Robbie Williams

At 50 years old, Robbie Williams has this physical status:

Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer-songwriter and entertainer.

He rose to fame as a member of Take That from 1989 to 1995, but his solo career saw more success, beginning in 1997.

Williams has released seven singles from within the United Kingdom, and eleven from his twelve studio albums have risen to the top of the charts.

He is the best-selling non-Latino artist in Latin America and is the best-selling British solo artist.

Six of his albums have been voted one of the top 100 best-selling albums in the United Kingdom, with four of his albums in the top 60, two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and the 2017 British Icon for his "enduring influence on British culture" from Guinness Book of World Records.

After being named the "Greatest Artist of the 1990s," he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.

Williams has been credited for 19.9 million albums and 7.2 million singles in the United Kingdom as a solo performer, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

He is also one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold 75 million albums worldwide.

Williams also ranked #10 on the UK airplay chart from 2000 to 2010.

The three concerts at Knebworth in 2003 attracted over 375,000 people, the country's biggest music festival to date.

He was granted the freedom of his hometown, Stoke-on-Trent, in 2014, as well as a tourist trail and streets named in his honour. After a fifteen-year absence from the company, he was reunited with Take That on July 15, 2010, co-writing and performing lead vocals on the group's second fastest-selling album in UK chart history and the fastest-selling record of the century at the time.

The following stadium tour, which featured seven songs from Williams' solo career, became the country's most popular show, selling 1.34 million tickets in less than 24 hours.

Gary Barlow, Take That's frontman, reported that Williams had left the band for the second time to concentrate on his solo career, but that Williams was ok and that Williams was encouraged to return to Take That in the future.

Since appearing on three separate television appearances with Take That, he has collaborated with Barlow on a variety of projects, including the West End musical The Band.

Early life

Robert Peter Williams was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of Janet (née Farrell) and Peter Williams (also known as Pete Conway), who operated the Red Lion in Burslem before his father became the licensee at the Port Vale FC Social Club. His maternal grandfather, who was from Kilkenny, was a Kilkenny Irishman. He attended St Margaret Ward Catholic School in Tunstall and appeared in many school productions, with his most notable role being the Artful Dodger in a production of Oliver.

Personal life

Williams immigrated to Los Angeles in 2006. In 2009, he returned to the United Kingdom for a short time, but then sold the Compton Bassett home a year later to move back to Los Angeles. In 2017, he sold his Beverly Hills mansion to DJ Khaled for $9.9 million. He moved into Woodland House, a £17 million mansion in London's Kensington neighborhood, in 2016. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, who has lived in The Tower House since 1972, is his neighbor. Page postponed Williams' proposals for an underground swimming pond, fearing that building work would harm The Tower House.

Williams has fought mental illness, obesity, self-esteem issues, alcoholism, and heroin use throughout his life, according to reports. He has shared how his friend Elton John arranged him into a clinic to deal with his drug use, which arose from his drug use while still in Take That.

Williams said in 2011 that he had been suffering lethargy as a result of a hormonal imbalance called andropause for a long time, and that, at first, it was a return to his depression. In a June 2020 interview with Weight Watchers Magazine, he admitted that he had a problem with online golf games.

Williams has a keen interest in UFOs and During his 2007–08 sabbatical, he devoted a lot of attention to He was invited to take part in a BBC Radio 4 documentary with Jon Ronson due to his interest in the subject. The documentary followed them to a Nevada UFO convention, where Williams related his fascination with the paranormal to his mother's anxieties about "the world's mysteries, elves, demons, [and] witchcraft."

Williams appeared in a 2018 television documentary Hunt for the Skinwalker by Jeremy Corbell, and revealed that his partner Ayda Field dissuaded him not to buy the Skinwalker Ranch when it became available.

Williams was ordained minister at the Universal Life Church Monastery to officiate friends' wedding.

Williams has a number of tattoos, some of which are related to British history.

These include:

As a child, Williams became a fan of his hometown football team, Port Vale FC, after his father became the team's social club's licensee. He has been in a testimonial game for club legend Neil Aspin.

Williams was chastised in 2020 for expressing his belief in the widely debunked Pizzagate conspiracy theory.

Williams had been in a relationship with Melanie Chisholm, a member of Spice Girls. Williams began dating American actress Ayda Field in May 2006. Williams appeared on BBC Radio 4's UFO documentary and was involved in a field investigation into him in Trout Lake, Washington, in 2008. On August 7, 2010, Williams and Field wed at his home in Mulholland Estates in Beverly Hills. They have four children: daughters Theodora and Colette, and sons Charlton and Beau.

Williams' sexuality has been criticized, with some believing he may be bisexual. In a chat with the Daily Star, he said, "I love musical theatre and a few other things that are often associated with gays." I am 49 percent homosexual, with occasional as high as 50 percent. However, this would imply that I like having a particular kind of fun, which I don't have."

His fortune was estimated at £90 million in the 2011 Sunday Times Rich List of the Top 100 People in the British Music Industry. Williams, a lifelong supporter of football team Port Vale, who is based in Stoke-on-Trent, bought £240,000 worth of shares in the club in February 2006, making him the club's largest shareholder. However, Williams withdrew all of his club shares and received just a fraction of his original investment back after the club went bankrupt on March 9, 2012.

Williams has founded Give It Sum, a charity that helps people in Stoke-on-Trent, which aims to "improve local conditions and improve community life by giving money to those who are in need."

Williams, with the help of a friend, Jonathan Wilkes, has arranged a charity football match called Soccer Aid to raise funds for UNICEF UK. A group of non-football stars and professional football players have competed in Soccer Aid events in Manchester and Wembley Stadium in London in 2006.

Since 2002, Williams has been Patron of the Donna Louise Trust, a children's charity based in Stoke-on-Trent. Terminally ill and life-limited children who are not expected to live past the age of 16.

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Solo career

Williams began his solo career in 1996 with a single copy of George Michael's "Freedom," which debuted at number two in the UK Singles Chart. In March 1997, Williams' first album's recordings began at the Maison Rouge studio in London. Williams' first single from his debut album, "Old Before I Die," shortly after his introduction to songwriter and producer Guy Chambers. On the UK charts, the single reached number two, but it was largely ignored on international charts. Life Through a Lens, his debut album, was released in September 1997. With his first live solo performance at the Élysée Montmartre theatre in Paris, France, the album was released. The album debuted at number eleven on the UK Albums Chart, and it debuted at number eleven on the UK Albums Chart.

Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom is "Angels," the fourth single. The song, rather than being a hit in Europe and Latin America, has boosted album sales by leaping. The album remained in the top ten for forty weeks and lasted 218 weeks in total, making it the country's fifth best-selling album with sales of over 2.4 million. In Europe, the album has managed to sell over three million copies.

In early 1998, Williams and Chambers began writing I've Been Expecting You in Jamaica. Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom was "Millennium," as well as a music video starring Williams parodying James Bond. It also became a top ten hits in several European countries, Latin America, and Australia.

I've Been Waiting You were announced in late October 1998 and debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number one. The album gained more attention outside of the United Kingdom, leaving its mark in European and Latin American markets with hits such as "No Regrets," a tribute to Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant and Neil Hannon, as well as "The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon. "She's the One" on a World Party track by Karl Wallinger's cover became Williams' second best UK number-one single. Williams completed the year with a European Tour in 1999. I've Been Waiting You've been promoted to Platinum by the BPI and have sold almost 3 million copies in the United Kingdom and been named ten-thobes by the BPI. The album has been selling over 4 million copies in Europe.

Williams was signed to Capitol Records in the United States in 1999, a part of EMI. He began his United States and Canadian single "Millennium" and announced his first United States and Canadian single "Millennium." In July 1999, the Ego Has Landed compilation album was released in the United States and Canada. Williams began recording his third studio album in 1999, right at the time of rise and tours.

"Rock DJ," a song influenced by Williams' UNICEF mentor, the late Ian Dury, was the first single taken from the album. Williams was on display in Fred & Farid's attempt to be noticed by a group of females, first stripping and then tearing chunks of skin and muscle from his body, causing scandal in the United Kingdom and several other countries. Top of the Pops was edited for its graphic content, and many other channels followed suit. The song became a hit in the United Kingdom (becoming his third top-one single as a solo artist) and New Zealand. The song went on to win "Best Song of the Year" at the MTV Europe Music Awards, as well as "Best Special Effects" at the British Awards and an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects.

When Sing When You Win was released in August 2000, it reached the top charts in several countries. On its first week of release, the album was named 2nd Platinum in the United Kingdom. Williams wanted to go back in musical direction after the success of his third album. He took two weeks off from touring to record Swing When You're Winning, his fourth studio album. Frank Sinatra's lifelong passion, as well as the success of his album "Have You Met Miss Jones?" was born. In 2001, Jones' Diary was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, and it was revealed that he appeared in the film Bridget Jones' Diary.

Williams had the opportunity to duet with his longtime buddy Jonathan Wilkes, Little Voice actor Jane Horrocks, Saturday Night Live actor Jon Lovitz, Rupert Everett, and actress Nicole Kidman. On "Somethin' Stupid," Kidman's first single from the album was a duet with Kidman. The song, which had been a hit for Frank and Nancy Sinatra, became Williams' fifth number one hit in the United Kingdom. It became one of 2001's most popular hits. In 2003, "Beyond the Sea" was featured over the film's credits, and it was later released on the film's soundtrack CD. In December of that year, Robbie Williams Live at the Albert Hall, a DVD, was released. It has been one of Europe's best-selling music DVDs so far, with a 6 Platinum in the United Kingdom and 2nd in Germany.

Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million deal with EMI in 2002. The deal contained a variety of clauses, including the label censureing greater creative control to the artist and a pledge to breaking Williams into the US market. So far, it's the biggest music deal in British history. Ingenious Media, a UK corporate finance advisory firm, broke the agreement. Williams started working on what would be his fifth studio album after a year in the recording studio. Williams' album heralded a new age. He had been more involved in the creation of this album. "One Fine Day," "Nan's Song," and "Come Undone" were among Williams' first songs to be written without the help of Guy Chambers. The bulk of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles.

"Feel," Williams and Chambers' first album, was released as a demo. Williams was dissatisfied with the demo version and then released it as the first single when it first appeared on the record and wanted to re-record the vocals. Williams became the top ten in several European countries when the single was announced in late 2002, dominating the Netherlands and Italy, as well as being ranked one in several European countries. Escapology, Williams' fifth studio album, debuted in late 2002, and it ranked in at least ten countries around the world. However, it made no ad a difference in the United States. Escapology in the United Kingdom had sold nearly 2 million copies by the end of 2003. Williams performed three concerts at Knebworth each night, making it the biggest festival in British music history. "Come Undone" where he sang of "Britain, I'm Your Son" and then engaged with the audience when he brought a girl up on stage, was one of his memorable performances. Live at Knebworth, Williams' live album of the concerts, was released in October 2003.

Williams released The Greatest Hits, a retrospective of his career, but also the unveiling of the new tracks with Stephen Duffy, the then-new collaborator. "Radio," the compilation's first single, debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart (becoming Williams' sixth number-one hit). When the compilation was announced later this year, it debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and was the year's best-selling album. The British people named it as the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the 2005 Brit Awards, eight years after the introduction of "Angels."

Williams began recording his sixth studio album after touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion of Greatest Hits. Stephen Duffy co-wrote the album, which was recorded at his Hollywood Hills home over the course of 24 months. On October 9, the album Intensive Care was released in Berlin. It has become a worldwide hit. When Williams announced his World Tour for 2006, he earned the MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Male,' but he also entered in The Guinness Book of World Records, selling 1.6 million tickets in one day. When Williams finished his European leg of the tour, he kicked off his Close Encounters World Tour in South Africa in April 2006. After touring Latin America and Australia, 2.5 million people had seen the show, and after touring Latin America and Australia, the numbers increased to 3 million.

On September 23, Williams' highly awaited dance/electro album, Rudebox, was released. It featured collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys, William Orbit, Soul Mekanik, Joey Negro, Mark Ronson, Chris Grierson, and The Orr Boys. It received mixed praise: AllMusic gave it a four-star rating, the NME 8 out of 10, and Music Week and MOJO were equally optimistic, but some of the British press gave it much less favorable feedback. With sales of over 2 million in Europe, the album became Europe's fastest platinum-selling album of 2006. Williams produced a number of short films to promote his album. Jim Field Smith directed "Burslem Normals" by Williams and told them "Goodbye to the Normals."

Williams had written articles with Guy Chambers and Mark Ronson in February 2009. Williams was planning to begin the recording sessions in March and that the new album would be released in late 2009. This is likely to be EMI's last Williams album. Williams revealed on his official website that he was working on his latest album, which would eventually be titled Reality Killed the Video Star, a nodle to Horn's former band The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." In the United Kingdom, the album was released on November 9, 2009.

Williams released a 12-track compilation album titled Songbook as a free CD for the newspaper on October 11, 2009. Williams made his "comeback" on The X Factor as a result of his appearance on The X Factor, performing his latest hit "Bodies" for the first time live on The X Factor. Williams launched the BBC Electric Proms at the London RoundHouse on October 20th, 2009. It was his first live performance in three years and was distributed in 200 theaters around the world. Williams performed several new tracks from Reality Killed the Video Star and older tracks, which was a capstone, horn section, full band, and producer Trevor Horn, Williams.

Reality Killed the Video Star was first shown on the Spotify music streaming website in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2009, and the official launch was on October 9th. Williams' album was pitted against X Factor 2008 runners-up JLS, who also released their debut album on the same day. By 1500 sales, JLS defeated Williams to the top of the charts by 1500. The album was also released in the United States (Williams' first album to be released there since 2002's Escapology). Williams travelled to Australia in late November 2009 to compete at the ARIA Music Awards.

Williams' second best hits album, In and Out of Consciousness, 1990-2010, celebrated 20 years as a performing artist in October 2010. Williams and Barlow wrote and performed "Shame" as a single.

Following his release from his previous record label EMI in 2010, Williams signed with Island Records (Universal Music) on October 21.

Williams opened the Diamond Jubilee Concert, which was co-organised by Gary Barlow, and took place outside Buckingham Palace on 4 June 2012. As the countdown countdown came to an end, his official website began counting down to the unveiling of details concerning his latest solo work, as well as a photo of his face and his mind. The album, entitled Take the Crown, debuted on the UK Albums Chart, making it Williams' tenth number one album on the UK charts. It was also the second time Williams had a number one single ("Candy") and album on the chart at the same time. The first time on the singles and albums chart respectively was in 2001, when "Somethin' Stupid" and Swing When You're Winning were the top five.

"Candy," the album's lead single, debuted on September 10th in most countries and on October 29th in the United Kingdom. "Candy" was Williams' first number one single since "Radio" (2004) and his seventh solo number one single in the United Kingdom. In its first week, the album has sold 137,000 copies, making it the year's fastest-selling male artist single. Williams unveiled a 17-date stadium tour of Europe on November 26, 2012. Williams also revealed that Olly Murs would be the tour's support act, as she appeared on "Kids." Universal and EMI joined in 2012, taking Williams' Chrysalis/Virgin albums full circle to Universal.

In September 2013, Williams announced a Swing Both Ways, a follow-up to his 2001 swing album, which was released in November. The collection includes covers and original songs, as well as duet albums with Michael Bublé, Olly Murs, Rufus Wainright, Lily Allen, and Kelly Clarkson. Williams made a cameo appearance in Murs' "Hand on Heart" video in November 2013.

On December 1, 2014, Williams released Under the Radar Volume 1, which features both old and unreleased songs. "These are] tens of thousands of songs that I have written that I am incredibly passionate about, and I want you to hear them if not in my computer." Guy Chambers "isn't thrilled" over these songs' online presence: "He thinks I am a lunatic for not putting them on an album that we have promoted with TV appearances and radio stations, as well as a big tour," Williams said. "But I am an annoying bugger, and I want them out right now, not now."

Williams had signed a recording deal with Sony Music in May 2016. "They're [Sony Music] inspired," Williams said in a tweet. I'm inspired. I'm more excited than I've ever been, and I'm completely positive that I'm in the right place. In this exciting new partnership with Sony Music, I look forward to working on this album, which is an album of which I'm extremely proud of." The Heavy Entertainment Show was his 12th UK number one album, putting him one with Madonna. Williams unveiled a new album in July 2017, Under the Radar Volume 2, which was first released in November 2017. On Valentine's Day of 2019, a third edition of the Under the Radar series was released.

Williams appeared at the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on June 14th. Before he performed a duet of "Angels" with Russian soprano Aida Garifullina, Williams performed "Let Me Entertain You" and "Feel." Williams then performed a "Rock DJ" encore, during which he waved the finger. Fox in the United States apologised for the incident that had been shown live. The incident was not shown on ITV in the United Kingdom, because they had been cut away prior to the encore. Williams appeared on This Morning on June 19th and told what happened: "It was one minute to kick off, I was under a lot of pressure, I didn't know how I was going to do half a minute," he said. Asked by host Phillip Schofield if he regrets it, he replied, "Of course, yes." I have no confidence in you. I have no idea what I'm going to do at any time. There is no such thing as a back-up plan. The strategy was simple: don't fall over. That was the blueprint and 99% of the scheme, so I dropped off." When asked whether the theory had just entered his mind, he replied, "Nothing actually pops into my head." There's a block between me and sense, and something happens and then five minutes later, I'm like, 'Did I?'

Yeah, I did, didn't I?

"Is it true that the narcotics were released as a result of the frenzied effort."

Williams, along with his partner, and One Direction actor Louis Tomlinson, were named as the new judges on the fifteenth series of The X Factor in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2018. Simon Cowell was introduced alongside Nicole Scherzinger and replaced Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne, and Nicole Scherzinger.

Williams' first Christmas album The Christmas Presenter, which features guest appearances from boxer Tyson Fury, Rod Stewart, Jamie Cullum, Helene Fischer, and Bryan Adams, was released on November 22nd. Coldplay's Everyday Life debuted at number two on the UK charts, behind Coldplay's Everyday Life. Williams' new studio album, The Heavy Entertainment Show, sold over 67,000 copies in 7 days, the most in two decades. Williams' album debuted in the United Kingdom for the first week, outselling closest competitor Rod Stewart by 5,000 copies. This was Williams' 13th UK number one album, tying Elvis Presley for the most UK number one albums.

Williams' old pal Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis collaborated on his trance album "Sway" under the new alias 'Lufthaus' on February 25, 2022. Although Williams "remains a big draw" in April 2022, the Guardian announced that he was no longer guaranteed hits and was "more likely to be playlisted on Smooth Radio than BBC Radio 1." Williams said he was working on more experimental music, which he likened to David Bowie and Lou Reed, but added, "Do I unashamedly want to still be one of the world's best artists." Yeah, I do... I've had an interesting first half of my life. "I'd like an exciting second half, too."

Williams declared on June 7, 2022, that his tenth compilation album, XXV, would be published on September 9, 2022. It will feature new, reimagined versions of his hit songs, as well as new ones. Williams also announced "Angels XXV," a reworked version of "Angels," on the same day as this announcement. "Angels (XXV)" on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart ranked number 92 on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart on June 10, 2022, up from 74 a week earlier. Williams released the single "Lost," which was also taken from XXV.XXV, on September 20,2022, and debuted a week later on the UK Official Albums Chart, ranked at number one on the UK Official Albums Chart. Williams' fourteenth solo number one album broke all previous Official Chart records in doing so.

Williams played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, on September 24th, 2022. Before Williams performed "Angels" which Williams dedicated to Australian cricketer Shane Warne, who died in March 2022, Williams sang "Let Me Entertain You," "Rock DJ," "Lost," and "Feel." "The next song is Australia's unofficial national anthem," Williams said of John Farnham's "You're the Voice." Let's all love John and his families. Just two days before being diagnosed with cancer, John Farnham had issued a statement announcing that he would have surgery right away. Williams performed "Kids" with Australian singer Delta Goodrem.

In The O2 Arena, sponsored by Lufthaus, Williams' XXV Tour began on October 9, 2022.

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