Stuart grew up in Cwmaman, Wales just a few doors down from where Kelly Jones lived. In 1990 after a short stint in the mid 80′s as a cover band, Kelly asked Stuart if he’d like to be in a band again, Stuart said he would. That band would later become Stereophonics.

3 young Welsh lads, topping charts, headlining festivals, selling out stadiums, millions of record sales. The perfect story until 2003, during the bands You Gotta Go There To Come Back tour. Like the previous record Just Enough Education To Perform (the bands best selling album) YGGTTCB featuring slow, melodic songs, something Stuart just wasn’t in to.

His enthuasim was hard to restore and although he kept face when performing with the band, he wasn’t a happy man. He started doing interviews from home and not travelling with the band for promo gigs or television appearances.

He claims he planned to leave the band after the tour, however we’ll never know the exact truth of this as mid-tour in Germany, Kelly phoned Stuart and informed him he was being sacked from the band.

The bands next single and album after he left both topped the UK charts, something the band had never achieved. However, despite this success Stuart remains very critical over the material the band have since produced even though they have ditched the whole “acoustic scene” that he claims was the problem.

In late 2007, Stuart, Kelly and Richard were together for the first time since the sacking, Stuart and Kelly had met the previous Christmas in Cwmaman. They were at a friends wedding and even got on stage to perform their classic hit “A Thousand Trees”.

Then, sadly in June 2010, Stuart was found dead in his home in Aberdare. He was survived by his wife and two children.

RIP Stuart.

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