Robbie Williams Biography

Entertainer, showman, hit machine. At the age of only 34, Robbie Williams has already been a household name for 18 years, transforming from boy-band pin-up to the nation's favourite entertainer.

For five years in Take That and then as a solo performer, he has produced a constant stream hit singles. Robbies solo songs soundtrack the soap opera of his life and the times in which he has lived it, chronicling his rise to superstardom and his struggles as a man.

Back in 1995, Robbie's pop career was looking done and dusted by the time he was barely 21. That summer he walked out on Take That, the boy band with whom he enjoyed eight straight number-one hits and became a teen idol. A result of refusing to be controlled as a pop puppet any more, his departure prompted the groups split a year later.

Boys who break up successful bands seldom prosper on their own. And true to form, solo success proved hard to find at first. Robbie's first singles and debut album brought only modest success by the chart-topping standards to which he was accustomed. Then, as Christmas 1997 approached his epic soaring ballad "Angels" became the anthem for a generation. Before long his first solo album Life Thru A Lens hit number one - six months after its release.

The summer of 98 saw Robbie conquer Britain. He suddenly started winning a new generation of grown-up admirers. He was voted the years best male singer not only by his old Smash Hits, fans, but also the discerning readers of NME and Melody Maker. The defining moment of the year - indeed of Robbies entire career - was Glastonbury's mass singalong to "Angels" by the biggest crowd ever gathered in front of the Pyramid Stage. Followed by similar scenes at Slane, V98 and T-in-the-Park.

The ego really had landed. And with the Britpop bubble bursting, Britain had finally found a new star. From then, its been a story of unparalleled success. His next single, "Millennium", gave Robbie his first number one single. A month later his second album, I've Been Expecting You (October 1998), followed it to the top of the charts.

The following year was his most successful yet. In January 1999 he became the first act for seven years to have two albums in the top ten at the same time - and in November "She's The One" (a double-A-side with Its Only Us) gave him his second chart-topping single. In between, he took his third sell-out tour to 13 cities around the UK and Ireland, with all 220,000 tickets selling out in hours. His show at Slane Castle sold out faster than any previous headliner, among them Queen, REM, Bowie and Springsteen.

In the new millennium, success kept on coming. Another number one single with "Rock DJ" - equally memorable for Robbie's controversial video - paved the way for another new entry at number one for his next album, Sing When Youre Winning (August 2000).

For his next project, Robbie indulged his love of old-time swing music, paying tribute to the Rat Pack - Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr - with Swing When You're Winning (November 2001). A collection of old standards, it featured duets with a host of guest superstars including, thanks to the wonders of modern technology (and the permission of the Sinatra estate), Old Blue Eyes himself. Robbie ended the year, as it had begun, at the top of the charts - with his fifth number one single, "Somethin' Stupid", a duet with Nicole Kidman.

Leaving London for Los Angeles in search of peace and the chance to recharge his batteries, Robbie planned 2002 as a well-earned year off. Instead, he spent the year writing and recording and by the end of the year he had another new album. Released a year to the day after its predecessor, Escapology (November 2002) followed all four of his previous albums straight to number one.

Robbie Williams returned with a bang in the summer of 2003, a massive world tour which played to 1.3 million fans including three days at Knebworth, which drew 375,000 fans to the Hertfordshire estate in August, and have been hailed as the biggest open-air shows ever staged in the UK. He was voted Best British Pop/Rock Male Artist by the 2003 World Music Awards. The last notes had barely echoed into the distance before the shows were swiftly followed by Live At Knebworth (September 2003), which instantly became the fastest-selling live album in UK chart history. Likewise, What We Did Last Summer became the fastest-selling and biggest-selling music DVD of all time.

The stats continue to pile up. Robbies global album, single and DVD sales now stand at over 35 Million. Meanwhile, his bulging trophy cabinet includes a record 15 Brit Awards and three Ivor Novello awards, including one especially-prized for songwriting (with Guy Chambers). His critically acclaimed biography, Feel (written by Chris Heath) topped the book charts for weeks and his first Greatest Hits album, featuring the No.1 single "Radio", was one of the biggest selling albums of 2004.

His recent triumphant return to the stage at Live 8 in London in 2005 was considered one of the shows highlights. Robbie also released the long awaited Intensive Care, featuring the singles "Trippin", "Advertising Space" and "Sin, Sin, Sin".

In 2006, he released Rudebox, his seventh solo studio album, featuring singles "Lovelight", "She's Madonna" and title track "Rudebox". In the same year, Robbie embarked on his Close Encounters tour, which was a huge success, playing 59 sold out shows over Europe, Australia, America and South Africa.

After finishing up the Close Encounters tour in Melbourne in December 2006, Robbie announced he would be taking a much-needed break after a hectic touring schedule. He now lives in America to escape the intensity of the UK media. In 2008, Robbie is currently working on material for his next studio album, after a reunion with songwriting partner Guy Chambers. The new album is expected for release in 2009.