Westlife

Westlife is an Irish pop band that was formed on July 3, 1998. They were signed on by Simon Cowell and are currently managed by Louis Walsh. Over the years, Westlife's music has evolved from teen pop to an adult contemporary sound, with an emphasis on ballads.

The group's original lineup comprised of Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden. Filan is the band's lead vocalist; however, Feehily shares the part of the lead vocals on certain songs as did McFadden before his departure. Some of the members can play musical instruments: Egan (drums, guitar, piano), McFadden (guitar, piano) and Feehily (tin whistle, piano). All of the band members are songwriters, although most of their hits have been composed by external writers. On March 9, 2004, McFadden departed from the band to spend more time with his family and to work on his solo projects. The remaining members remained in the band, which is now a quartet.