In the fight against breast cancer
Ronan Keating teams up with Eliane Müller
On November 26, Pink Ribbon Switzerland celebrates 15 years of tireless efforts against breast cancer. The Irish pop star, who lost his mother to it, travels to Switzerland and is on stage with the local singers in Zurich.
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Irish pop star Ronan Keating.
Flavia SchlittlerDeputy Head of Department People
Pop star Ronan Keating (45) sang twice for the Pope, once with Sir Elton John (75) in Madison Square Garden in New York. With over 30 million albums sold worldwide, the Irishman is one of the most successful solo artists.
This Saturday his singing partners are Eliane Müller (32), Luca Hänni (28), Tiziana Gulino (25) and Jesse Ritch (30). Together they give a unique concert at the charitable Pink Ribbon Christmas Gala in Zurich’s luxury hotel Dolder Grand. And sing the song “Zäme simer stercher” in the fight against breast cancer, which is diagnosed in around 6,300 women in Switzerland every year and around 1,400 die from it.
Early detection could have saved his mother
The gala will be glamorous and emotional. There is a tragic reason why Ronan Keating is committed to early detection worldwide. When he was 21 years old, his mother Marie († 51) died of breast cancer. “She had an easily treatable cancer, early detection could have saved her,” he says to Blick and explains why she didn’t do this. “She came from a generation that was too shy to let a doctor examine their breasts. Just as many men feel today when it comes to a testicle examination. Fortunately, these taboos are slowly being broken down.”
A round of golf with the pop star
Her death made him “angry and confused,” he says. That’s why he founded the “Marie Keating Foundation” with his twin sister Linda (45) in 2001. “We were able to turn the negativity into something positive, which we are constantly working on. Our motto is: ‘Educate instead of scare’.”
At the end of the gala, the former “Boyzone” singer will receive a donation check for his “Back to Live” project, which aims to make it easier for those affected to lead a normal life after breast cancer treatment. The sum consists of donations and the auction. He is curious how much is spent on a round of golf with him.
Ronan Keating sings Swiss stars
The pop star got involved with Pink Ribbon Switzerland five years ago. Managing Director Nicole Zindel (55) asked him for this. “I knew about the tragic fate of his mother. I asked him, he said yes straight away,” she says.
Now Ronan Keating dares to write a Swiss-German song. “I am very excited about it. Maybe I’ll leave that part to the others and join the choir, we’ll see. In any case, it will sound great.”
“I have such wonderful fans”: Eliane Müller’s concert at the Zurich Volkshaus(02:22)