultimate answers he needed in his life.

"When I spoke with him recently he told me he was fully at peace knowing he only had a short time left on this earth. His trust in God was solid. We'll miss him. I pray the door of God's mercy will be wide open to meet him on that Day," he went on.

His death came almost two decades after his brother, Paul, died in 1992 due to lung cancer.

Barry Ryan's Legacy

Barry began his career with the help of his twin brother. During the 1960s, they established their singing duo, "Paul & Barry Ryan," and began to release songs. They signed a recording contract with Decca and managed to have eight Top 50 singles in the UK.


Among their hit songs include "Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches," "Have Pity on the Boy," and "I Love Her."

However, Paul decided to ditch his singing career and focus on songwriting instead, causing Barry to move forward as a soloist.

Despite not having anyone to lean on, the late singer scored number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1968 after releasing his most successful song, "Eloise." It was sold for over one million copies and earned a golden disc following the success.

Ryan had a rollercoaster ride in his love life. He married the only child of Sultan Ibrahim of Johor and Sultana Marcella, Tunku Miriam binti al-Marhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim, in 1976. The two got divorced in 1980.