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Stereophonics: Kelly Jones never thought Stuart Cable would die old

Kelly Jones says Stuart Cable was like a big brother to him

Stereophonics' singer Kelly Jones has said he never thought his bandmate Stuart Cable would live to be an old man.

The frontman, who says he still dreams about his friend, was speaking 13 years after the drummer was found dead at his home after choking on his own vomit.

The 40-year-old grew up with Jones and was one of the founders of the band.

Speaking to charity Help Musicians, Jones called the 2010 death of his friend "intense".

The 48-year-old, from Cwmaman, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, later wrote a song in memory of Cable, who left the Stereophonics in 2003 and was in a new band Killing for Company at the time of his death.

Jones said: "Stuart turns up in my dreams at least five times a week. It's bizarre.

"Still to this day, it's quite strange. I lived in number 54, he lived in 62, we were on the same street all our lives.

"He'd be playing drums up there and I'd be playing guitar down there, we merged in my garage and then we took it to the youth club.

"He was like another big brother to me, he introduced me to a lot of music. It was his huge laugh and personality that opened the door a few times.

"So him dying at 40, I'd like to say it was a surprise, but in many ways it wasn't.

"He was that kind of character. I don't think he was ever going to get to be an old man."

Jones called Cable a "very funny guy," adding his bravado may have hidden underlying insecurities.

He said the drummer's son, who now comes to their shows, sometimes reminds him of Cable.

Getty Images Stereophonics, news press conference ahead of concert at Morfa Stadium in Swansea (shortly before the stadium was demolished), Friday 30th July 1999, Kelly Jones, Richard Jones and Stuart Cable. (Photo by Western Mail Archive (DH)/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)Getty Images
Jones, pictured with Cable on the right and bandmate Richard Jones, said the drummer was a "very funny guy"

He said: "His son doesn't look like him but there are certain expressions that his son does, it's very eerie because he looks exactly like him."

The songwriter said the day he penned Before Anyone Knew Our Name for Cable was when he "officially, properly grieved".

"It was basically about us starting as kids and the desire we had to get to where we got to, and it was kind of unfinished business in some ways, but he was funny," he said.

Stereophonics released their debut studio album Word Gets Around in 1997 and topped the charts with its follow-up, 1999's Performance And Cocktails.

They have since released seven more number one albums including 2022's Oochya! and are known for the songs Just Looking, Maybe Tomorrow, C'est La Vie and Have A Nice Day.