Final interview

In 1995, he released a solo album, Let’s Go, which achieved only modest success. That same year, his 23-year-old partner, Jean, gave birth to their son. In a 1996 Channel 4 documentary, Don’t Leave Me This Way, Connolly admitted he had suffered six heart attacks and acknowledged that years of alcohol abuse had taken a devastating toll on his body.

By the mid-1990s, the once golden boy of glam rock was barely recognizable. He walked with a limp, shook visibly, and his performances showed the ravages of his decline.

In his final interview with journalist Jasper Rees, Brian claimed that he had carried the heaviest load when Sweet first hit the big time. He also spoke candidly about his heart attacks — according to his ex-wife, Connolly suffered 13 heart attacks in 24 hours, though the singer himself said it was closer to 12 over the span of about six weeks.

By then, he was living alone on a quiet cul-de-sac in a lifeless neighborhood, his hands trembling and his once-powerful voice noticeably diminished.

His final concert took place on December 5, 1996, at the Bristol Hippodrome, sharing the stage with Slade II and John Rossall’s Glitter Band Experience.

Just over three months later, Brian Connolly passed away. The former teen idol died on February 9, 1997, at Wexham Park Hospital due to kidney and liver failure, compounded by multiple heart attacks.

Fans later raised funds for a memorial plaque at Breakspear Crematorium, honoring the singer who had once lit up stadiums around the world.