From millionaire heartthrob to tragic end: The sad story of Brian Connolly
Final interview et’s Go, which achieved only modest success. That same year, his 23-year-old partner, Jean, gave birth to their son. In a 1996 Channel 4 documentary, Don’t Leave Me This Way, Connolly admitted he had suffered six heart attacks and acknowledged that years of alcohol abuse had taken a devastating toll on his body.
By the mid-1990s, the once golden boy of glam rock was barely recognizable. He walked with a limp, shook visibly, and his performances showed the ravages of his decline.
In his final interview with journalist Jasper Rees, Brian claimed that he had carried the heaviest load when Sweet first hit the big time. He also spoke candidly about his heart attacks — according to his ex-wife, Connolly suffered 13 heart attacks in 24 hours, though the singer himself said it was closer to 12 over the span of about six weeks.
