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Robbie Williams (born '''Robert Peter Williams''' on February 13 , 1974 ) is an English Singer , Songwriter , and Record Producer . Williams' career began as a member of the pop band than any other British solo artist in history, Singles + albums sales and has sold 53 million albums Top 5 Greatest Living Briton and 15 million singles worldwide, IEMUSIC over the course of his solo career. Singles + albums sales Williams made it to The Guinness Book Of World Records when 1.6 million tickets were sold in a single day shortly after he announced his World Tour in 2006. Robbie Williams Enters The Guinness Book of World Records He has been the recipient of many awards — including more , and the third artist overall behind Madonna and Britney Spears . Mediatraffic EARLY LIFE Robert Peter Williams, best known by his stage name Robbie Williams, was born on February 13 , 1974 in Burslem , one of towns in which is amalgamated the city of Stoke-on-Trent , Staffordshire , England . His family is Roman Catholic and has Irish ancestry; Peter, his father, was a comedian who adopted the stage name of Pete Conway and Jan, his mother, was a florist. They divorced when he was four years old. Williams's career started when his mother saw an advertisement on a newspaper: a manager, Nigel Martin Smith, was looking for some young singers because he wanted to form a boy band. Robbie contacted this manager, had an audition and was so allowed to join to the new band because of his good singing ability. Robbie Williams was the last member to enter Take That. TAKE THAT (1990–1995) See Also: Take That Williams' early pop career started with the pop Band Take That . The band was formed in 1990 in United Kingdom , they scored ten number-one hits in the country (seven of them when Williams was in the band, one without him before they split and two since they reformed again as a four piece in 2006) . Their popularity led to a succession of similar bands in the UK . By 1995, Williams who had been growing frustrated with his life in Take That, infamously went partying with '' was re-issued in some markets excluding some vocals by Williams, most notably a new recording of "Love Ain't 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. After the band's comeback tour around the United Kingdom (without Williams), Robbie performed the song " Back For Good " in his own tour around the world in 2006 . SOLO CAREER (1996–PRESENT) After leaving Take That, Williams became more popular for his behaviour and his boldness, but mainly for a controversial appearance on a concert of rock band Oasis in Glastonbury , Somerset , UK in 1995. The episode was followed by an advertising campaign against Drug and Alcoholism , during which Williams was seen fed up, wearing grungy clothes and sporting a dirty beard. After a violent discussion with the members of Oasis , which was the main argument of writing for British magazines, Noel Gallagher refused to consider him any different from ''"the fat dancer from Take That "''. In 1995 British press couldn't forecast Williams would have become a successful singer. His solo career started in 1996 covering George Michael 's " Freedom ", reaching number-two in the UK Singles Chart http://www.8notes.com/biographies/robbie_williams.asp Robbie Williams , twenty-six places higher than the George Michael's original, on the interview included in the single, Williams mentioned "I just needed something quick to put out to keep me in the public eye, so I put ''Freedom'' out as a statement." ''Life Thru a Lens'' (1996–1998) '', released in 1997, it became his first number-one album in the United Kingdom and went on to sell over four million copies worldwide http://www.purerobbie.com/showthread.php?t=152 Robbie Williams Discorgraphy ]] After trying to find his own sound during a harrowing period for him, recordings for the album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March of that year. Shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers , Williams released what would be the first single taken from his début album, " Old Before I Die ". Co-written by Williams with Eric Bazilian and Desmond Child , the single was released in April 1997, hitting number-two on the UK Charts ; however, it was largely ignored on international charts. The second single, " Lazy Days ", was released in the Summer of 1997, amidst William's battle with addiction. He was allowed to check out of rehab to shoot the video for the song, but promotion for the single was non-existent, so whilst the single charted at number eight in the United Kingdom , it struggled to reach the top forty of any European chart. His début album, '' Life Thru A Lens '', was released in September 1997, not long after Williams' stint in rehab - in which he checked with much help from Elton John .The album launched with his first live solo gig at the Elysée Monmatre theatre in Paris , France . At first, the album was slow to take off, debuting at number eleven of the UK Album Charts ; it was passed to the bargain bin not long after its release, selling a little over 33,000 copies. 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, and many considered this the end of Robbie Williams' career. Robbie Williams, "South Of The Border" 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 most well-known songs. ", where the album reached the top ten in early 1998. ''I've Been Expecting You'': European success in 1998 '', released in 1998, became his best selling album in the United Kingdom]] Williams and Chambers started the writing process of the album in . When the album, ''", which became one of the most talked-about tracks from the album, due to its references of Williams' Take That days. A collaboration with The Pet Shop Boys ' singer Neil Tennant and The Divine Comedy 's Neil Hannon , the single was released in November of 1998, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart, backed with the cover of Adam & The Ants , "Antmusic". The song became a substantial hit around the world and the single went on to sell over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom being certified Silver in October 2004, almost six years after its original release. BPI Certification for "No Regrets" The third single from the album, " Strong " came at a busy time. It was written in a Hotel in Cologne , Germany , inspired by some of Williams' more manic admirers who, he admitted, "scared the living daylights" out of him. The song débuted at number four in the United Kingdom and number nine in New Zealand , peaking within the top forty around Europe and many other countries around the world. The fourth single, " Tour in the autumn of 1999. '' 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 BPI Certification for "I've Been Expecting You" it became Williams' best selling album in the country and the 30th best selling album in UK Music History. Worldwide, the album sold around 5 million copies. ''The Ego Has Landed'': Aiming for the American market in 1999 '', released in 1999, was certified Gold by the RIAA selling over half a million copies in the Unites States]] After the success of Williams around the world (especially in Europe ), Williams was signed to Capitol Records in the United States, which is a part of EMI . Williams embarked in a US Promotional Tour and when his first American single, " Millennium " was released, it hit number seventy-two in the Billboard Hot 100 , the album '' The Ego Has Landed '' was released in July 1999 in the United States, not having the success that he enjoyed in Europe, the album peaked at number sixty-three in the Billboard Albums Chart. 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 the 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", charting at number forty-one, 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 sell 596,000 copies in the United States being certified Gold by the RIAA in November of that year. RIAA Certification for "The Ego Has Landed" The compilation was released worldwide (as a limited edition in Europe, pressings for the album are still going strong in Latin America, Asia and New Zealand to this day), the album was a success in New Zealand reaching number-one on the Official Albums Chart, New Zealand Albums Chart it went on to sell 140,000 copies being certified 9x Platinum, in Australia, the album ensured platinum sales over 70,000 copies. The album was promoted in Latin America as well, Williams recorded a Spanish version of his hit "Angels" and was included as a bonus track on the album and then released as a single (almost 2 years after its original release in English), the Spanish version was a substantial hit in most Latin American countries, but as the single had already been big in 1997, most video and radio outlets focused on the tracks from his album "I've Been Expecting You", despite of this, the compilation proved to be a medium success giving him Gold sales in Mexico and Argentina. It has sold over 1 million copies worldwide ''Sing When You're Winning'': International success (1999–2001) '', released in 2000, became his third consecutive number-one album in the United Kingdom and sold over six million copies worldwide]] In the middle of promotion and the tours in 1999, becoming an established Pop Star around the world, Williams found time to start the work on what would be his third studio album, this time he had finally found his confidence, not only to be more brash, but also vulnerable. Discography>Albums>Sing When You're Winning The first single taken from the album was ", the song also reached number-one in Ireland , New Zealand, Mexico,Nepal & Argentina and hit top ten placings all over Europe, Australasia and Latin America, despite of the worldwide success, the song failed to break in the United States charts, it did get some TV Airplay in 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 , the single went on to sell over 600,000 copies in the UK alone, being certified Platinum by the BPI. BPI Certification for "Rock DJ" When the album, '', and secured top ten placings in Argentina, Austria , Australia, Finland , Mexico, Sweden , Switzerland among many others. Snapped by photographer Paul M. Smith, the album artwork - along with Williams' complete football strip (including a signed Jockstrap ) - was later sold at Williams' Bid It Sum auction to raise money for his charity, ''Give It Sum''. The second single, a collaboration with Australian Pop Icon Kylie Minogue , " Kids ", the track was written when Minogue approached Williams to write her some songs for what would be her first album under Parlophone , '' Light Years '', it was then, when Williams felt the chemistry and 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 reached top 10 placings in Australia, New Zealand, Latvia , Mexico and other countries becoming one of the biggest hits of that year selling over 200,000 copies in the UK alone being certified Silver . BPI Certification for "Kids" Williams toured the United Kingdom with Minogue in October and November of 2000 selling-out in every venue. Further singles, such as " Supreme " (which Williams recorded in French), " Let Love Be Your Energy " and " Better Man " (which Williams recorded in Spanish) became big hits reaching the top ten around the world. " Eternity ", a track that was not featured on the album, was released in the summer of 2001 backed with " The Road To Mandalay ", the former was written by Williams in what he called "the most amazing summer", after years of non-stop work he took a month off and recorded this track, when it was released it became his fourth number-one single in the United Kingdom, selling over 70,000 copies in its first week in the UK alone, "Eternity"/"The Road To Mandalay" first week sales in the United Kingdom and also hit the top ten hit all over Europe. Williams toured around the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe in the summer of 2001. The album had spent 91 weeks inside the UK Charts, going on to sell 2.4 Million copies in the UK alone being certified 8x Platinum by the BPI, BPI Certification for "Sing When You're Winning" the album became the best selling album of 2000 in the country and the 51st Best Selling album in UK Music History. Best Selling Album of 2000 The album went on to sell over 6 million copies Worldwide. ''Swing When You're Winning'' (2001) '', released in 2001, became one of his best selling albums in his career, selling over seven million copies across the world]] After the success of his third album, Williams wanted to take another musical direction, he took two weeks of his tour to record what would be his fourth studio album, the big band album he had always dreamed of making. Discography>Albums>Swing When You're Winning 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's 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 , Rupert Everett and the Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman . Williams was able to fulfill a lifetime's dream by appearing in a one man showcase at London 's Royal Albert Hall . Williams was able to fulfill a lifetime's dream by appearing in a one man showcase at London's Royal Albert Hall 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, "Somethin' Stupid" first week sales in the United Kingdom as well hitting the top spot in Argentina, New Zealand, Latvia and scoring top ten placings all over Europe becoming 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 being certified Silver in January 2002. BPI Certification for "Something Stupid" 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 number-one hit in the United Kingdom (spending six consecutive weeks at number-one), Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Germany & 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. The Sun: Swing album A second single was released from the album, a Double a-side " Mr. Bojangles/I Will Talk And Hollywood Will Listen ", however it was only released in Central and Eastern Europe only. " Mack The Knife " was released as a radio single in Mexico . "Mack The Knife" Mexican Promo The album spent 57 weeks inside the UK Charts selling over 2.1 million copies being certified 7x Platinum in the United Kingdom BPI Certification for "Swing When You're Winning" and becoming the 49th Best Selling Album in UK Music History. "Beyond the Sea" was put in the credits of the film '' Finding Nemo '' in 2003 and was also released on the album's Academy Award nominated soundtrack. Amazon.com: Finding Nemo Finding Nemo nominated for Best Original Score 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 BPI Certification for "Live at the Albert Hall" and 2x Platinum in Germany. IFPI Certification for "Live at the Albert Hall ''Escapology'' (2002–2003) '', released in 2002, it became his fifth number one album in the United Kingdom, as well as reaching the top of the charts worldwide, it sold over seven million copies across the word]] In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £ 80 million contract with EMI. £80 Million Contract with EMI Music The contract featured a number of provisos, including the label ceding greater creative control to the artist and a commitment to breaking Williams in the US market. In return, EMI affirmed they would benefit from a cut of Williams' non-recording activities, including touring, publishing, and merchandising, thus protecting the company from any commercial downturn in the singer's album sales. Robbie Williams and his record-breaking music contract with EMI So far it has become the biggest music deal in British history. Discography>Albums>Escapology Williams began working on what would be his fifth studio album, after a year out recording, 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, and "One Fine Day". "Nan's Song" and "Come Undone" were the first songs that Williams wrote without the Guy Chambers input. Most of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles Discography>Albums>Escapology The album's first single, ", Hungary , Latvia, Portugal , Mexico and The Netherlands . The success of the song was so massive that it spent 54 weeks inside the Canadian charts reaching a peak of number 10. The video for the song received attention in the United States, because it featured the Hollywood actress Daryl Hannah as his love interest. The track eventually peaked inside the top forty in the Billboard adult contemporary charts. When Williams' fifth studio album, '' Escapology '' was released in late 2002, it hit number-one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Austria, elsewhere, it made the top ten, however in the United States failed to make as big of an impact, reaching only number forty-three on the Billboard Albums Chart. Album's second single, " Radio 2 also banned the song for its explicit content. Discography>Singles>Come Undone During such furores at this time, it was confirmed that Williams and Guy Chambers were to officially part ways. Escapology '', released in 2003, it became a number-one album in Germany, and sold over three-and-a-half million copies around the world]] The third single taken from the album was " Something Beautiful ", the song was written in Barbados, the song was first offered to Tom Jones , but it was then reworked and for its inclusion on Williams' album, Discography>Singles>Something Beautiful when the single was released in the summer of 2003, it hit the top ten in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland and Denmark, it failed to make an impact in the world charts. The video featured a casting in which people from all over Europe contested 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 to different parts of the world featuring a different winner. Williams started his world tour in the summer of 2003, and he was about to do three live concerts in Knebworth , The three shows attracted a total of 375,000 fans breaking the record for most attendance in this venue. ''Escapology'' ended 2002 as the best selling album of the year in the United Kingdom with 1.4 million copies sold, Discography>Albums>Escapology by the end of 2003 the album had sold almost 2 million copies being certified 6x Platinum by the BPI, BPI Certification for "Escapology" becoming the 60th Best Selling album in UK Music History. Worldwide the album went on to sell 7 million copies. In October of 2003, Williams released his first '' was at number-one), however, the album reached the top position in Germany and Austria and became a top ten album throughout Europe, Australasia and Latin America. The live record ended up selling a little over 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom being certified 2x Platinum by the BPI BPI Certification "Live at Knebworth" and a total of 3 million in Europe alone IFPI Certifications in 2003 altogether, the album sold 3.5 million worldwide. ''Greatest Hits'' (2004) '', released in 2004, became his best selling album with eight and half million copies worldwide]] A Year after the release of his live album, in October 2004, Williams' decided that it was time to make a retrospective of his career, and also, to reveal the new tracks he had been working on with the then, new collaborator, Stephen Duffy . Discography>Albums>Greatest Hits " and Portugal, and it hit the top ten around the world. When the compilation was released two weeks later, '', France , Italy, Portugal, Spain, the aforementioned United Kingdom, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Lebanon among others. Discography>Albums>Greatest Hits The album's second single, the ballad, " being certified 5x Platinum for over 5 million copies sold, IFPI Certification for "Greatest Hits" worldwide, the album ended up selling a little under 8.5 million copies becoming his best selling album ever. Eight years after the release of "Angels", in February 2005 British public voted it as the 'Best Single of the past Twenty Five Years' at the 2005 BRIT Awards. "Angels" Voted Best Single of the last 25 Years in the UK ''Intensive Care'' (2004–2005) '', released in 2005, became his best selling studio album with over seven million copies worldwide]] After touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion of hits ''Greatest Hits'' album, Williams started working on what would become his sixth studio album. Recorded in Robbie Williams' bedroom high in the Hollywood Hills , the album was co-written Stephen Duffy over the course of 24 months. Discography>Albums>Intensive Care Inspired by the Human League 's single "Louise", about a man who breaks off a relationship and realized he still has strong feelings for her. Discography>Albums>Intensive Care The album's first single, " Tripping ", was released in October 3 2005, it became an international success, topping the charts in Germany, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Argentina & Mexico, and more importantly, the United World Chart . The album was launched in Berlin , Germany on the October 9 . It was not shown on television, but broadcast to various locations around the world in cinemas and theatres, in a high-definition "cine-cast". It was shown on 22 October 2005 on Channel 4. During the album launch, Williams said he would like to be the new "King of Pop". Intensive Care When '' Intensive Care '' was released in late October 2005, it became smash hit around the world, hitting number-one in the United Kingdom, selling 373,000 copies in its first week as well as topping the charts in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, New Zealand and many other countries, debuting at number-one in the United World Chart. United World Chart, "Intensive Care", November 12 2005 The album became Williams' biggest international success in his career, selling over 2 million copies in only six weeks. United World Chart, "Intensive Care", December 17 That November, Williams took home the , Mark Owen , Jason Orange and Howard Donald had agreed to reunite in Notting Hill , West London , for a preview screening of a documentary about the group, Take That . The documentary screened on ITV1 on Wednesday November 16 2005, Unfortunately, according to a source quoted by Sunday Mirror, "Robbie announced he wasn't coming. The rest of the band were gutted but felt the show had to go on". Robbie Williams Misses Take That Reunion By December, the second single from the album was released, the ballad " Advertising Space ", becoming another international hit, reaching the top ten in Europe, Australasia and Latin America. The album became the best selling album in Europe by the end of 2005 with sales over the 4 million copies. IFPI Certification for "Intensive Care" However, it only managed to be the third best selling album in the United Kingdom that year. Williams' kicked off his '' and Australia the numbers when up to 3 million. After a long gap between singles, the third cut from the album was released in the , South Africa right before the start of his tour, when the track was released it became Williams' first single to miss the UK Top 20, charting at number twenty-two, worldwide, the single did a lot better, hitting the top ten in Europe and Latin America. By the end of the promotion of the album, it was announced that sold over 5 million copies in Europe alone being certified 5x Platinum by the IFPI , IFPI certification for "Intensive Care" it also certified 5x Platinum in the United Kingdom becoming, at the time, his lowest selling studio album in the country, BPI Certification for "Intensive Care" worldwide, the album went on to sell way over seven million copies becoming Williams' best selling studio album around the world. ''Rudebox'': Mixed reviews (2006–2007) '', released in 2006, recieving mixed reviews and becoming Williams' least successful album in the United Kingdom]] Williams' seventh studio album was announced in early 2006, It was originally scheduled to be called ''1974'', the year Williams was born. A Dance / Electro album with collaborations with The Pet Shop Boys , William Orbit , Soul Mekanik, Joey Negro , Mark Ronson and more. The first single, ", elsewhere the song did a lot better, hitting number-one in Argentina, Chile , Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Lebanon and Turkey, charting at number-two in the Eurochart . Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album '', Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain & Switzerland, and reaching number-two in the United World Chart selling 378,000 copies in its first week. United World Chart, November 11 2006 On Neil Tennant talks about Rudebox's sales Promotion for the album was almost non-existent due to Williams ''Close Encounters Tour'' around Latin America and Australia. The second single, " Lovelight " was unleashed right before the release of the album, and commercially released on November 13 , the single reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and many other European countries, reaching number-two in the Eurochart . The track became also a hit in Latin America and Australia, but failing to reach the success of Williams' previous releases. Williams finished 2006 as the 16th most played artist in Latin America Most Played Artists List and the third most played international artist. During this time, Williams entered the The Guinness Book Of World Records when he announced his World Tour for 2006, selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day. Robbie Williams Enters The Guinness Book of World Records The third single " She's Madonna " was released to European radio in late January to precede the commercial release which was scheduled to March 5 , 2007 . The track failed to be a massive success in the United Kingdom, reaching number-sixteen on the Singles Chart, but it did far better in Europe where Rudebox has enjoyed more success reaching the top position in the European Billboard Chart. Billboard Euro hot 100 The track 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.1 It was confirmed that this single was not going to be released in Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart US Dance Chart " 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, it was released to radio in January 2007, and as a Digital Download in February. It managed to chart in Mexico and Latvia. To promote his Rudebox album Williams commissioned a series of short films. Goodbye to the hard sell ''Goodbye to the Normals'' was directed by Jim Field Smith and features "Burslem Normals" by Robbie Williams. Next studio album recordings and reunion with Chambers (2007–?) Williams said in 2006 that he will release two albums in 2007, one being an original studio albums and the other being a follow up to his massive selling '' Swing When You're Winning '' album. In an interview with The Big Issue magazine in 2006, Williams' gave the interview a snippet of some new material, which was described as being "Guitar laden, but not overly rock". It has been rumoured that for the album he will reunite with former song-writing parter also revealed that Williams is "buzzing with his music. He’s writing songs and enjoying being in the studio. He’s going to come back with some great new tracks. He really couldn’t be on better form.” Max Beesley: The Sun The first of these albums, a studio album in his normal style looks like it will not materialise; however the second album, a follow up to his 2001, 7 million selling Rat Pack covers album '' Swing When You're Winning '' is rumoured to be titled '' Let's Swing Again ''. Rapper 50 Cent has confirmed reports that a duet with Williams is on the cards. He told The Sun Newspaper , "People should look forward to hearing 50 Cent and Williams together. He's keen to explore hip hop. He's got a very distinctive voice, and with the right song we could work well together." The Sun: 50 Cent Duet Williams has recently produced a video for his probable new song, "Bodies". In the 2 minute video, Williams smokes a cigarette and sings to the tune. New Robbie Williams Song In late July, Guy Chambers attended one of Robbie's announced they will release a compilation album celebrate it's 40th birthday. Robbie will be covering The Kinks classic Lola , which Radio 1 confirmed he had done it with Guy Chambers Radio 1 Covers Album RECEPTION IN NORTH AMERICA Despite Williams' immense popularity worldwide, he has yet to become a major chart or concert success in the United States. His first United States single, "''. The album peaked at number sixty-three Billboard 200 Charts from the week of February 12, 2000, the last week "Ego" was on the charts and went on to sell 600,000 copies in the US and went Gold. Later in 2000 " Rock DJ ", a single taken from Williams' second U.S. album '' Sing When You're Winning '', was released; it reached number twenty-four in the Hot Dance Club Play Chart, Rock DJ Hot Dance Club Play but failed to chart in the Hot 100. The album peaked at number one-houndred-and-ten on the Billboard 200 and only stayed on the charts for four weeks Billboard 200 Charts from the week of November 11, 2000, the last time the album was on the charts . 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 number twenty-eight in the Adult Top 40 . Feel Adult Top 40 The album ''Escapology'' also failed to catch fire in America, selling only 200,000 copies, though it reached number forty-three on the U.S. Billboard Charts. Billboard 200 from the week of June 14, 2003, the last time the album was on the charts '' Intensive Care '' and '' Rudebox '' were not released on an American label, but they were made available on ITunes . The latest Williams' single " She's Madonna " was released in the United States by Virgin Records and reached #12 in the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart on August 2007. US Dance Chart It was the second single from the British singer to hit the American dance chart. It was also his fifth single to reach American charts and his second highest-charting single in the United States to date. In Canada , however, Williams has enjoyed a warmer reception, with " Feel " spending fifty-four weeks in the Canadian singles chart. A few of his other songs have gained popularity there, notably "Angels", "Millennium", "Rock DJ", "Tripping" and "She's Madonna". His two album release for the North American market, '' The Ego Has Landed '' and '' Escapology '', went also platinum in Canada with more than 100,000 copies sold. 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 . 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 August 13th 2007, a Dean Martin duets album was released, on which Williams sings Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone . LIFESTYLE Williams now spends most of his time in Los Angeles, California . Williams appears to struggle with depression, insecurity, and self-loathing. When beginning his solo career, he had received lots of criticism from critics which led him to drink and drugs. He has admitted to trying Heroin and labelled it "the devil's drug".2 Robbie Williams entered a rehabilitation centre in Tucson , Arizona , US on February 13 , 2007 for addiction to the anti-depressant Seroxat .3 He left the centre on March 7 according to his official website. In his fly-on-the-wall documentary '' Nobody Someday '' (2001) he repeatedly mocked his flamboyant 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 publicly about his own experiences with depression. However, he said that the manic behaviour shown on stage was simply an act, saying he'd been diagnosed as being "dead upset" and started taking anti-depressants 10 months after becoming sober. Wealth Williams is currently worth an estimated £100 million (approximately $200 million). In 2006 the Sunday Times Rich List claimed he was worth over £90 million.4 Since then Williams' company 'In Good Company' has raked in a further £17.2 million for the year ending March 2006. This figure does not include profits from Williams' record breaking Close Encounters Tour where he sold over 3.5 million tickets and grossed over $340m, or his latest album Rudebox which shifted 3 million units in its first three months of release. According to HELLO Magazine's 2006 Rich list, he earned £30m ($59m) in 2006, making him the third highest earning act, behind Elton John and The Rolling Stones . In his five years as a member of Take That , Williams earned an estimated £5m. Before signing his record breaking £80m ($158m) contract with EMI in 2002, Williams was worth an estimated £35m ($69m). 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.5 Charity Robbie Williams created a charity with the aid of Comic Relief that is set up 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."6 Williams, with the help of 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 a mixture of celebrities and professional football players. Sexuality Williams has been the subject of tabloid rumours about having various gay partners, 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?". Later, in " Kids ", Williams' collaboration with Kylie Minogue , he sings the "press be asking do I care for sodomy? I don't know, yeah...probably." In his documentary, ''Nobody Someday'', he said he'd never had sex with a man, but admitted he "would 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 closet 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 "bad to be gay".8 Williams retorted 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. 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 many of his gay fans. Williams has had romantic relationships with several well-known female celebrities, including Rachel Hunter . ''Feel'', written by Williams' friend and '' Daily Mail '' writer Chris Heath , details Williams' many sexual conquests during his European tour in 2003.9 In 1997, Robbie met Nicole Appleton , a member of the band All Saints . The pair became engaged, and Nicole became pregnant. Although Robbie was delighted at the prospect of becoming a father, Nicole had an abortion, claiming her record company had pressured her into it.10 The pair subsequently broke up.11 LA VALE See Also: LAVALE LA VALE FC was founded back in 2005 by Robbie Williams. After converting tennis courts into a turf field at his house, a small clique of ex-pats and Americans formed together and started playing up to 4 times a week. After beginning with games of 5v5 at the field, the team joined the EA 7v7 league in Marina Del Rey in 2006, losing 1-0 in the playoff-finals after finishing top of the table. After that, the team moved on to 11v11. They now begin their first season in the LA Premier League. Vale AWARDS See Also: List of Robbie Williams' Awards
DISCOGRAPHY ''For complete information about upcoming releases, singles, sales figures, charts and other, please go to Robbie Williams Discography .'' Studio albums
Compilation albums
Live albums
Number One Singles in the UK
TOURS
TRIBUTE BANDS
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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