Louis Tomlinson Helped This Grieving Man Check off His Bucket List
This superstar hits all the right notes
After experiencing momentous heartache himself, former One Direction band member, Louis Tomlinson, hopes he can help make others feel they’re not alone. And he’s starting out by helping one elderly English widower check off an item on his bucket list.
For the video of his latest single, “Two of Us,” Tomlinson and his 83-year-old pal drive race cars, get tattoos, ride rollercoasters, fly in helicopters, and sing in packed arenas - all activities Richard hoped to do before he dies. For Tomlinson, the purpose runs deeper than helping someone achieve their goals. After hearing Richard’s story, he resonated with how he carried on after being dealt a tragedy.
“He had a few things he wanted to do, so I thought I’d help him out,” Tomlinson wrote in an emotional post on Instagram. “This video feels particularly relevant and powerful to me. Richard is a classic example of a fearless man who in light of tragedy still pushes himself to live with as much laughter and happiness as possible.”
The former taxi driver and member of the Royal Air Force lost his wife Pat two years ago due to Alzheimer's complications. They were married for 60 years, and though she’s passed away, the two still share a strong connection.
“I talk to her on a regular basis, even though she ain’t here,” Richard says in the music video.
For his part, riding on roller coasters and getting tattoos weren’t random bucket list items - they were things he and his wife wanted to do together someday. The music video was a way to express how both Richard and Tomlinson continue to deal with the loss of a loved one. The 27-year-old pop star lost his mother, Johannah to leukemia three years ago when she was just 43. Then, only last month, he lost his 18-year-old sister Felicite to a heart attack.
On the "The Kyle and Jackie O Show," the star admitted that he tends to bottle up his emotions, and his video is his way of expressing all that comes with grief and loss, while still finding the courage to continue living a life of purpose.
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