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Robbie Williams

 
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Robbie Williams

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Singer, songwriter

After five years with the British boy toy band Take That, Robbie Williams left the group, and was dismissed and discredited by the music press in the United Kingdom. He proved the critics wrong by winning over new legions of fans and selling more albums than any other artist in the United Kingdom in 1998. In 2006, according to Mark Sutherland in Billboard, Elton John called him "the No. 1 star in the world."

Robert Peter Maximillian Williams was born on February 13, 1974, in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Williams thrived in the limelight. While in his teens, he joined the Stoke-on-Trent Theatre Company and performed in a number of productions in various minor roles before landing a small part on the English television soap opera Brookside. He dropped out of school at 16 and went to work as a salesperson, a job he detested.

Williams responded to a newspaper advertisement looking for young men who were interested in becoming members of an English boy band that would rival the pop music dominance of America's New Kids on the Block. The advertisement was placed by Nigel Martin Smith, the svengali-like figure behind the band. In 1990, Williams auditioned for the band and was later named the fifth and final member of the Greater Manchester-based band Take That.

For the first year or so, the band traveled across England, perfecting and promoting their image and music. They were signed to RCA and had their first big break in 1992 when they released the single "It Only Takes a Minute." The single cracked the British top ten, the first Take That single to do so. Later that same year they released their debut album, Take That and Party, which debuted at number five on the British album charts. Their next single was a cover of the Barry Manilow song "It Could Be Magic." It climbed to the British top three in January of 1993. The following month the song won won the BRIT Award for Best British Single. Take That released their debut album in America in the spring of 1993.

For the remainder of 1993 the group continued to release chart-topping hit singles in the United Kingdom. "Pray" debuted at number one in July. They repeated the achievement in October with "Relight My Fire" and two months later, "Babe" hit the top of the charts. Their sophomore release, Everything Changes, debuted at number one in October and was certified platinum in the United Kingdom.

At the BRIT Awards in February of 1994, Take That took home statues for Best Single and Best Video for the song "Pray." Their next single, "Everything Changes," also debuted at number one, making Take That the first band to enter the British charts at number one four times and have four number one singles from their debut album. Their string of consecutive number one debuts was broken in July of 1994, when "Love Ain't Here Anymore" debuted at number three. In October, their single "Sure" debuted at number one in England. The following month, Take That won the Best Group Award at the inaugural European MTV Music Awards.

"Back for Good" was the band's next single. Just as many of its predecessors had done, "Back for Good" debuted at number one in Britain in the spring of 1995. In May, Nobody Else debuted at number one on the British album charts. However, despite the tremendous success of the band, all was not well within the group's ranks.

Williams had begun to grow tired of the highly regimented, pretty-boy pop image that Take That had cultivated. He started to sleep with band groupies, take drugs, and drink heavily. His rebelliousness ostracized him from the rest of the band. After cavorting on stage and off with Oasis at the Glastonbury Music Festival in June of 1995, Williams decided that he wanted out of the band. Rather than allowing Williams to exit the band gracefully, Martin-Smith, in effect, fired him, thus setting in motion a legal suit between himself and Williams.

When he was ousted from the band, Williams immersed himself in alcohol, partying, bitterness and self pity. His previously trim figure ballooned as he drank and ate excessively. He spent the remainder of 1995 and most of 1996 as a professional partygoer, appearing at bars and celebrations everywhere. The British press had a field day with his downward spiral and dismissed Williams as a talentless lout who was full of resentment for his former band and friends.

Williams was unable to record anything until late 1996 due to contract restrictions with RCA. This eventually cost him most of his previous earnings. In June of 1996 Williams signed a recording contract with Chrysalis. He released an updated cover of the George Michael song "Freedom 96" later that year. In comments included at his Geocities website, Williams called the single "more a statement than a single. The lyrics tell my story. After this, I'm going to go away and re-invent myself, then come back with my own stuff."

Collaborating with Guy Chambers and sobering up in the process, Williams began to work on a debut solo record. The album, Life Thru a Lens, was released in September of 1997. Commenting on the album's songs, Williams said on the Geocities website that "they're stories about me and my experiences. It's been really good for me to write them, it's been like having my own counseling sessions." The first single, "Old Before I Die," went to number two on the British singles chart, and the album was well received by both critics and fans.

The album's single "Angels" helped push sales of Life Thru a Lens to 300,000 copies in Europe and 1.2 million in the United Kingdom, and the record went quadruple platinum in less than a year. In September of 1998 Williams scored his first solo number one single with the song "Millennium," which was taken from his second album, I've Been Expecting You, released the following month.

By the end of 1998, Williams had become the biggest-selling artist in Britain, with sales in excess of two million copies. Commenting about his critics, Williams quipped on the Geocities website that "there are still people who can't believe it when they hear me sing. You see them thinking, 'Hey, he actually has a good voice.'"

His success in the U.K. and many other countries seemed to make Robbins a shoo-in for success in the United States. His first attempt at a U.S. solo career began when his song "Angels" reached number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003. However, after that he struggled to be noticed. He canceled plans for a U.S. tour that year. His 2005 release, Intensive Care, and 2006's Rudebox were not even released in the United States. According to Sutherland, he once told a British interviewer that "the only way an album of mine is going to be in the States is if I leave it in Tower Records."

By 2006 Williams had sold more than 51 million albums, singles, and DVDs. However, he seemed to be growing weary of the constant push to perform, and was considering a possible new career direction. He told an interviewer in Music Week, "I don't know where I stand with it all at the moment. I've had a good run." He added, "What I'm saying is, then, 'Do I take things into my own hands and dismantle this monster and have a good life?'"

Selected discography

With Take That
Take That and Party, RCA, 1992.Everything Changes, RCA, 1993.Nobody Else, RCA, 1995.
Solo
"Freedom 96," Chrysalis, 1996.Life Through a Lens, Chrysalis, 1997.I've Been Expecting You, Chrysalis, 1998.Sing When You're Winning, Chrysalis, 2000.Escapology, Chrysalis, 2002.Live at Knebworth, Chrysalis, 2003.Greatest Hits, Chrysalis, 2004.The Ego Has Landed, Chrysalis, 2004.Intensive Care, Chrysalis, 2005.Rudebox, Chrysalis, 2006.
Sources
Books
Rees, Dayfdd, and Luke Crampton, Encyclopedia of Rock Stars, DK, 1996.

Periodicals
Billboard, October 3, 1998; April 1,2006, p. 17; July 29, 2006, p. 8; October 21, 2006, p. 31, 32.
Economist, January 16, 1999.
Management Today, May 5, 2006, p. 53.
Music Week, September 2, 2006, p. 2, 3, 12.

Online
"Biography," Geocities, wysiwyg://88/http://www.geocities…setStrip/Lounge/8286/Biography.htm (January 19, 1999).
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Robbie Williams

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  • Genres: Rock

Biography

Out of all the members of Take That, Robbie Williams never really seemed to fit in. Roguishly handsome where his bandmates were merely cute, Williams was tougher and sexier than the rest, which made him more distinctive. He also fought regularly with the other members and their management, primarily because he was occasionally adverse to being so heavily packaged. So it didn't come as a surprise that he was the first to leave the band, departing early in the summer of 1995 to pursue a solo career (by some accounts, he was fired from the group). Although he was the first out of the gate, it took Williams a while to get started. For most of 1995, he attempted to boost his credibility by tagging along with Oasis, hoping that Noel Gallagher would give him a couple of songs. He never did, but all of his time with Oasis launched Williams into a world of heavy partying, drinking, and drugging. Over the course of 1996, he was only heard from in gossip columns, and every published picture indicated he had put on considerable weight. Occasionally, he was quoted as saying his new music would abandon lightweight dance-pop for traditional Brit-pop, but his first single was a cover of George Michael's "Freedom '90." Released late in 1996, the single was a disaster, but his second single, 1997's "Old Before I Die," was more in the vein of his early pronouncements, featuring a distinct Oasis influence.

Williams finally released his first solo album, Life Thru a Lens, in 1997. The album became a big hit in Britain, prompting his second, I've Been Expecting You, to go multi-platinum upon its release in 1998. (The Ego Has Landed, a U.S.-only compilation designed for breaking Williams to American audiences, was released stateside in the spring of 1999.) Sing When You're Winning followed in late 2000, gaining success with the video hit "Rock DJ," while a big-band album of standards (Swing When You're Winning) appeared a year later. By this point, Robbie Williams had become one of Europe's premier pop stars, known for his headline-grabbing behavior as much as his hit-studded albums. Moreover, his solo work had sold far more copies than his work with Take That.

During 2002, Williams celebrated an enormous new contract with EMI (rumored to be upwards of 80 million dollars), but suffered the loss of his longtime production partner, Guy Chambers. Escapology, the fifth Robbie Williams album (and the last including Chambers' input), sold millions of copies in Europe, though it failed to persuade American audiences. As a result, the 2003 concert record Live at Knebworth wasn't released in the States. He introduced a new musical partner, Stephen Duffy, with a pair of songs from his compilation Greatest Hits, then reappeared in 2005 with Intensive Care. Although the album topped charts in Europe and helped Williams set an impressive concert record -- his 2006 world tour sold over one and a half million tickets in one day -- a certain creative atrophy was setting in, despite the new input of Duffy. Within a year, he had recorded and released Rudebox, a dance album recorded with half a dozen outside producers, some featured guests, and several covers instead of self-penned material. Rudebox hit number one across Europe but only went double platinum in the U.K., becoming his lowest-selling studio album to date. Accordingly, Williams' next album -- the 2009 release Reality Killed the Video Star -- found him returning to the sound of his older albums, with the Buggles' Trevor Horn handling all production duties. The following year, most news of Robbie Williams surrounded his reunion with Take That, which took the form of a new album, Progress, plus a few new songs recorded with bandmate Gary Barlow that were released on a new Williams hits collection, In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990-2010. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Robbie Williams

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For other people with the same name, see Robbie Williams (disambiguation).
Robbie Williams

Williams performing as part of the Progress Live tour in May 2011
Background information
Birth name Robert Peter Williams
Born 13 February 1974 (1974-02-13) (age 37)
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
Genres Pop rock, soft rock, dance
Occupations Singer-songwriter, musician, vocal coach, record producer, actor
Instruments Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser, drums, piano, violin, harmonica, marimba
Years active 1990–present
Labels Universal (2011–present)
Virgin (2009–2010)
Chrysalis (1996-2008)
Associated acts Take That
Website robbiewilliams.com

Robert Peter Williams[1] (born 13 February 1974) known as Robbie Williams, is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That.

Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams left the group in 1995 to launch his solo career. On 15 July 2010, it was announced he had rejoined Take That and that the group intended to release a new album in November 2010[2][3] which became the second fastest-selling album of all-time in UK chart history[4] and the fastest-selling record of the century.[5]

Williams has sold over 70 million records worldwide, which ranks him among the best-selling music artist worldwide.[6] He is the best-selling British solo artist in the United Kingdom and the best selling non-Latino artist in Latin America. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the United Kingdom. He has also been honoured with seventeen BRIT Awards—more than any other artist—and seven ECHO Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted as the "Greatest Artist of the 1990s."

Contents

Life and career

1974–89: early life

Williams was born to Peter and Janet Williams in Stoke-on-Trent on 13 February 1974. His parents ran a pub called the Red Lion in the town of Burslem, before his father became the licensee at the Port Vale F.C. Social Club - this led to Williams' lifelong affinity for the team.[7] Williams attended Mill Hill Primary School at Stoke-on-Trent[8] then St Margaret Ward Roman Catholic School in Tunstall,[9] and also attended dance school UKDDF in Tunstall.[citation needed] He participated in several school plays, and his biggest role was that of the Artful Dodger in a production of Oliver!.

1990–95: Take That

Main article: Take That

In 1990, the sixteen year old Williams was the youngest member to join Take That. According to the documentary Take That: For the Record, his mother read an advertisement seeking members for a new boy band and suggested that he try out for the group. He met fellow member Mark Owen on the day of his audition/interview with Nigel Martin-Smith. During the heights of the band's popularity, Williams was known as the extrovert and practical joker of the band. Although the majority of the band's material was written and performed by Gary Barlow, Williams did perform lead vocals on their first Top Ten hit "Could It Be Magic", "I Found Heaven", and "Everything Changes". However, he had conflicts with Martin-Smith over the restrictive rules for Take That members, and he began drinking more alcohol and dabbling in cocaine.

In July 1995, Williams's drug abuse had escalated to the point of his having a near drug overdose the night before the group was scheduled to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards. According to the documentary For the Record, he stated that he was unhappy with his musical ideas not being taken seriously by lead singer Barlow and Nigel Martin-Smith, because his desire to explore hip hop and rap conflicted with the band's usual ballads. Barlow explained in interviews that Williams had given up trying to offer creative input and merely did as he was told. As well as Williams's friction with the management of the band, Jason Orange had problems with his increasingly belligerent behaviour, his lack of interest in performing, and his frequent habit of missing the band's rehearsals.

Both Orange and Barlow confronted Martin-Smith about the internal conflict, because they did not want him dropping out while touring and before any possible future touring of America, which never took place. During one of the last rehearsals before the tour commenced, the group confronted Williams about his attitude and stated they wanted to do the tour without him. He agreed to quit the band and left; it would be the last time for twelve years that they were all together. Despite the departure of Williams, Take That completed their Nobody Else Tour as a four-piece band. They later disbanded on 13 February 1996, Williams's twenty-second birthday.

Shortly afterwards, Williams was photographed by the press partying with the members of Oasis at Glastonbury Festival. Following his departure, he became the subject of talk shows and newspapers as he acknowledged his plans to become a solo singer, and he was spotted partying with George Michael in France. However, a clause in his Take That contract prohibited him from releasing any material until after the group was officially dissolved, and he was later sued by Martin-Smith and forced to pay $200,000 in commission. After various legal battles over his right to a solo career, Williams was victorious in getting released from his contract with BMG. On 27 June 1996, Williams formally announced that he had signed with Chrysalis Records.

1996–98: Life Thru a Lens and I've Been Expecting You

After leaving Take That, Williams launched his solo career starting off in 1996 by covering George Michael's "Freedom", the single reached number two in the UK Singles Chart[10].

Recordings for Williams's first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March 1996. Shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers, Williams released "Old Before I Die" which would be the first single taken from his début album. The single reached number two on the UK Charts;[10] however, it was largely ignored on international charts.

His debut album, Life Thru a Lens, was released in September 1997. The album launched with his first live solo gig at the Élysée Montmartre theatre in Paris, France. The album debuted at number eleven of the UK Album Charts.

Williams released what would be the fourth single taken from his album. "Angels" became Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom.[11] The song, apart from becoming a hit around Europe and Latin America, caused sales of his album to skyrocket. The album remained inside the British top ten for forty weeks and spent 218 weeks there altogether, making it the 58th best selling album in UK history with sales of over 2.4 million.[12] The album eventually managed to sell over three million copies in Europe.[13]

Williams and Chambers started writing the second album in Jamaica in early 1998. The first single, "Millennium", became Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom.[14] It also became a top twenty hit in many European countries, Latin America and Australia.[15]

When the album I've Been Expecting You was released in late October 1998, it débuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart.[14] The album received more attention outside the United Kingdom, leaving its mark in the European and Latin American markets with hits such as "No Regrets", a collaboration with The Pet Shop Boys' singer Neil Tennant and The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon.

A cover of a track from World Party's album, Egyptology, became Williams' second number one hit in the UK.[14] Williams finished the year with a European Tour late in 1999.

The album I've Been Expecting You sold almost 3 million copies in the UK and was certified 10x Platinum by the BPI.[16] In Europe, the album sold over 4 million copies.[17]

1999–2001: Sing When You're Winning and Swing When You're Winning

In 1999, Williams was signed to Capitol Records in the United States, a part of EMI. He embarked on a US promotional tour and released his first U.S. and Canadian single, "Millennium". The album The Ego Has Landed was released in July 1999 in the United States and Canada.

Williams in London in 2000, gesturing to a paparazzo photographer.

In the middle of promotion and the tours in 1999, Williams began work on his third studio album. This time he had finally found his inner confidence.[18]

The first single taken from the album was "Rock DJ", a song inspired by Williams's UNICEF mentor, the late Ian Dury. The video showed Williams in an attempt to get noticed by a group of females, first stripping and then tearing chunks of skin and muscle from his body, and caused controversy in the United Kingdom and many other countries. The video was edited by Top of the Pops for its graphic content and many other channels followed suit.[19] The song became an instant hit, reaching number one in the UK (becoming his third number one single as a solo artist) and New Zealand. The song went on to win "Best Song of 2000" at the MTV Europe Music Awards, "Best Single of the Year" at the BRIT Awards and an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects.

When the album, Sing When You're Winning was released in August 2000, it topped the charts in many different countries.[20] In the UK the album was certified 2x Platinum on its first week of release.[21]

After the success of his third album, Williams wanted to take another musical direction. He took two weeks off from his tour to record what would be his fourth studio album, a big band album.[22] Born from his life-long love for Frank Sinatra – combined with the success of the track "Have You Met Miss Jones?" that he recorded for the film Bridget Jones' Diary in early 2001 – the album was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

Williams took the chance to duet with his long-time friend Jonathan Wilkes, Little Voice star Jane Horrocks, Saturday Night Live star Jon Lovitz, Rupert Everett and actress Nicole Kidman. The first single released from the album was a duet with Kidman, on "Somethin' Stupid". Originally a hit for Frank and Nancy Sinatra, the song became Williams' fifth number one hit in the UK.[23] It eventually went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2001.[24]

When the album Swing When You're Winning (in reference to his 2000 studio album Sing When You're Winning) was released in late 2001, it became an instant hit in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.[25]

"Beyond the Sea" was featured over the credits of the film Finding Nemo in 2003 and was also released on the film's soundtrack CD.

A DVD called Robbie Williams Live at the Albert Hall was released in December of that year. So far, it has become one of the best selling music DVDs in Europe, being certified 6x Platinum in the United Kingdom[26] and 2x Platinum in Germany.[27]

2002–05: Escapology and Intensive Care

In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI.[28] The contract included a number of provisos, including the label ceding greater creative control to the artist and a commitment to breaking Williams into the US market. So far it is the biggest music deal in British history. The deal was brokered by Ingenious Media, a leading UK corporate finance advisory business.[29]

Williams began working on what would be his fifth studio album, spending a year in the recording studio. The album heralded a new era for Williams. He had taken a more active role in the making of this album, giving an indication of his growing confidence in the studio. "One Fine Day", "Nan's Song", and "Come Undone" were the first songs that Williams wrote without the input of Guy Chambers. Most of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles.[29]

The album's first single, "Feel", written by Williams and Chambers, was recorded as a demo. When they started working on the album and were trying to re-record the vocals, Williams felt unsatisfied with it, so he decided to include the demo version and then release it as the first single.[30] When the single was released in late 2002, it became Williams' biggest international hit, going number one in countries like The Netherlands and Italy, as well as reaching the top ten in almost every single European country.[31]

When Williams' fifth studio album, Escapology, was released in late 2002, it hit number one in at least 10 countries around the world. In the United States, however, it failed to make such an impact.

Due to the controversial video for the album's second single, "Come Undone", it was heavily censored by MTV Networks Europe for depicting a debauched (but fully clothed) Williams having three-way sex with two women. The video was about some young people having a party and it showed footage of fights, drug taking and alcohol abuse. It also showed unsettling images of insects and reptiles. The uncensored version of the video was released on DVD single in Europe and was also included on the Enhanced CD Single.[32] BBC Radio 2 also banned the song for its explicit content.[33] At that time, it was confirmed that Williams and Guy Chambers were to officially split up.[32]

Escapology sold almost 2 million copies by the end of 2003 in the United Kingdom.[34]

In October 2003, Williams released his first live album, Live at Knebworth.

In October 2004, Williams released, Greatest Hits, a retrospective of his career, and also, to reveal the new tracks he had been working on with the then-new collaborator, Stephen Duffy.[35] "Radio", the compilation's first single, debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart[14] (becoming Williams' sixth number-one hit). When the compilation was later released it debuted at number one in the UK[14] and was the best selling album of the year in the UK[36] and Europe.[37]

Eight years after the release of "Angels", in February 2005 the British public voted it as the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the 2005 BRIT Awards.[38]

After touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion Greatest Hits, Williams started working on his sixth studio album. Recorded at his house in the Hollywood Hills, the album was co-written by Stephen Duffy over the course of 24 months.[39]

The track "Ghosts" was inspired by the Human League's "Louise", about a man who breaks off a relationship with his partner and realises he still has strong feelings for her.[39]

The album Intensive Care was launched in Berlin on 9 October. It became a smash hit around the world.

In November 2005, Williams took home the MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Male', but also, entered in The Guinness Book of World Records when he announced his World Tour for 2006, selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day.[40] But after the success, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange, and Howard Donald had agreed to reunite in Notting Hill, west London, for a preview screening of a documentary about Take That. The documentary screened on ITV1 on 16 November 2005. Unfortunately, according to a source quoted by The Sunday Mirror, "Robbie announced he wasn't coming. The rest of the band were gutted but felt the show had to go on."[41]

Williams kicked off his Close Encounters World Tour in South Africa in April 2006, when he finished his European leg of the tour. 2.5 million people had seen the show,[42] and after touring Latin America and Australia the numbers went up to 3 million.

2006–09: Rudebox and Reality Killed the Video Star

Robbie Williams in concert in Hamburg, Germany in 2006

Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album, Rudebox, on 23 October 2006. It featured collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys, William Orbit, Soul Mekanik, Joey Negro, Mark Ronson, Chris Grierson, The Orr Boys. It received mixed reviews: Allmusic gave it a four star rating, the NME 8 out of 10, and Music Week and MOJO were equally positive,[43] but it received much weaker reviews from some of the British press.

The first single, "Rudebox", was premièred on radio by Scott Mills on his show on BBC Radio 1. The event caused some controversy, as the record label's embargo date was broken, although Williams himself later backed the presenter for doing so. More controversy followed due to the first single's radical change of direction when compared to his older releases. British newspaper The Sun named the song "The Worst Song Ever".[44] However, Victoria Newton stated that there were sure-fire hits on the album.[45]

Robbie Williams at a concert in Vienna, Austria in 2006.

The album sold 2x Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million making it the fastest platinum-selling album of 2006.[46] The album finished at number eighteen in the list of 2006's best selling albums worldwide. Neil Tennant claimed the album had sold 4.5 million copies by early 2007.[47]

To promote his album, Williams commissioned a series of short films.[48] Goodbye to the Normals was directed by Jim Field Smith and features "Burslem Normals" by Robbie Williams.

On 4 October 2007, Williams made a guest appearance at Mark Ronson's concert in Los Angeles, performing The Charlatans' "The Only One I Know", which features on Ronson's album Version.

Rumours of a new studio album co-written with Guy Chambers surfaced in early 2007, along with known commitments required by Williams to his EMI contract. British singer-songwriter Laura Critchley commented that she had sung vocals for three songs, and said that it would not be released until 2009.[49]

On 16 January 2008 UK tabloid The Sun announced that Williams had been working on some songs with The Blockheads member Chaz Jankel. The article went on to state that the reunion with Chambers hadn't worked out and that the material that Williams is working on with Jankel will form the basis of his next studio album.[50] However, although it had been confirmed on the Blockheads' official site that Jankel was writing with Williams, the rumour that Chambers was no longer working with him was not official. In late August 2008, Williams' friend Callum Blue commented that he was still working on the album.[51]

Williams performing at ARIA Music Awards of 2009 in Sydney, Australia.

In February 2009, it was confirmed that Williams had written material with Guy Chambers and Mark Ronson. A spokesman said that Williams was planning to begin the recording sessions in March and that the new album would be released in late 2009. This will probably be the last Williams album released by EMI.[52] On his official website, Williams confirmed that he was working with producer Trevor Horn on his new album, which would eventually be titled Reality Killed the Video Star,[53] a reference to the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by Horn's former band The Buggles. The album was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom.[54]

On 11 October 2009 Williams published a 12-track compilation album, titled Songbook, as a free CD for the newspaper The Mail on Sunday. The CD is a one-off album of some of his biggest hits - including several rare live performances.[55] That same evening, Williams made his "comeback" on The X Factor results show, performing his new single "Bodies" for the first time live.[56]

On 20 October 2009 Williams opened the BBC Electric Proms at the London RoundHouse.[57] It was his first live concert for 3 years[58] and was broadcast across 200 cinemas worldwide.[59] Accompanied by a string section, horn section, full band and producer Trevor Horn, Williams performed several new tracks from Reality Killed the Video Star and older tracks.

Reality Killed the Video Star was previewed in the UK on the Spotify music streaming service on 6 November 2009, and official released on 9 November.[60] In a high profile chart battle, Williams' album was pitted against X Factor 2008 runners-up JLS who released their debut album the same day. JLS beat Williams to the number one spot by 1500 sales. The album was also released in the United States (Williams' first album to be released there since 2002's Escapology).

In late November 2009, Williams traveled to Australia to perform at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009.

2010–2011: In and Out of Consciousness and reunion with Take That

In October 2010 Williams released his second greatest hits album, In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010, to celebrate 20 years as a performing artist.[61] A single, "Shame", was also released, which was written and sung by Williams and Barlow.[61]

On 15 July 2010, Williams announced he was returning to Take That. A joint statement between Williams and the group said "The rumours are true... Take That: the original lineup, have written and recorded a new album, to be called, Progress for release later this year," read the band's statement. "Following months of speculation Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams confirmed they have been recording a new studio album as a five-piece, which they will release in November."[62]

On 26 August 2010, it was announced Williams would become a guest vocal coach on the ninth series of German reality television show Popstars: Girls forever to teach candidates for a girl group.[63]

On 20 September 2010, Williams released his second book called "You Know Me" in collaboration with Chris Heath. The book features a collection of photographs of Williams from the past 20 years of his career and discussion of them by Williams as transcribed by Heath.[64]

In October, Media Control named Williams the most successful album-artist of the millennium due to the fact that he had spent No. 1 on the German Albums Chart for 38 weeks since 2000. He also reached that chart's Top Ten 135 times.[65]

2011-present: Move to Universal and ninth studio album

In June 2011 Robbie Williams revealed that he has been working with Gary Barlow on a new solo album, that will be produced by Barlow.[66] Williams confirmed on his official site that he will be doing a new duet.[67][citation needed]

Williams launched a radio show titled Radio Rudebox on 6 October 2011 where he played music and interviewed Gary Barlow.[68]

On 21 October 2011 Williams announced that he had signed with Universal Music, following his departure from his previous record label EMI in 2010. He said in a statement, "I'm really thrilled to be joining the Universal family at what I think is the most exciting time in my career." The singer's forthcoming ninth studio album is set to be released during the autumn of 2012.[69]

Other projects

Reunion of Take That

Williams announced in December 2008 that he was planning to relocate to the UK prior to releasing his eighth studio album in late-2009, and a possible reunion with Take That. Photos also showed Williams with his new tattoo of the Take That logo on his right arm, in tribute to his former bandmates.[70] Williams bought a £7 million home in the village of Compton Bassett, Wiltshire.

On 27 March 2009, Williams stated he felt ready to re-join Take That. He said: "I'm in regular contact with them, even Gaz, and it's looking more likely by the week. The lads all seem up for it and some people think it's a done deal. I think it would be fun."[71] Williams was eager to re-join the band on their The Circus Live tour, but these plans never materialised. In September 2009, Williams was reported to be working in New York with Take That, however these rumours were never confirmed.[72]

While it was rumoured that Williams would reunite with Take That on 12 November 2009 for a Children In Need charity concert at The Royal Albert Hall, they merely greeted each other warmly on stage between performances. However, both did join with the other acts in the final song of the evening, with Williams putting his arm around Gary Barlow and singing "Hey Jude". Williams subsequently implied in an interview that a proper reunion was still a distinct possibility. On 15 February 2010, The Sun printed an interview with Williams, stating that he and Take That had been sighted going to an Los Angeles studio together.[73]

It was announced on 15 July that Williams had rejoined Take That. In November 2010 the Take That album Progress was released, becoming the fastest selling album since 2000 and the second fastest selling album in UK history. Williams explained that the long-standing friction between himself and Gary has been resolved, and how close they now were.[74]

The band also announced the Progress Live tour which would travel across the UK, including a record breaking 8 nights at Wembley Stadium in London,[75] then continue across Europe. The tour was the fastest selling in UK history with ticket hotlines and websites crashing under the demand.[75]

Collaborations

One of his most famous collaborations was on the song "Kids", a duet with Australian pop star Kylie Minogue. The single peaked at number 2 on the UK singles charts in 2000. Williams also collaborated with Australian film star Nicole Kidman on a cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid". The single reached number 1 on the UK singles chart in 2001. His single "No Regrets" featured Neil Tennant, and Neil Hannon on backing vocals.

In 2002, Williams appeared on the track "My Culture" on the 1 Giant Leap album, alongside rapper Maxi Jazz (which features lyrics from the hidden track "Hello Sir" from Life Thru a Lens). Williams also features on a double CD titled Concrete which was released on the same day as Rudebox. The CD features a concert recorded for the BBC featuring the Pet Shop Boys and Williams singing their classic hit "Jealousy". Their joint effort, "She's Madonna", was released as a single in March 2007. On 13 August 2007, a Dean Martin duets album was released, on which Williams sings "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone". Most recently it was announced that Williams has recorded what is going to be Mexican singer Thalía's first single from her upcoming English-language album.

In 2010 he announced that he was to release "Shame", a duet with Take That lead singer songwriter Gary Barlow as the first single from his greatest hits collection In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010 which was certified silver in the UK and charted in 19 countries worldwide.

Video game

Williams features in his own karaoke video game, We Sing Robbie Williams which was released on 12 November 2010 by Nordic Games.

Achievements

It has been claimed that Williams has sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history and has won more BRIT Awards than any other artist to date.[76] His album sales stands at over 57 million worldwide.[77][78][79] Williams was entered in The Guinness Book of World Records when, after he announced his World Tour for 2006, 1.6 million tickets were sold in one single day.[80]

He has been presented many awards, including seventeen BRIT[81] and seven ECHO awards.[82] In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, after being voted as the Greatest artist of the 1990s.[83]

Williams appears in the list of the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the United Kingdom six times.[36]

In October 2009 it was announced that he would receive the Outstanding Contribution To British Music award at the 2010 BRIT Awards.[84]

In September 2010 Williams switched on the Blackpool illuminations, stating that it was one of the greatest honours he'd ever achieved.[85]

Personal life

Since 2006, Williams has spent most of his time in Los Angeles, California.[86] Williams moved back to the UK in 2009 when he bought an £8.5 million mansion in Compton Bassett, Wiltshire, nearby to close friend Jonathan Wilkes who lives in Swindon. Williams sold the mansion a year later to move back to Los Angeles.[citation needed]

Williams has reportedly battled mental illness, obesity, self-esteem issues, alcoholism, and substance abuse throughout his life.[87][88] He once discussed how his friend Elton John booked him into a clinic to cope with his drug use that emerged from the depression he was experiencing while still in Take That.[88] He entered a rehabilitation centre in Tucson for his addiction to the prescription pills Xanax, Seroxat/Paxil, Vicodin, and the energy drink Lucozade in February 2007[89] Williams used to smoke up to 60 cigarettes a day; he gave up in 2009 for his girlfriend Ayda Field.

Williams has a strong interest in UFOs and related paranormal phenomena, and has pursued this interest during his 2007–08 sabbatical.[90] His interest in the subject led to him taking part in a documentary for BBC Radio 4 with Jon Ronson. The documentary followed them to a UFO convention in Nevada. During an interview with Joss Stone on The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2008, Williams revealed that while out of his head on dispirin he has seen UFOs three times.[91] Williams said his first UFO sighting was when he was a child in Britain while he spotted his second in Beverly Hills, and added that the third sighting was just after he had written a song about alien contact.[91]

On 30 November 2009, Williams' hairdresser Aaron Vickers was found dead in woodland near to Williams' then home in Wiltshire. Vickers first met Williams in Los Angeles after being introduced by their mutual friend Jonathan Wilkes. When Williams bought the £8.5 million mansion in early 2009, Vickers lived at the estate for some months but had recently moved back in with his mother who lives nearby. Vickers was last seen by his boyfriend at 1am on 30 November, and his body was found hanged in the woods the following morning.[92][93]

Relationships

Since May 2006, Williams has been in a relationship with the Turkish American actress Ayda Field.[94] They have reportedly been together for almost five years.[95] Despite several break up stories in the press[96][97][98] Williams and Field have been spotted together many times.[99][100][101] On 29 January 2008 they were pictured on vacation together at Mammoth Ski Resort in California, accompanied by Max Beesley.[102][103][104] She was featured in a UFO documentary that Williams did for BBC Radio 4 in April[105] and took part in a field investigation he did in Trout Lake, Washington in August 2008.[106]

On 8 November 2008, Williams was spotted with Field at football match at the Emirates Stadium home of Arsenal, where he was also seen with Gary Barlow accompanied by his two oldest children, and Williams's longtime friend Jonathan Wilkes.[107] The couple has been living together in a mansion in Wiltshire since the beginning of 2009 according to The Sun.[108] In October 2009, Field appeared in the video of Williams comeback single Bodies. Williams has been referring to Field as his "wife" in recent interviews.[109]

In November 2009, Williams announced to Jonathan Ross that he was 'in love' with Field.[110] On 26 November 2009, Williams proposed to Ayda Field live on the Australian radio channel 2dayfm in an interview on the Kyle and Jackie O Show.[111] However, it was later revealed by Williams' manager that it was "done as a joke following suggestions it was a stunt which was set up prior to the radio show." His spokesman confirmed: 'He did say it, but he did it in a jocular manner. They are not engaged.'[112] A few days later Williams himself denied the engagement, using his official blog to say "Hey all. We are not engaged. Rob.".[113][114] On 7 August 2010, Williams and Field married at his home in Los Angeles.[115]

Sexuality

Williams won a libel case against MGN and Northern & Shell in December 2005 relating to articles which had reported he was a closet homosexual.[116] In the libel action that resulted from this, Williams accepted substantial damages, and the publishers accepted that the stories were untrue. His counsel, Tom Shields QC, told the court, "Mr Williams is not, and has never been, homosexual." Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell called for any damages paid out from the libel case to be donated to gay charities, claiming Williams' legal actions had created the impression that it is "bad to be gay."[117] Williams responded that he was not bothered about being labelled as a gay man, and he would have taken the same action had it been regarding a heterosexual relationship. In 2008, Williams's friend, actor Max Beesley, rejected claims that Williams was gay. Beesley said, "Some of the stuff written about him is enough to make me mad, the rumours about him being gay, for example. Not true. I've never met anybody less gay in my life!"[118]

Wealth

In 2009, the Sunday Times Rich List claimed he was worth over £130 million.[119] In 2011 his wealth was estimated at £90 million.[120]

Williams is a lifelong supporter of Port Vale, based in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent. In February 2006 he bought £240,000 worth of shares in the club, making him the majority shareholder.[121] He also has a restaurant at Vale Park named in his honour.[122]

Health

He revealed in 2011 he had been battling a lethargy caused by a type of hormone imbalance called a Andropause for a number of years and thought at first it was a return of his depression.[123][124]

Charity

Williams has set up a charity in his home town entitled Give It Sum, its goal being to "improve local conditions and strengthen community life by giving money to those who are disadvantaged."[87][125]

Williams, with the help of friend Jonathan Wilkes, has organised charity football matches called Soccer Aid to raise money for UNICEF UK. A mixture of celebrities and professional football players have played Soccer Aid matches in 2006, 2008 and 2010 at Old Trafford in Manchester and Wembley Stadium in London.[126]

Williams has been the Patron of the children's charity the Donna Louise Trust based in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent, for the last 8 years. The charity offers respite and palliative care to terminally ill and life-limited children who are not expected to live past the age of 16.[127]

Awards

Main article: List of Robbie Williams' Awards

Williams has won various awards with some of his more recognised accolades being the BRIT awards. He has won 17 BRIT awards which also include the BRITs he won with Take That making him the most successful artist in BRIT history. He has also won 8 Echo Awards from the German music industry.[82][128]

Discography

Main article: Robbie Williams discography
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Live albums

Tours

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  92. ^ Luke Salkeld (3 December 2009). "Robbie Williamd hairdresser found dead (3 Dec 2009)". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232610/Robbie-Williamss-hairstylist-Aaron-Vickers-dead-woods.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  93. ^ "Robbie Williams' hairdresser found dead (3 Dec 2009)". The Guardian (London). 3 December 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/8838584. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  94. ^ "Robbie Williams + Ayda Field: "Ich habe meine Liebe gefunden"". Gala.de. http://www.gala.de/stars/news/73904/Robbie-Williams-und-Ayda-Field-Ich-habe-meine-Liebe-gefunden.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  95. ^ "Robbie Williams wraps up with American actress Ayda Field" (in (Danish)). The Daily Mail (London). 28 November 2007. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=496563&in_page_id=1773. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  96. ^ Robbie Williams Love Life on the Rocks[dead link]
  97. ^ "She's The.. Gone For Robbie Williams". People.Co.Uk. 20 January 2008. http://www.people.co.uk/showbiz/showbiz/tm_headline=she-s-the-gone-for-robbie-williams&method=full&objectid=20291364&siteid=93463-name_page.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  98. ^ Richard Simpson (25 June 2008). "Robbie Williams Splits with Girlfriend". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1029337/Unlucky-love-Robbie-Williams-loses-splitting-latest-girlfriend.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  99. ^ Samson, Pete (30 April 2008). "Robbie Williams has put on weight like Elvis after retiring - Singer seen playing golf with actress girlfriend Ayda Field". London: Thesun.co.uk. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1106244.ece. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  100. ^ "Robbie Williams Swears It's This Big". Tmz.com. 8 May 2008. http://www.tmz.com/2008/05/08/robbie-williams-swears-its-this-big/#comments. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  101. ^ "Robbie Williams enjoys a day out with his favourite person... and girlfriend Ayda comes too". Daily Mail (London). 10 October 2008. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1076154/Robbie-Williams-enjoys-day-favourite-person--girlfriend-Ayda-comes-too.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
  102. ^ "Aftonbladet". Aftonbladet.se. 4 February 2008. http://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/noje/article1762260.ab. Retrieved 23 December 2009. 
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  110. ^ Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Hot Sauce production for the BBC. First Broadcast 7 November 2009.
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Robbie Williams
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Live album
Video compilations
Concert tours
Books
  • Nobody Someday
  • Feel
  • You Know Me
Related articles
Robbie Williams singles
Life thru a Lens (1997-1998)
I've Been Expecting You (1998-2000)
Sing When You're Winning (2000-2001)
Swing When You're Winning (2001-2002)
Escapology (2002-2003)
Greatest Hits (2004)
Intensive Care (2005-2006)
Rudebox (2006-2007)
Reality Killed the Video Star (2009-2010)
In and Out of Consciousness (2011)
Non-album singles
Take That
Gary Barlow · Howard Donald · Jason Orange · Mark Owen · Robbie Williams
Studio albums
Take That & Party (1992) · Everything Changes(1993) · Nobody Else(1995) · Beautiful World (2006) · The Circus (2008) · Progress (2010)
Other albums
Compilation albums
Singles
Tours
Television
Take That: For the Record  · An Audience With Take That: Live  · Take That's Countdown To Midnight  · Take That Come To Town  · Look Back, Don't Stare
See also
Take That singles
Take That & Party (1991-1992)
Everything Changes (1993-1994)
Nobody Else (1994-1995)
Greatest Hits (1996)
Beautiful World (2006-2007)
The Circus (2008-2009)
Progress (2010-2011)
"The Flood" · "Kidz" · "Happy Now"
Progressed (2011)


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