Jump to content

Robbie Williams

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 80.2.179.52 (talk) at 23:37, 19 February 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For footballers with the same name, see Robbie Williams (footballer).
Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams (born Robert Peter Williams on February 13, 1974 in Newcastle-under-Lyme, United Kingdom) is an English singer. His career started as a member of the pop band Take That in 1990, which he left in 1995 to begin his solo career. Since then, Robbie Williams has sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history. His album as sales stand at nearly 50 million worldwide and has sold approximately 15 million singles around the world. This brings his total sales to nearly 65 million records. In the UK alone he has sold nearly 5.5 million singles and about three times that many albums. He appears in the list of the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the UK six times, more than any other person or group. He has had eight number 1 albums and six number 1 singles in the UK, and has been the recipient of many awards including more Brit Awards than any other artist. It is also estimated that he is currently the best-selling non-Latino artist in Latin America.[1]

Early life

Robert Peter Williams was born into a Catholic family in Newcastle-under-Lyme[2] on February 13, 1974 and grew up in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. In Exposay he is quoted "I was raised a Catholic and still have the guilt, but I'm against organized religion. I had a look at Kabbalah on the internet out of interest but I wouldn't go to a meeting."[3]

Take That (1990-1995)

Main article: Take That

Williams' early pop career started with the hit boy band Take That. The band was formed in 1990 and has had 9 United Kingdom number 1 singles (7 of them when Williams was in the band, one without him before they split and one since they reformed again as a four piece in 2006). Their popularity led to a succession of similar bands in the UK. Williams' roguish qualities meant that he didn't fit into the band, and he frequently battled with his fellow band members and his management[citation needed]. After leaving the band in 1995, the last Take That album Nobody Else was re-issued in some markets excluding some vocals by Williams, most notably a new recording of "Love Aint Here Anymore". He didn't actually take any lead vocals on this album - band members later blamed this on his "lack of interest and commitment" in the recording of the album.

In November 2005, ITV1 screened a documentary on Take That, including the reasons behind Williams' departure. This documentary contained interviews with Williams and his former fellow band members. Williams declined the offer to reunite with the band, but spoke to them via a pre-recorded video message. Take That, who reformed without Williams and toured in 2006, have extended an open invitation for Williams to join them on stage if he wishes. Williams has apparently given the reformation his blessing. During a concert in Leeds in September 2006, he observed that while the invitation had "pulled on the heartstrings", he then realised that he'd sold three million concert tickets on his own[citation needed]. He said he is on good terms with his former bandmates, and sang "Back For Good", dedicating it to Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen. He also sang "Back For Good" at the Adelaide concert, 5 December 2006 as well as at the Melbourne concert, on 17th of December 2006, saying that he may visit them on tour.

Solo career

You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|January 2007 |reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.

Going solo (1996-1999)

His solo career started in 1996 covering George Michael's "Freedom" (reached #2, 26 places higher than the George Michael original). In late 1997 Williams released his first solo album Life Thru A Lens featuring the singles "Old Before I Die" (#2), "Lazy Days" (#8) and "South Of The Border" (#14). When first released the initial public response, despite favourable reviews, was somewhat underwhelming, as it was gone from the chart after barely a month having peaked at #11. It was the release of the 4th single, "Angels", that turned things around. The single itself, while it did not make the Top 3, clocked up five separate chart runs totalling 27 weeks, and is Williams' best selling single with 868,000 copies shifted. The last single from the album was "Let Me Entertain You" (#3). The album returned to the chart to give Williams the first of his eight number one albums. It went on to rack up 123 weeks on the chart, more than any of his other releases, and now ranks at #58 in the all-time list of biggest selling albums in the UK, with sales of 2,075,000.

[I've Been Expecting You]] was introduced in 1998 by the single "Millennium", which was his first solo number 1 hit single. Other singles released were "No Regrets" (reached #4), "Strong" (reached #4), "She's The One" (his second number 1) which had FIFA 2000 soundtrack "It's Only Us" as a B-side, and "Win Some Lose Some" (reached #7) exclusive to New Zealand. This album, which spent 98 weeks on the chart, is Williams' biggest seller in the UK, at #30 in the all-time list, with sales of 2,556,000.

The Ego Has Landed was a North American exclusive compilation of the best songs from "Life Thru A Lens" and "I've Been Expecting You", which had a poor showing in the album charts, peaking at #63. The album however, sold over 596,000 copies and was praised by Entertainment Weekly as the Album Of The Year in 1999. It went platinum in Canada with sales over 100,000. In total the album has sold almost a million worldwide. The two singles released from this album, "Millennium" and "Angels", reached #72 and #41 respectively.

(2000-2004)

In 2000 Williams released his 4th album Sing When You're Winning. First single Rock DJ became his third number 1 single in the UK. Other singles from this album were "Kids", a duet with Kylie Minogue (#2), "Supreme" (#4) and "Let Love Be Your Energy" (#10). In summer 2001 "Eternity / The Road To Mandalay" was his fourth number 1. This album is at #51 in the all-time UK sales list, with 2,182,000 copies sold.

Later that year Williams recorded an album of pop-standard song covers, Swing When You're Winning. The album featured his fifth UK number 1 single "Somethin' Stupid", a duet with Nicole Kidman, "Beyond the sea" which was featured in the 2003 animated motion picture Finding Nemo, and "Have You Met Miss Jones", which was included in the soundtrack of the 2001 film Bridget Jones's Diary. This album ranks at #49 in the all-time UK sales list, having sold 2,205,000.

In 2002 Williams released his sixth solo effort, and his last with producer and co-songwriter Guy Chambers, Escapology. Critics were negative about the album, calling it mediocre and weak. However, fans and some critics had the opinion that Escapology was a masterpiece[citation needed]. Singles taken from the album were "Feel" (#2), "Come Undone" (#4), "Something Beautiful" (#3) and "Sexed Up" (#10). The album was refactored for the U.S. market upon its release there in 2003, where it peaked at #43. In the UK this album is at #60 in the all-time sales list, with 2,037,000 copies sold.

In September 2003 Live at Knebworth was released in order to celebrate his three consecutive sold out gigs at Knebworth Park, featuring such songs as "Let Me Entertain You", "Mr. Bojangles", "Feel", "Come Undone", "She's The One" and "Angels". This is the only Robbie Williams UK-released album not to reach #1 in that country, peaking at #2 behind Dido's "Life For Rent."

In 2004 Williams released a compilation of his best singles. It was one of the fastest selling albums upon release in the UK,[4] where it debuted at the number one spot. Two new songs included on the album, "Radio" (his sixth number 1) and "Misunderstood" (reached #8), were both released as singles and were his first production without Guy Chambers. This album is at #61 in the all-time UK sales list, with 1,999,000 copies shifted.

(2005-Present)

Williams' ninth album, Intensive Care, was a number one in the British charts and has passed 7 million worldwide, making it his best selling studio album of his career. The album was the third best selling album of 2005 in the UK despite only being released late October. The first single from the album was "Tripping" and peaked at #2 in the UK charts, followed by "Advertising Space", an Elvis Presley tribute, entering the UK chart at #8. "Sin Sin Sin" was the final single from Intensive Care, but was his first single to miss the top 20 of the UK Singles Charts, only reaching #22. "A Place To Crash" was originally planned to be one half of a fifth single from the album, issued as a double A-side with the song "Ghosts". The single was never released, and Williams' next single was to be the song "Rudebox", the title track of his forthcoming tenth album.

Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album Rudebox on October 23, 2006. The first single "Rudebox", which reached #4 in the UK Singleschart, was hailed a flop by the British Tabloid paper the Daily Mirror, yet managed to have the same chart peak as Robbie's most famous song "Angels". It was also a worldwide hit, reaching #1 in various countries around the world, including Chile, Germany, and Italy, among others[citation needed]. The second single "Lovelight", a cover version of a song by Lewis Taylor, was released on November 13, reaching #8. The high-pitched vocals have prompted comparisons to George Michael[citation needed], an artist greatly respected by Williams. Robbie ended 2006 as the 17th most played artist in Latin America[5] and the 5th most played international artist. Next single from the album will be "She's Madonna".

Reception in North America

Despite Williams' immense popularity worldwide, he has yet to become a major chart or concert success in the United States or Canada. His first U.S. single, "Millennium," made it to only #72 on the U.S. Billboard charts, and his second, "Angels," hit #41 (becoming the more commonly known Robbie Williams song to America.) "Rock DJ" was also released, but failed to chart. With the release of Escapology, Williams did a huge promotional tour in America, with EMI hoping that this would be the album that brought big success for Williams in the States. However, after performing the lead song "Feel" on such shows as Good Morning America and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the song and album failed to catch fire in America, though "Feel" became a good sized hit just north of the U.S. in Canada, where Robbie has enjoyed a warmer reception. However, more recent singles (particularly from Rudebox) have performed somewhat better, particularly in dance clubs. Williams has sold just under a million albums in the USA.

Collaborations

In 2002 Williams appeared on the track 'My Culture' (which features lyrics from the hidden track 'Hello sir' from The Ego Has Landed) on the 1 Giant Leap album, alongside Maxi Jazz. Robbie also features on a double CD titled "Concrete", which was released on the same day as "Rudebox". The CD features a concert for the BBC featuring the Pet Shop Boys and Robbie singing their classic hit 'Jealousy'. Their joint effort "She's Madonna" will be released as a single in January 2007 as confirmed on the official Pet Shop Boys website.

Lifestyle

Williams kissing a fan during a performance

Williams has left the UK and now lives in Los Angeles, California.

Williams seemed to struggle with depression, insecurity, and self-loathing.[6] When at the beginning of his solo career Robbie received lots of criticism from critics which led him to depression, drink and drugs. Robbie tried heroin once and vowed never to try it again and labelled it "the devil's drug". He has been clean from illegal drugs and alcohol for more than 6 years. In his fly-on-the-wall documentary Nobody Someday (2001) he repeatedly mocked his flamboyant but puppet-like behaviour on stage and felt that the persona and 'brand' of Robbie Williams Popstar was a fake that he increasingly felt uncomfortable with. In more recent documentaries he yearns to become a credible artist in the eyes of the serious music press. In 2006 he appeared in "The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive", a BBC documentary on bipolar disorder hosted by Stephen Fry where he spoke about his own experiences with depression. However, he said that the manic behavior shown onstage was a persona, saying he'd been diagnosed as being "dead upset" and started taking anti-depressants 13 months after becoming sober. He also said that his first addiction was to fantasy.

Rehab

Robbie Williams entered a rehabilitation centre in the US on the 13th of February 2007 which is also his 33rd birthday. The reason he was admitted was for addiction to the anti-depressant Seroxat[1], although he did it of his own accord.

Sexuality

Williams has been the subject of tabloid rumors about his sexuality but he has repeatedly denied the rumours. He appears to question his own sexuality in some well-known songs, such as "Old Before I Die", where he sings, "Am I straight or gay?" In the video for his 2003 song, "Come Undone", he appeared in a graphic orgy scene simulating sex with both men and women. In his documentary, Nobody Someday, he said he'd never had sex with a man, but also said that he'd "try anything once."

Williams won a libel case against MGN and Northern & Shell in December 2005 relating to articles which had reported he was a secret homosexual.[7] 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 "shameful to be gay".[8] Williams openly alleged that he was not bothered about being labelled gay, and he would have taken the same action had it been about a female relationship. He also publicly vowed that he would have sex with a guy in order to save a rabbit's life.[9] What is also relevant is that in the months following the case, Williams' record sales have shown a noticeable decline [citation needed]. The court case has led some to draw comparisons between Williams and Australian actor/pop star Jason Donovan, who also once made a successful libel claim against a publication concerning his sexuality. Donovan won the case, but the act of his litigation alienated his many gay fans and he effectively destroyed his own career in the process. In a sky documentary he said that he would be happy if he ended up with a man or a women.

Williams has also had romantic relationships with several well-known female celebrities, including Geri Haliwell and Rachel Hunter. He was engaged to former All Saints member Nicole Appleton, who said in her autobiography Together that she had aborted his baby during their relationship. Williams' official biography, Feel, written by Williams' friend and Daily Mail writer Chris Heath, details Williams' many sexual conquests during his European tour in 2003.[10] Williams is also known to have once asked Georgian singer Katie Melua for a date, but she turned him down.[11]

Wealth

Robbie is worth an estimated £100 million ($196 million). In 2006 the Sunday Times Rich List claimed he was worth over £90 million.[12] Since then Williams's company 'In Good Company' has raked in a further £17.2 million for the year ending March 2006. This does not include profits from Robbie's record breaking Close Encounters Tour where he sold over 3.5 million tickets or his latest album Rudebox which shifted 2.8 million units in its first two months of release. Williams is a lifelong supporter of Port Vale F.C., based in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent. In February 2006 he bought £240,000 worth of shares in the club.[13]

Charity

Robbie Williams created the charity that is set up in his home town Give It Sum.[14] Williams with the help of his best friend Jonathan Wilkes recently organised a charity football match in an attempt to raise funds in Africa. This match was played in May 2006 at Old Trafford, Manchester. The participants were an England team full of legends and celebrities. It was a very successful event raising more than one million pounds for charity[citation needed].

Discography

Further information: Robbie Williams discography

Albums

Number-one singles

The following singles reached number one in the United Kingdom and/or New Zealand and/or Germany and/or Switzerland and/or The Netherlands. For a full singles discography, see Robbie Williams discography.
Year Single Peak positions
UK NZ GER SWI NL
1998 "Millennium" 1 28 41 18 29
1999 "She's the One/It's Only Us" 1 3 27 20 29
2000 "Rock DJ" 1 1 9 9 6
2001 "Eternity/The Road to Mandalay" 1 — 7 10 17
2001 "Somethin' Stupid" 1 2 2 3 9
2002 "Feel" 2 3 3 4 1
2004 "Radio" 1 2 2 26 8
2005 "Tripping" 2 1 1 2 1
2006 "Rudebox" 4 1 1 1 4
2007 "She's Madonna" ? ? ? ? ?

References

  1. ^ "The Robbie Williams Site". Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  2. ^ "BBC Stoke & Staffordshire - Discover Staffordshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme". BBC. Retrieved 2007-01-07.
  3. ^ "Robbie Williams Talks About His Distaste For Cocky Hollywood Actors". Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  4. ^ "Official Website's Discography - Grestest Hits". Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  5. ^ Most Played Artists List
  6. ^ Chris Heath,. Feel : Robbie Williams. London: Ebury. ISBN 009189753x. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  7. ^ "Williams wins 'gay' libel damages". BBC. 6 December 2005. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  8. ^ "Williams 'should donate damages'". BBC. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  9. ^ "Robbie Williams's gay rabbit sex vow". 6 December 2005. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  10. ^ Chris Heath,. Feel : Robbie Williams. London: Ebury. ISBN 009189753x. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  11. ^ Ariel Leve (2006-11-05). "The hitman and her". The Sunday Times. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/richlist/person/0,,43668,00.html, Sunday Times Richlist 2006
  13. ^ "BBC Stoke & Staffordshire - Robbie buys into Vale". Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  14. ^ Chris Heath,. Feel : Robbie Williams. London: Ebury. ISBN 009189753x. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robbie Williams.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Robbie Williams.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Robbie_Williams&oldid=109421468"