First finding fame as a member of 90s boy band Take That, Robbie Williams (born February 13th, 1974) has since become a global star, selling millions of records and becoming one of the UK's most treasured celebrities.
As part of the highly successful group Take That, Williams stood out from the crowd, with an edgy, tougher look than his pretty-boy bandmates. Following in-fighting and William's dislike for the demands made by their management, he left the band in 1995, pursuing a solo career that would lead to brighter success than what had come before.
After leaving the band, Williams befriended Oasis, joining in with the drug-fueled parties that came along with their success, This lifestyle took its toll, with Williams becoming increasingly overweight and the subject of much discussion in tabloid gossip columns, distracting Williams from focusing on his own music. In 1996, he released his first single, a cover of George Michael's "Freedom '90," which was largely a disaster. However, his second single, "Old Before I Die" in 1997 showed more promise, displaying a prominent Oasis influence. His debut album arrived the same year, "Life Thru a Lens," finding huge success in the UK. This was followed by the multi-Platinum release, "I've Been Expecting You," in 1998, establishing Williams' solo career.
His third album, 2000's "Sing When You're Winning" found even greater popularity, bolstered by the hit single "Rock DJ," with Williams also recording a big-band album of standards, "Swing When You're Winning" shortly after. Robbie Williams had by now established himself as one of the leading pop stars in Europe, through an endless string of hits, as well as his larger-than-life persona, selling more copies than he had previously with Take That.
Williams continued this high-flying success with 2002's "Escapology," although despite being one of the biggest stars in the UK and Europe, he failed to break into the American pop market. Despite this, his 2005 record, "Intensive Care" topped the charts in many European countries and his 2006 world tour sold over 1.5 million tickets in just one day. "Rudebox" followed, going double-Platinum in the UK, although it was his lowest selling album in his solo career.
In 2010, news of Take That's reunion brought forth much speculation as to Robbie Williams' involvement, recording a number of new songs with Gary Barlow although he did not become as involved as the other members of Take That. Williams' ninth album, "Take the Crown" arrived in 2012, featuring the production of Jacknife Lee, who has worked with Snow Patrol, R.E.M and Bloc Party, returning to the sound of his earlier work. He again found a number one single with "Candy," reaching the top spot in a number of European countries. In 2013, he again looked towards standards for inspiration, recording "Swing Both Ways," which also featured some originals. The album also featured appearances from star guests including Lily Allen, Olly Murs, Rufus Wainwright, Kelly Clarkson and Michael Bublé.
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