Singing Group Reveals 'Sudden' and 'Heartbreaking' Death of Member: G4's Ben Thapa Was 42

Thapa made it to the finals of 'The X Factor' with G4 when the group competed in Season 1 of the ITV series in 2004.

By Allison Schonter

Ben Thapa, the tenor who rose to fame with the signing group G4 when they made it to the finals of The X Factor, has died. The group – formed in 2004 with Guildhall School of Music and Drama students Matt Stiff, Michael Christie, and Jon Ansellt, as well as Thapa – announced the "heartbreaking" news of Thapa's "sudden" passing in an emotional Instagram post on Sept. 9. Thapa was 42.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our brother and great friend, Ben Thapa," the statement read. "Words cannot express how we all feel right now..."

"We understand that this will be heartbreaking news for so many others too and we send you our love and support as we all remember the amazing man and memories that he has left behind," G4 continued. "Ben has been such a major part of the international singing community and he was a critical part of our journey as a group. Thank you for your love at this difficult time. RIP Ben xxxx."

The Cambridge-born Thapa got his start in singing in his local church choir before going on to become a classically trained opera singer. He notably portrayed young office clerk Vanya in Scottish Opera's Katya Kabanová, as well as performed in Pelléas et Mélisande for Opera on the Move, per The Telegraph. It was after meeting Stiff, Christie, and Ansellt as music students in London that they went on to form G4. The group gained widespread attention when they competed on The X Factor in 2004 as a barbershop quartet. Taken under the wing of judge Louis Walsh, G4 made it to the finals, where they ultimately finished as runner-up to winner Steve Brookstein.

"One minute we were students, busking in the streets, struggling to work out where the next month's rent was coming from, and the next we were on a TV show," Thapa recalled of their success.

Following The X Factor, G4 landed a £1.5 million deal with Sony Records and a starring role on Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night. They released three albums and embarked on five sell-out tours before the group disbanded in 2007. They reunited for their 10th anniversary in 2014, releasing an album for Christmas in 2015. Thapa left the group in 2018 and continued to perform solo.

Related:

Although Thapa's cause of death was not disclosed by his bandmates, The Telegraph reported that the tenor died from kidney failure. Thapa revealed on Aug. 27 that he was hospitalized and had an "emergency nephrostomy" placed. A nephrostomy is a tube that lets urine drain from the kidney through an opening in the skin on the back, according to the Cleveland Clinic. At the time, Thapa expressed hope for "better things to come." In a Sept. 2 update, he revealed that he was undergoing dialysis.

Thapa's final Sept. 7 post, in which he shared a meme, now serves as a place for fans to pay tribute. Commenting on the post, one person said they were "gutted to hear the sad news. RIP Ben," with another person writing, "Just heard the sad news. RIP Ben."

Trending Now: