Boyzone's two original members who were brutally axed from band before stardom

Boyzone became one of the biggest boy bands in the 90s (Image: BBC)

Irish boy band Boyzone originally had two additional members who were dismissed before the group shot to stardom.

While most are familiar with the successful careers of Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham, and Stephen Gately, there were two other members who didn't get to bask in the same limelight as their bandmates.

Richard Rock and Mark Walton were shown the door by band founder Louis Walsh prior to Boyzone's international breakthrough, making their names less associated with the renowned group.

Son of Irish entertainer Dickie Rock, Richard was no stranger to the performing arts. He joined Boyzone in the early 90s, but his "bad boy" persona didn't align with Louis' vision of a boy band targeted at young fans.

Richard often claimed that he served as the frontman of the band in the early days and not Ronan.

Richard Rock (second from left) and Mark Walton (second from right) joined Boyzone after auditioning in Dublin (Image: Sky)

Richard was kicked out of the band because of his "bad boy" image (Image: RTE)

Speaking to the Irish Independent about his dismissal from the band, Richard said: "I arrived in Shaft nightclub on Ely Place and I was pretty wasted on E [ecstasy] and Louis and John told me I was out of the band.

"I was, like, 'Whatever.' I spent the next few years watching them getting bigger and bigger and I just went off the rails for a while. It did affect me and my life."

Following Boyzone's ascent to fame, Richard grappled with personal struggles. After enduring a difficult period, he eventually shifted his focus to songwriting and DJing at local venues in Dublin.

With Boyzone riding high on the charts, Richard's self-destructive behaviour continued and he experimented with heroin during a trip to Marbella in 1994.

"It blocked out all the crap that was in my head, because I was just so frustrated," he said. "I didn't have any direction about what I wanted to do."

Mark was also booted out by Louis Walsh (Image: RTE)

Mark had a stint on television as a judge on Vietnam Idol (Image: Facebook)

I really wanted to do music, but I couldn't see any way out. It was just a dark space I was in. When I was taking heroin, it lifted me."

Richard's addiction to heroin escalated over the next several years and he was handed a two-year suspended sentence for heroin possession in June 1998.

"My son has already received a sentence over the last two years due to publicity he did not deserve because of me," Richard's father told the court.

Richard turned his life around in 2004 when he checked into a rehab centre. He later worked for a media company and formed the electronic duo Lectrosoul with another musician. In 2018, he tied the knot with Iranian photographer and videographer Sadaf Javan.

Mark is now a billionaire (Image: Getty)

Meanwhile, Mark's path in life was completely different to Richard's. Despite not making it into the band, he went on to amass considerable wealth.

He owns 5th Avenue, a company that has collaborated with stars like Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias. He also had a stint on television as a judge on Vietnam Idol, a spin-off of Simon Cowell's popular show.

In 2016, he declared himself a billionaire, something he didn't set out to achieve.

Reflecting on his success, he said: "Right now, I have the crazy glamour, big-name side to what I'm doing in my career that I think no one expected of me. And I intend to do a lot more with it than buy Lamborghinis and spend my time on the beach.

"I never planned to be in a position where I could be a billionaire from Ireland."

A new Sky documentary series, Boyzone: No Matter What provides an unfiltered look at the highs and lows of the iconic 90s boyband, featuring unseen footage and interviews with the band's members and those closest to them.