Lee Ryan
Lee Ryan | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | 17 June 1983 |
Origin | Chatham, Kent, England |
Genres | Pop, Soul, Indie |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actor |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | Sony BMG, Tale Tale, Geffen |
Lee Ryan (born 17 June 1983) is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He is known as a member of the British boy band Blue.
Early life
Lee Ryan was born in Chatham, Kent. His parents split up when he was six years old. Ryan mostly lived with his mother, sister Gemma and his grandmother. At the age of 5 it was discovered that he suffered from dyslexia. Ryan attended performing arts schools, including the independent fee-paying theatre schools Sylvia Young Theatre School and Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.
Career
2000–2005: Career with Blue
Ryan is a member of boy band Blue along with Simon Webbe, Duncan James and Antony Costa. The group has sold over 14 million records worldwide. In August 2005, Blue split up to pursue solo careers under the advice of Sir Elton John. Blue reformed on 28 April 2009.[1] Ryan has had three number one hits while with Blue.[2] He had previously co-directed the video for Blue's single "Breathe Easy" which he also wrote and which was shot in Prague.
2005–2008: Lee Ryan and stage
Ryan released his first single "Army of Lovers" on 18 July 2005. It debuted at #3 in the UK Singles Chart and hit #1 in Italy. On 1 August 2005, Ryan released his debut album, Lee Ryan, to mixed reviews. The album reached #6 in the UK Album Chart and #3 in Italy. In January 2006, Ryan released his third and final single in the UK "When I Think of You". The song reached #15 in the UK. "Real Love" was used for the end credits of the film Ice Age: The Meltdown which later led to Ryan voicing the part of an elk in the UK version of the film. In late 2005, Dolce & Gabbana signed Ryan up to be the UK face of their new line of clothing.
After the relative success of his first solo album, Ryan started planning his second solo album. The single "Reinforce Love" was released on 10 December 2007. The single was being released for Great Ormond Street Hospital and CLIC Sargent, which were the two charities that Ryan was touring for in November and December 2007, with young voices. The album was then postponed, and finally cancelled. He appeared in the video for the latest single by a British girlband named Fe-Nix. In September 2007, he appeared as one of the contestants in Hell's Kitchen. However he rowed with Marco Pierre White about White's use of the term "pikey",[3] and subsequently left the show.[4] In August and September 2008, Ryan acted alongside Natalie Casey in The Pretender Agenda at The New Players Theatre in London.
2009–2010: Film and cancelled second album
In March 2010, Ryan confirmed that he had signed a new record deal with Geffen Records, due to last until 2013. Later that month, it was announced that Ryan's first album on his new record label, Confessions, was due to be released in October 2010.[5] The first single from the album, "Secret Love", was released as a double A-Side with "I Am Who I Am" on 4 July 2010. The single only managed to peak at #33 on the UK Singles Chart. Following this, it was announced that Geffen were set to drop Ryan from the label, before work on his album had been completed. Ryan announced in January 2011 that there was no deal to release his album.[6]
The tracklisting for Ryan's aborted album was as follows: "Secret Love", "I Am Who I Am", "Guardian Angel", "Perfect Strangers", "I Don't Wanna Let You Down", "I Love Your Smile", "It's Not Me", "Confessions", "Light of Your Soul", "Peaches", "Reinforce Love", "Suffice to Say", "To See the Stars", "Stop the Rain", "Why Me" and "Stand Up as People".[7] It has been reported that Ryan was dropped from the Celebrity Big Brother line-up, after he demanded too much cash from the production company for his participation.[8]
2011–present: Return with Blue
Ryan stated in January 2011 that he was working on an album with Blue to be released later in the year.[6] Blue represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany with the song "I Can", placing 11th overall.
In 2013, Blue released "Hurt Lovers" the first single from their fourth album Roulette.[9]
Personal life
In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in New York City, Ryan roused controversy by claiming whaling and elephant hunting were "more important" issues. In a publicity interview with the BBC, he asked "What about whales? They are ignoring animals that are more important. Animals need saving and that's more important. This New York thing is being blown out of proportion," adding "Who gives a fuck about New York when elephants are being killed?" when consternated bandmates attempted to close him down.[10] On 22 August 2003, Ryan was banned from driving for 18 months and fined £2,250 as a consequence of drunk driving.[11] On 31 December 2007, he was arrested for an assault on a taxi driver in Oxted, Surrey. He was released on bail until February 2008.[12] At Guildford Magistrates' Court on 24 June 2008 he was fined £300. He claimed in court "he felt targeted because he is 'famous' ".[13]
In June 2008, Ryan announced he was engaged to hairdresser Samantha Millar, having met her on Myspace. The couple have a son, Rain Ryan, who was born later that year on 30 November 2008.[14] In 2009, it was announced that Ryan was secretly a father to daughter Blubelle Ryan born also in 2008.[15]
In an interview with New! magazine on 27 April 2010, Ryan acknowledged he had threesomes with his bandmate Duncan James, while answering the question about James' bisexuality.[16] In an article MailOnline newspaper on 28 December 2013 was announced that Ryan in the past has bisexual relations with his bandmate Duncan James.
Lee Ryan entered the Celebrity Big Brother UK house on January 3rd, 2014.
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [17] |
BEL [18] |
GER [19] |
JAP [20] |
IRE [21] |
ITA [22] |
SWI [23] | ||||||||
Lee Ryan |
|
6 | 68 | 79 | 40 | 42 | 3 | 61 | ||||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [17] |
AUT [24] |
BEL [18] |
FRA [25] |
GER [19] |
HUN [26] |
IRE [21] |
ITA [22] |
SWI [23] |
UKN [27] | |||||
"Army of Lovers" | 2005 | 3 | 41 | 25 | — | 29 | — | 17 | 1 | 49 | 3 | Lee Ryan | ||
"Turn Your Car Around" | 12 | 41 | 2 | — | 52 | — | 33 | 2 | — | 8 | ||||
"When I Think of You" | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | — | — | 13 | ||||
"Real Love" | 2006 | — | — | 5 | 10 | 56 | 28 | — | — | 74 | — | |||
"Reinforce Love" | 2007 | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album song | ||
"I Am Who I Am / Secret Love" | 2010 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | non-album song | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Filmography
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2010 | The Heavy | Reuben |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Holby City | Arian Kirkwall | "Too Much Too Young" (Season 3, Episode 2) |
2006 | Hell's Kitchen | Himself | Season 6; cookery reality television |
2008 | 24 Hours with... | Himself | Television documentary; "Lee Ryan" (Season 1, Episode 3) |
References
- ^ "All Rise (from the ashes): Boy band Blue reunite after four years". Daily Mail. London. 28 April 2009.
- ^ Blue Number Ones | Number One hits from the UK Singles Charts. Number-ones.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-12-03.
- ^ "Chef Marco rebuked over 'pikey' remark | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. 8 September 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ "Hell's Kitchen: Lee quit after 'pikey' slur | News | Hells Kitchen | What's on TV". Whatsontv.co.uk. 7 September 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ "Blue's Lee Ryan 'making dance music'". Digital Spy. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
- ^ a b Lee Ryan dismisses Tesco album deal – Music News. Digital Spy (2011-01-05). Retrieved on 2011-12-03.
- ^ "Album Review: Lee Ryan - Confessions | Prefix". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ "Lee Ryan dropped for Romeo after demanding too much cash!". Unrealitytv.co.uk. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ Corner, Lewis. "Blue premiere new music video 'Hurt-Lovers'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ "When popstars talk politics". Virgin Media Music. London. 2010.
- ^ "Blue star given driving ban". 2003.
- ^ Alex Fletcher Lee Ryan arrested for assault. digitalspy.co.uk. 2 January 2008
- ^ "Blue singer Lee's pregnant MySpace fiancée ditches sober suit for black leggings and knee high boots at road rage trial". Daily Mail. London. 21 July 2008.
- ^ "Lee Ryan Welcomes Son Rain Amethyst – People.com". Celebritybabies.people.com. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ "Lee Ryan discovers he has a secret love child". Mirror. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ "Lee Ryan: 'I had threesomes with Duncan James'". New!. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ a b List of Lee Ryan albums and singles on UK:
- Geral: "The Official Charts Company - Lee Ryan". The Official Charts Company. 5 May 2013.
- "Reinforce Love" "UK Charts > "Reinforce Love" by Lee Ryan". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Belgium Charts > Lee Ryan". Ultratop - Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Charverfolgung / Blue / Longplay" (in German). musicline.de PhonoNet. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Japan Charts - Lee Ryan: albums, DVDs and singles". Oricon. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
- ^ a b "Irish Charts > Lee Ryan". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Italian Charts > Lee Ryan". italiancharts.com Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Swiss Charts > Lee Ryan" (in German). swisscharts.com Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Austrian Charts > lee Ryan" (in German). austriancharts.at Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "France Single Charts History". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ "Association of Hungarian Record Companies". Association of Hungarian Record Companies. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ "Ukrainian Chart - Lee Ryan". FDR. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
External links
- Use dmy dates from April 2013
- 1983 births
- Living people
- English male singers
- English songwriters
- British people of Irish descent
- People from Chatham, Kent
- Blue-eyed soul singers
- Blue (English band)
- Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School
- Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
- Lee Ryan
- Musicians from Kent