from USA Today/ Associated Press

Irish boy band to continue after split

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — The Irish boy band Westlife vowed to continue as a group after one of its five members announced his intention Tuesday to quit. Singer Bryan McFadden, 24, said he was leaving the band to spend more time with his two young daughters and his wife, former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry McFadden.

"I just feel it's the right time to concentrate on my family and being at home as much as I can," McFadden said at a news conference in Dublin, where the remaining members of the group supported him. "The guys want me to be happy. There's no point being in the band and not having 100% commitment, so they respect my decision," he added.

The group is scheduled to begin a world tour, including dates in Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, later this month. The remaining members — Kian Egan, 23; Mark Feehily, 23; Nicky Byrne, 25; and lead singer Shane Filan, 24 — said they were "devastated" by McFadden's departure. But they said it was an amicable split and urged fans to continue to support them.

Westlife has released a record-breaking 12 No. 1 singles in Britain and sold more than 30 million records worldwide in their five-year career.

Their first single, Swear It Again, was at the top of the charts for 13 weeks. After that came songs including Flying Without Wings— which American Idol winner Ruben Studdard turned into a hit in the United States — and a cover of Billy Joel's Uptown Girl.