One of the genius minds behind the hit party classics ‘Sunchyme’ and ‘Carnival de Paris’, Paul Spencer, has died at age 53 after his year long battle with stage four rectal cancer.
He passed away on June 17 and his family have taken to his official Instagram page to share a statement on his passing. The post reads, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Paul Spencer earlier today. He was positive until the end but this was one battle he could not fight anymore. He leaves behind a wonderful musical legacy and many happy memories for many people. He will be sadly missed by everyone who loved him. Shine bright our big star – K, A & H.”
He was a member of the hit 90s dance music trio Dario G which formed in Cheshire in the 1990s. The group was originally a duo with Spencer and his counterpart Scott Rosser having met at university in Manchester. They began their journey into electronic beats in Spencer’s home in Cheshire and it wasn’t long before two became three and third member Stephen Spencer was invited to join the ensemble. Despite popular conceptions Paul and Stephen had no relation to each other.
At the beginning of their formation Dario G were forced to change their name from the original Dario to how they are known today due to the danger of running into legal troubles at the hands of an artist carrying the same name. The group decided to decided on a name that paid tribute to both the manager of Crewe Alexandra F.C at the time, Dario Gradi, as well as adding the G in honour of jazz artist Kenny G.
The group released ‘Sunchyme’ in 1997 which became a massive hit earning itself the number 1 spot on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Party chart. It was only kept from reaching number one in the UK by ‘Candle in the Wind’ which was a tribute to Princess Diana by Elton John at the time of her death. ‘Sunchyme’s’ popularity was only exemplified by the fact it sold over 600,000 copies just in the UK alone. They then released their second record breaker ‘Carnival de Paris’ which, according to an article by the BBC, “became an unofficial anthem of the 1998 World Cup in Paris, and was later re-released for the 2002 tournament.” Both singles featured on Dario G’s debut album which just celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.
Dario G released three albums throughout their career, only one of which can be accredited to the full trio as after the release of their first album ‘Sunmachine’ the trio disbanded with Scott Roser and Stephen Spencer leaving to take up various other projects. Paul Spencer became a solo artist but still continued under the name Dario G, releasing two more albums ‘In Full Colour’ in 2001 and his most recent work ‘Hola’ in 2020. Spencer was due to play a show at the Chris Moyles 90s Hangover concert in May but had to pull out due to poor health. He will be missed by many.
