Kate Bush has paid tribute to a close friend who died during a Christmas Day swim in Devon.
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Antique dealer Matthew Upham went missing at a beach along with another man in Budleigh Salterton. HM Coastguard had responded to reports of “people in difficulty” in the water before the search was called off later that day, reports Sky News.
Writing on her official website, Bush said: “As you might have heard on the news, Matthew Upham was one of the swimmers who went missing in the sea in Devon on Christmas Day.
“Matthew was one of my very dearest friends. I’d known him for thirty years. He was one of those people who touched everyone he met. He was extraordinarily kind, thoughtful and lived life to the full. He was also a great deal of fun. His family are heartbroken and along with many of his friends, so am I.”
She went on: “Matthew was a very strong swimmer. He had a great love for kayaking. He understood that the sea should be respected. It’s so tragic that he lost his life this way.
“The world has lost someone incredibly special. Thank you Matthew, for being one of the best friends anyone could have.”
Upham’s family also paid tribute in a post on the Matthew Upham Antiques Instagram page, writing: “Matthew is deeply loved and will be forever missed. We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the emergency services who responded, particularly the RNLI and coastguard, for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless efforts during this extremely difficult time. We are profoundly grateful for their compassion and support.”
Elsewhere, Bush recently saw another huge boost in streams for her 1985 classic track ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ following the premiere of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things.
More recently she invited 52 visual artists to create work inspired by the song for the 2025 Sound & Vision fundraiser, an annual auction where all proceeds are donated to War Child.
In February this year, she also joined Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox and over 1,000 artists in releasing a silent album in protest to AI being used in music and changes to copyright AI laws planned by the UK government.
