| 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 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 "Rob" Williams[1] (born 13 February 1974), who goes by the stage name 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."
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. He participated in several school plays, and his biggest role was that of the Artful Dodger in a production of Oliver!.
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.
After leaving Take That, Williams launched his solo career starting things off in 1996 by covering George Michael's "Freedom", the single reached number two in the UK Singles Chart,[10] twenty-six places higher than George Michael's original.
Recordings for Williams's first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March of that year. Shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers, Williams released "Old Before I Die" which would be the first single taken from his début album. Co-written by Williams with Eric Bazilian and Desmond Child, the single was released in April 1997, hitting number two on the UK Charts;[10] however, it was largely ignored on international charts. The second single, "Lazy Days", was released in mid-1997. Although Williams was going through drug rehabilitation on the advice of his friend Elton John, he was allowed to check out to shoot the video for the song, but promotion for the single was virtually non-existent, so whilst the single charted at number eight in the United Kingdom,[10] it struggled to reach the top forty of any European chart.
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. At first, the album was slow to take off, debuting at number eleven of the UK Album Charts. The third single of the album, "South of the Border", failed to make a significant impact on the UK Charts. When it was released in September 1997, it reached number fourteen.
After Williams met the record company's concerns about his future, he released what would be the fourth single taken from his album, not knowing it would become his biggest single in the United Kingdom so far, and one of his best-known and most successful songs to date. "Angels" became Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom, being certified 2x Platinum by the BPI.[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 alone.[13]
Williams and Chambers started writing the second album in Jamaica in early 1998. The first single, "Millennium", was inspired by John Barry's, theme song for You Only Live Twice, the James Bond movie. The song became Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom when it was released in September of that year.[14] The song went on to ship over 400,000 copies in the UK alone being certified Gold by the BPI in November 1998.[15] It also became a top twenty hit in many European countries, as well becoming a hit in Latin America and Australia.[16]
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. The single "No Regrets" was released in November 1998, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart, backed with the cover of Adam and the Ants, "Antmusic". The single eventually sold over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom being certified Silver in October 2004, almost six years after its original release.[17]
The third single "Strong" from the album debuted at number four in the United Kingdom and number nine in New Zealand, however peaked moderately at only number 68 in Germany, number 99 in France and number 55 in the Netherlands.[18] The fourth single, "She's the One", a cover of a track from World Party's album, Egyptology, became his second number one hit in the United Kingdom.[14] The single was released as a double a-side with "It's Only Us", the official theme for FIFA 2000. The single became a massive success shipping over 400,000 copies in the UK alone being certified Gold by the BPI in early 2000.[19] Williams finished the year with an extensive European Tour late in 1999.
The album I've Been Expecting You was a smash hit, selling almost 3 million copies in the United Kingdom alone: certified 10x Platinum by the BPI.[20] In Europe alone, the album sold over 4 million copies.[21]
In 1999, Williams was signed to Capitol Records in the United States, which is a part of EMI. Williams embarked on a US promotional tour and when his first U.S. and Canadian single, "Millennium" was released, it hit number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100,[22] the album The Ego Has Landed was released in July 1999 in the United States and Canada, not having the success that he enjoyed in Europe - the album peaked at number 63 in the U.S. Billboard Albums Chart and number 17 on the Canadian SoundScan album chart.[23] Despite this, Williams enjoyed good video airplay and received a nomination for the MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Male Video" – he did not win, but the exposure helped sales of the album.
Capitol Records, trying to make Williams a bigger star, released a second single from the album, the ballad "Angels". Williams shot a new video for it, and when it was released in fall of that year, the song became a somewhat bigger hit than "Millennium", peaking at number 53,[24] but this was not enough for Williams, so he concentrated on the rest of the world where he was already an established act. The album went on to ship 500,000 copies in the United States, certified Gold by the RIAA in November of that year.[25] The compilation was released worldwide (as a limited edition in Europe); the album was a success in New Zealand reaching number one on the official album charts.[26]
In the middle of promotion and the tours in 1999, becoming an established worldwide pop star, Williams found time to start work on what would be his third studio album. This time he had finally found his inner confidence.[27]
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.[28] The song became an instant hit, making number one in the United Kingdom and becoming his third number one single as a solo artist exactly a year after his sell-out concert at the Slane Castle. The song also reached number one in New Zealand and hit the Top 10 placings in many countries including Germany,[29] Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Italy and Australia.[30] Despite this success, the song failed to break into the United States charts, but it did get some TV Airplay on channels such as MTV and VH1. The song went on to win several awards; among them, "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. It sold over 600,000 copies in the UK alone, being certified Platinum by the BPI.[31]
When the album, Sing When You're Winning was released in August 2000, it topped the charts in many different countries all over the world including Germany, New Zealand and The Netherlands and secured top ten placings in Italy, Austria, Australia, Finland and Sweden, among many others.[32] As for the UK, the album débuted at number one being certified 2x Platinum on its first week of release.[33]
The album's second single, a collaboration with Australian singer Kylie Minogue, titled "Kids", was written when Minogue approached Williams to write material for what would be her first album under Parlophone – Light Years. Williams decided to include the track on his album and release it as a single. It was an instant hit when it was released in October of that year, hitting number two in the United Kingdom and reaching top twenty placings in countries like Australia and New Zealand.[34] Kids became one of the biggest hits of that year selling over 200,000 copies in the UK alone and was certified Silver.[35]
Further singles, such as "Supreme" (which Williams also recorded in French), and "Better Man" became big hits reaching the top 10 in numerous countries around the world.[36][37]
"Eternity", a track that was not featured on the album, was released in mid 2001 backed with "The Road to Mandalay" - the former was written by Williams. It became his fourth number one single in the United Kingdom, selling over 70,000 copies in its first week in the UK alone,[38] and also hit the top 10 in many countries including Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy among others.[39]
The album spent 91 weeks inside the UK Charts, going on to sell 2.4 million copies in the UK alone and was certified 8x Platinum by the BPI.[40] It became the 51st Best Selling album in UK Music History[41] and went on to sell over 4 million copies in Europe alone.[13]
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, the big band album he had always dreamed of making.[42] 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 the Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, California.
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 the Academy Award winning 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 United Kingdom, selling almost 100,000 copies in its first week of release,[43] as well as hitting the top 5 in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium and New Zealand.[44] It eventually went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2001, selling over 200,000 copies in the UK alone. After spending three weeks at the top of the charts in 2001, it was certified Silver in January 2002.[45]
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 United Kingdom (spending six consecutive weeks at number one), Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Germany and Switzerland and it reached the top ten in the rest of the world, going on to sell over 2 million copies by the end of 2001 and over 7 million altogether.[46] A second single was released from the album, a double a-side "Mr. Bojangles/I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen". It was, however, released only in Central and Eastern Europe. "Mack the Knife" was released as a radio single in Mexico.[47]
The album spent 85 weeks inside the UK Charts, selling more than 2.1 million copies. It was certified 7x Platinum in the United Kingdom[48] and ultimately became the 49th Best Selling Album in UK Music History.[49] "Beyond the Sea" was put in 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[50] and 2x Platinum in Germany.[51]
In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI.[52] 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.[53]
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.[53]
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.[54] 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.[55]
When Williams' fifth studio album, Escapology, was released in late 2002, it hit number one in at least 10 countries around the world including the United Kingdom, Germany,[29] Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Elsewhere, it made the top ten.[56] In the United States, however, it failed to make such an impact, reaching only number forty-three on the Billboard Albums Chart.
The album's second single, "Come Undone" became a top ten hit around the world. Due to its controversial video, 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.[57] BBC Radio 2 also banned the song for its explicit content.[58] At that time, it was confirmed that Williams and Guy Chambers were to officially split up.[57] The single version of "Come Undone" is not the same version as the one on the album, but instead is listed by producer Steve Power as being "from an original production by Guy Chambers/Steve Power".
The third single taken from the album was "Something Beautiful". The song was written in Barbados. It was first offered to Tom Jones, who declined, after which it was reworked for its inclusion on Williams' album.[59] The single was released in mid-2003. While it had minor success compared to Williams' previous songs, it did manage to enter the top ten in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Denmark.[60] However it failed to make much of an impact in the music charts in other countries. The video featured a number of people from all over Europe vying to win the chance to perform as Robbie Williams at the end of the same video. The three winners had the chance to meet Williams. Three different versions of the video were released in different parts of the world, featuring the different winners. Williams started his world tour in the mid-2003, and he was about to do three live concerts in Knebworth. The Knebworth shows attracted a total of 375,000 fans.[61]
Escapology ended up selling almost 2 million copies by the end of 2003 in the United Kingdom. It was certified 6x Platinum by the BPI,[62] becoming the 60th best selling album in UK music history.[41] The album went on to sell over 5 million copies in Europe alone.[63]
In October 2003, Williams released his first live album, Live at Knebworth which peaked at number two in the UK.[14] The album reached the top position in Germany[29] and Austria and became a top ten album throughout the rest of Europe, Australasia and Latin America.[64] The live record ended up selling a little over 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom and was certified 2x Platinum by the BPI.[65] It sold a total of 2 million units in Europe alone.[63]
In October 2004, Williams released a retrospective of his career, and also, to reveal the new tracks he had been working on with the then-new collaborator, Stephen Duffy.[66] "Radio", the compilation's first single was released in October 2004, which debuted at number one of the UK Singles Chart[14] (becoming Williams' sixth number-one hit) selling 41,732 copies.[67] The song was also a number one hit in Denmark, and it hit the top ten in The Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Norway.[68]
When the compilation Greatest Hits was released two weeks later, it went on to sell 320,000 copies in its first week in the United Kingdom debuting at number one.[14] The album also hit the top spot in other countries like Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Austria, The Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.[69]
The album's second single, the ballad "Misunderstood", which was also the soundtrack of the film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason hit the top ten in Italy and Denmark in December of that year,[70] making the album the best selling album of the year in the United Kingdom and becoming the 61st Best Selling Album in UK Music History,[41] with sales over 2 million copies, becoming certified 6x Platinum by the BPI.[71] It also became the best selling album of the year in Europe, being certified 5x Platinum, with over 5 million copies sold.[72]
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.[73]
After touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion of his Greatest Hits album, Williams started working on his sixth studio album. Recorded in his bedroom in the Hollywood Hills, the album was co-written by Stephen Duffy over the course of 24 months.[74]
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.[74]
The album's first single "Tripping", was released on 3 October 2005, it became an international success topping the charts in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Spain.[75]
The album Intensive Care was launched in Berlin, Germany on 9 October. It became a smash hit around the world, hitting number one in the United Kingdom, as well as topping the charts in Germany,[29] Switzerland, Austria, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Finland and many other countries.[76]
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.[77] 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."[78]
By December, the second single from the album was released. The ballad "Advertising Space" reached the top ten in some European countries including the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.[79]
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 had seen the show,[80] and after touring Latin America and Australia the numbers went up to 3 million.
After a long gap between singles, the third cut from the album was released in the mid-2006. "Sin Sin Sin" was the first song Williams and Duffy wrote together,[81] the video of which was shot in Cape Town, South Africa right before the start of his tour. The track became Williams' first single not to make the UK Top 20, charting at only number 22, but managed to enter the top 20 in some countries including Germany,[29] Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands, Denmark and Italy.[82]
By the end of the promotion of the album, it was announced that it had sold over five million copies in Europe alone, and was certified 5x Platinum by the IFPI.[83] It was also certified 5x Platinum in the United Kingdom becoming, at the time, his lowest selling studio album in the country.[84]
Williams's seventh studio album was announced in early 2006. It was to be a dance/electro album with collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys, William Orbit, Soul Mekanik, Joey Negro, Mark Ronson, Chris Grierson, The Orr Boys and more.
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 the artist 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".[85] However, Victoria Newton stated that there were sure-fire hits on the album.[86] The song was released in September that year reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart. It hit the number one spot in Germany, Switzerland and Italy.[87]
Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album, Rudebox, on 23 October 2006. 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,[88] but it received much weaker reviews from some of the British press. Despite reaching the number one spot, sales were far below what was expected by his label, and overall sales in the UK were overtaken by his former band, Take That's Beautiful World. The album has sold a little under 500,000 copies in the United Kingdom, becoming his lowest-selling album in the country, being certified 2x Platinum by the BPI.[89] The album was received with a warmer reception by the public in other parts of the world where it hit number one including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Finland and Italy.[90]
The album sold 2x Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million making it the fastest platinum-selling album of 2006.[91] 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.[92]
The second single, "Lovelight", came out right before the release of the album, and was commercially released on 13 November. The single reached the top ten in the United Kingdom,[14] The Netherlands, Finland, Denmark and Italy,[93] but failed to reach the success of Williams' previous releases when the track showed no longevity in the charts.
The third single, "She's Madonna" included remixes from Kris Menace and Chris Lake and was released on European radio in late January to precede the commercial release which was scheduled for 5 March 2007. The track reached only number sixteen on the Singles Chart in the United Kingdom, but fared better in Continental Europe hitting the top ten in most countries. It rose to number one on the European Airplay Chart after spending four weeks at number two, a feat his former band, Take That, failed to achieve.[94] It was confirmed that this single was not going to be released in Latin America or Australia, but did receive heavy airplay in the latter country.[95] Despite this, the single was released as Digital Download in Mexico in four different formats.[96][97] In August 2007, the single reached number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart.[98]
"Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'Aime Plus", a collaboration with British singer Lily Allen, was released as the third single in Latin America and other European countries, hitting radio in January 2007, and as a Digital Download in February. To promote his album, Williams commissioned a series of short films.[99] Goodbye to the Normals was directed by Jim Field Smith and features "Burslem Normals" by Robbie Williams.
On 4 October 2007, Williams made a return to the live stage after almost ten months, when he made a guest appearance at Mark Ronson's concert in Los Angeles. He performed The Charlatans' song "The Only One I Know", which features on Ronson's album Version.
Rumours of a new studio album co-written with Guy Chambers had 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.[100]
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.[101] 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.[102]
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.[103] On his official website, Williams confirmed that he is working with producer Trevor Horn on his new album; he described himself as "buzzing" and that the new album sounds "big. Very, very big". The new album will be titled Reality Killed the Video Star,[104] 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.[105] The new song "Bodies" saw its first play on 4 September 2009 during the Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1, where Moyles described it as "a grower", with Williams later agreeing that it may take a few listens for people to like it.
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 and images from his new album. The CD also included the 'completemyartist' software which gave access to more exclusive content and playlists online.[106] That same evening, Williams made his "comeback" on The X Factor results show, performing his new single "Bodies" for the first time live.[107] The appearance proved to be somewhat controversial as press and viewers alike questioned Williams' well-being following a bizarre and erratic performance. A spokesperson for Williams later issued a public statement declaring that Williams had not been taking drugs.[108] On 12 December 2009 Williams appeared again on the show to duet with finalist Olly Murs. There were claims that Robbie missed his cue, and he was unaware of the long instrumental and therefore began too early. However, after laughing it off and picking up his place again from Olly Murs, he managed to complete the performance without any other negative incidents.[109]
On 20 October 2009 Williams opened the BBC Electric Proms at the London RoundHouse.[110] It was his first live concert for 3 years[111] and was beamed across 200 cinemas around the world.[112] 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 several of his greatest hits. Among the musicians, the harpist in the band Lucinda Belle was spotted in this live show by BBC DJ Fearne Cotton, which directly led to her being signed by Universal Records with a five-record deal worth 1.25 million pounds.
Reality Killed the Video Star was exclusively previewed in the UK on the Spotify music streaming service on 6 November 2009, three days before its official release on 9 November.[113] 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 - both were the two biggest-selling albums of the year so far in the UK - making Reality... Williams' first studio album not to reach no.1 in the UK. However it reached number 1 globally that week.
The album was also released in the United States (Williams' first album to be released there since 2002's Escapology). However, the album peaked at #160 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and dropped out of the chart after only one week.
In late November 2009, Williams traveled to Australia to perform at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009.
In June 2010, it was officially announced that Williams was ready to release his second greatest hits album, In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010, to celebrate his 20 years as a performing artist.[114] Williams new single, also included on the album, will be "Shame", which is written and sung by Williams and Gary Barlow, his Take That bandmate.[114] The single was set to released on 4 October 2010, while the album was set for release on 11 October 2010 in both CD and DVD formats.[114]
On 15 July 2010, Robbie 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."[115]
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.[116] 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.[117]
In October, Media Control named Robbie 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.[118]
On 15 and 16 July 2011, Take That were scheduled to perform two sold-out concerts in Copenhagen, Denmark as part of their Progress Tour. Unfortunately, the day after the first concert, Robbie announced that he had acquired a stomach infection and (despite treatment attempts) was unable to take part in the concert. Due to this, the entire event was cancelled, leaving thousands of fans in frustration. This was the first time Take That ever cancelled a concert. It was not rescheduled.[119][120]
In June 2011 Robbie Williams revealed that he has been working with Gary Barlow on a new solo album which will be released late 2011. It was also announced that the album will be produced by Barlow.[121] Robbie confirmed on his official site that he will be doing a new duet. Rumors so far have included artists such as Adele and Adam Lambert[122]
Williams launched a radio show titled Radio Rudebox on 6 October 2011 where he played music and interviewed Gary Barlow.[123]
On 21 October 2011 Robbie 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.[124]
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.[125] 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."[126] 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.[127]
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 Robbie putting his arm around Gary Barlow and singing "Hey Jude" happily together. Williams subsequently implied in an interview that a proper reunion was still a distinct possibility. On 15 February 2010, tabloid newspaper The Sun printed an interview with Robbie, stating that he and Take That had been sighted going to an Los Angeles studio together.[128]
It was announced on 15 July that Robbie 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.[129]
The band also announced the Progress Live tour which would travel across the UK in the summer and finish with a record breaking 8 nights at Wembley Stadium in London.[130] The tour also visited some of the biggest venues across Europe after the tour of the UK. The tour was the fastest selling tour in UK history with ticket hotlines and websites crashing under the demand.[130]
Williams's first United States single, "Millennium", made it to #72 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[131] Its highest position on American charts was #20 in Top 40 Mainstream.[132] His second single, "Angels", was a success on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart where it peaked at #10. It also hit #53 on the Hot 100, becoming his highest peaking track on the main American chart and the most commonly known Robbie Williams song in the United States (later covers by Jessica Simpson and David Archuleta would be released as singles).[133] In 1999, Williams released a special, US only, compilation of his first two albums, titled The Ego Has Landed. The album peaked at #63[134] and went Gold shipping over 500,000 copies in the US.[25]
Later in 2000, "Rock DJ", a single taken from Williams's second US album Sing When You're Winning, was released; it reached #24 in the Hot Dance Club Play Chart,[135] but failed to chart on the Hot 100. The album peaked at #110 on the Billboard 200 and only stayed on the charts for four weeks.[136]
Together with a promotional tour, EMI hoped that the release of Escapology would be the album to successfully break the American market. Williams performed the lead song "Feel" on such shows as Good Morning America and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. However, this single did not reach Hot 100 but peaked at #28 on the Adult Top 40.[137] The album Escapology also failed to catch fire in America and peaked at #43 on the US Album Billboard Charts.[138] Intensive Care and Rudebox were not released on an American label, but they were made available on iTunes. Williams's 2009 album, Reality Killed The Video Star, was released in the US, but was also a commercial failure, peaking at #160 and remained on the chart for only one week.
Williams's single "Lovelight" was released in the United States by Virgin Records, debuting at #23 in the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart on March 2008 and eventually peaking at #8 by May 2008.[98] It was the third single from the British singer to hit the American dance chart. It was also his sixth single to reach American charts and his second highest-charting single in an American chart to date. Other singles from Rudebox were released in the United States: She's Madonna, We're the Pet Shop Boys and We're the Pet Shop Boys (Close My Eyes). These songs peaked at #12, #5 and #7 respectively in the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
In Canada, Williams has enjoyed more success, with "Feel" reaching the top ten there. A few of his other songs have gained popularity there, notably "Angels", "Millennium", "Rock DJ", "Tripping" and "She's Madonna". Williams has received a Platinum certification for his The Ego Has Landed for sales of over 100,000 and Gold for Swing When You're Winning as well as for Escapology selling over 50,000 units of each.[139]
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.
Williams features in his own karaoke video game, We Sing Robbie Williams which was released on 12 November 2010 by Nordic Games.
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.[140] His album sales stands at over 57 million worldwide.[141][142][143] 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.[144]
He has been presented many awards, including seventeen BRIT[145] and seven ECHO awards.[146] In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, after being voted as the Greatest artist of the 1990s.[147]
He appears in the list of the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the United Kingdom six times.[41]
On 23 October 2009 it was announced that he would receive the Outstanding Contribution To British Music award at the 2010 BRIT Awards.[148] Williams received his award on 16 February 2010 at the end of the ceremony and performed a live medley of his greatest hits including Let Me Entertain You, No Regrets, and Angels.[149]
On Friday 3 September 2010, on a show that included "The Wanted" and Alesha Dixon, he switched on the world famous Blackpool illuminations, stating that it was one of the greatest honours he'd ever achieved.[150]
Since 2006, Williams has spent most of his time in Los Angeles, California.[151] 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.
Williams has reportedly battled mental illness, obesity, self-esteem issues, alcoholism, and substance abuse throughout his life.[152][153] 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.[153] He entered a rehabilitation centre in Tucson for his addiction to the prescription pills Xanax, Seroxat, Vicodin, and the energy drink Lucozade in February 2007[154] 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.[155] 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.[156] 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.[156]
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.[157][158]
Since May 2006, Williams has been in a relationship with the Turkish American actress Ayda Field.[159] They have reportedly been together for almost five years.[160] Despite several break up stories in the press[161][162][163] Williams and Field have been spotted together many times.[164][165][166] On 29 January 2008 they were pictured on vacation together at Mammoth Ski Resort in California, accompanied by Max Beesley.[167][168][169] She was featured in a UFO documentary that Williams did for BBC Radio 4 in April[170] and took part in a field investigation he did in Trout Lake, Washington in August 2008.[171]
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.[172] The couple has been living together in a mansion in Wiltshire since the beginning of 2009 according to The Sun.[173] 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.[174]
In November 2009, Williams announced to Jonathan Ross that he was 'in love' with Field.[175] 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.[176] 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.'[177] A few days later Williams himself denied the engagement, using his official blog to say "Hey all. We are not engaged. Rob.".[178][179] On 7 August 2010, Williams and Field married at his home in Los Angeles.[180]
Williams won a libel case against MGN and Northern & Shell in December 2005 relating to articles which had reported he was a closet homosexual.[181] 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."[182] 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!"[183]
In 2009, the Sunday Times Rich List claimed he was worth over £130 million.[184] In 2011 his wealth was estimated at £90 million.[185]
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.[186] He also has a restaurant at Vale Park named in his honour.[187]
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.[188][189]
Williams has set up a charity in his home town entitled Give It Sum, with its goal being to "improve local conditions and strengthen community life by giving money to those who are disadvantaged."[152][190] Williams, with the help of friend Jonathan Wilkes, organised a charity football match Soccer Aid to raise money for UNICEF UK. This match was played in May 2006 at Old Trafford, Manchester. The participants were a mixture of celebrities and professional football players.[191] It was continued in September 2008 and again in June 2010. 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.[192]
Williams has won a large number of awards over the years, including more BRIT Awards than any other artist in music history (17), as well as seven Echo Awards in six consecutive years from 2001 until 2007 and 1 other Echo Award in 2010.[146][193]
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