The Script guitarist Mark Sheehan dies aged 46

Mark Sheehan, guitarist with Irish pop band The Script has died following a short illness. He was 46.

The band announced the news with a short post on their social media pages, writing: “Much loved husband, father, brother, band mate and friend Mark Sheehan passed away today in hospital after a brief illness. The family and group ask fans to respect their privacy at this tragic time.”

Sheehan and The Script’s vocalist Danny O’Donoghue were best friends from childhood and bought their first guitars together aged 15. Later Sheehan would head to the US, working as a session guitarist for an 11-year period. 

During that time, he worked across Nashville, LA, Florida, New York and Philadelphia, channeling an early love of R&B and Motown into roles with artists such as Boyz II Men, Montell Jordan and producer Teddy Riley. 

“[Riley] had the new jack swing thing and No Diggity had just come out,” Sheehan told Total Guitar in 2017. “At the time Pharrell Williams and others were also working with Teddy, so that’s how I met those guys too. I worked with Rodney Jerkins and we used to hang out together in the studio with people and write songs.” 

The time proved hugely influential on Sheehan’s approach to playing, and he noted his unusual position as an R&B guitarist hailing from rock-dominated Ireland.

“If you listen to R&B and hip-hop you’ll notice the guitar is never layered, it’s always a one-piece guitar riff,” commented Sheehan. 

“In rock music, even pop music, they’ll layer guitar riffs and make it really powerful and strong. In R&B and hip-hop it’s very solo-sounding and brought back in the mix a lot. Those artists favour the kicks, snares and bass. So I come from that world.”

Sheehan would take his session and songwriting talent with him into The Script, when he reunited with his childhood friend O’Donoghue in 2001. The band’s self-titled debut album arrived in 2008 and wasted no time in topping the UK and Irish charts. 

The group would have two top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart by 2014. However, they were carried to even greater heights in the UK, where The Script became the most successful Irish band in terms of album sales for a period of almost 10 years.

Sheehan is survived by his wife, Reena, and their three children.