Gary Barlow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Barlow OBE
Barlow performing in Glasgow in 2017
Born	(1971-01-20) 20 January 1971 (age 54) Frodsham, Cheshire, England
Occupation	Singer songwriter record producer television personality
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Dawn Andrews ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Pop
Instruments	Vocals piano keyboards
Labels	Sony Polydor Universal Decca Atlantic Future San Remo

Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is a famous English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He is best known as the lead singer of the popular pop group Take That.

Gary Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters. He has written fifteen number-one songs, including twelve for Take That, two for himself, and one for Robbie Williams. He has also had twenty-four top-ten hits. As a solo artist, he has had three number-one songs and three number-one albums. With Take That, he has had twelve number-one songs and eight number-one albums.

Barlow has also been a judge on TV talent shows like The X Factor UK (from 2011 to 2013), Let It Shine (2017), and Walk the Line (2021). He has received six Ivor Novello Awards for his amazing songwriting. In 2012, he was given an OBE by the Queen for his services to entertainment and charity. Gary Barlow has sold over 50 million records around the world.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Gary Barlow was born on 20 January 1971 in Frodsham, Cheshire, England. He was the second son of Colin and Marjorie Barlow. Gary loved music from a very young age. He said he was "one of those kids that's forever dancing in front of the TV."

When he was 10, after seeing the band Depeche Mode on TV, Gary got his first keyboard. He practiced playing it all the time. He was inspired by artists like Elton John to play the piano. In 1986, when he was 15, Gary entered a BBC Christmas song competition with his song "Let's Pray for Christmas." He made it to the semi-finals and was invited to London to record his song. This encouraged him to perform his own songs and cover versions in clubs.

In 1989, Gary met Nigel Martin-Smith, who was looking to create a new boy band. Nigel was very impressed by Gary's singing and songwriting, especially a demo of his song "A Million Love Songs." He decided to build the band around Gary's talents.

Music Career Highlights

Take That's Early Years (1989–1996)

Gary Barlow became the lead singer and main songwriter for Take That. Nigel Martin-Smith brought in Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen, and Robbie Williams to complete the group. They signed with RCA Records. After a few songs that made it into the top 40, they got their first number-one hit with Gary's song "Pray." Other early hits included "A Million Love Songs" and "It Only Takes a Minute."

Their first album, Take That & Party, came out in 1992 and reached number two in the UK. Their second album, Everything Changes, released in 1993, went straight to number one. This album had four number-one singles! Gary won an Ivor Novello Award in 1994 for "Pray."

Take That's third album, Nobody Else, also went straight to number one. It included the huge hit "Back for Good," which was number one in 31 countries and even reached number seven in the US. After Robbie Williams left the band, Take That released a Greatest Hits album, which also went to number one. Their last single before a long break was "How Deep Is Your Love."

Solo Success and New Paths (1996–2004)

After Take That split up, many people thought Gary Barlow would be a huge solo star. His first two solo songs, "Forever Love" (1996) and "Love Won't Wait" (written by Madonna), both went straight to number one in the UK. His first solo album, Open Road, also reached number one and sold 2 million copies worldwide.

His second solo album, Twelve Months, Eleven Days, came out in 1999. It didn't do as well as his first, and Gary decided to take a break from singing. From 2000 to 2004, he focused on writing and producing songs for other artists, including his former bandmate Mark Owen.

Take That Reunion and Huge Comeback (2005–2011)

Gary returned to the public eye in 2005 with a TV show called Take That: For the Record. This led to the band (without Robbie Williams at first) getting back together for a sold-out tour. Their comeback song, "Patience," went to number one for four weeks in 2006. It also won the Record of the Year award and a Brit Award for Single of the Year.

Their first album of new songs in over ten years, Beautiful World, was released in 2006 and went straight to number one. It sold over 2.8 million copies in the UK! In 2008, Take That won Brit Awards for Best British Single and Best British Live Act.

Their next single, "Greatest Day," became their eleventh number-one hit. Their album The Circus also went straight to number one and sold over 2.2 million copies. In 2009, their Take That Present: The Circus Live tour sold over one million tickets in just five hours!

In 2010, Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams reunited for a duet called "Shame." This led to Robbie Williams rejoining Take That. Gary then wrote their much-anticipated sixth album, Progress, which was the first album with the original five members since 1995. The tickets for their 2011 Progress Live tour sold out in less than 15 minutes, with a record-breaking one million tickets sold on the first day! The album Progress became the fastest-selling record of the century in the UK, selling over 235,000 copies on its first day.

Solo Projects and Tours (2012–Present)

In 2012, Gary Barlow worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber to write the official song for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The song, called "Sing," became a number-one hit in the UK. The album Sing also went to number one, making Gary the first artist in 2012 to have both the number-one album and single at the same time.

Barlow performing in concert in 2013

In 2012, Gary announced his first solo tour in thirteen years. Tickets sold out "instantly," even faster than tickets for the Rolling Stones! In 2013, he released his album Since I Saw You Last, which included the hit single "Let Me Go." The album was very successful, becoming his most successful solo album in the UK.

More recently, Gary has released new solo albums like Music Played by Humans (2020) and The Dream of Christmas (2021), his first Christmas album. In 2022, he launched a one-man stage show called A Different Stage, where he shared stories from his life. He also announced a new solo tour for 2025 called the Songbook Tour.

Other Musical Work

Songwriting and Producing

After his solo career, Gary Barlow focused on his love for writing music. He signed a deal with Sony and spent time in the US writing songs. He also set up his own production company. Gary has written and produced songs for many famous artists, including Robbie Williams, Westlife, Elton John, Olly Murs, and Shirley Bassey. He is known as one of the greatest British songwriters of all time.

Royal Events

In 2010, the Queen asked Gary Barlow to help organize her 86th birthday party and her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012. Gary was the main organizer for the huge concert held outside Buckingham Palace. Many famous artists performed, and Gary himself sang "Sing" with his Commonwealth Band.

Record Label

In 2009, Gary started his own record label called Future Records. He signed artists like classical singer Camilla Kerslake and UK rapper Aggro Santos. He later closed the label to focus on his own music and family.

TV Judge

Gary Barlow became a judge on The X Factor in 2011, replacing Simon Cowell. He was a judge for three series, helping to mentor young singers. He also created and judged his own talent show, Let It Shine, in 2017. This show looked for five male singers to star in a musical using Take That's music. In 2021, he joined the judging panel for another talent show called Walk the Line.

Musical Theatre

Gary Barlow has also worked on musicals. In 2013, he helped write the music for a new musical version of Finding Neverland, which opened on Broadway in 2015. He also co-wrote a musical called The Girls (later renamed Calendar Girls The Musical), which opened in London in 2017.

The Crooner Sessions

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Gary started "The Crooner Sessions." He performed songs online with other artists, sharing the videos on social media. These videos became very popular and helped entertain fans during lockdown.

Honours and Awards

Gary Barlow has received many honours for his work in music and charity. In 2012, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen. This award recognized his services to the entertainment industry and his charity work.

In 2012, he also received the Music Industry Trusts Award. This award recognized his contributions to British music and his charity efforts over two decades.

Outside Music

Acting Roles

Gary Barlow has made a few acting appearances. In 2000, he acted in the TV drama Heartbeat. He also had small roles in films like Keith Lemon: The Film (2012) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). In 2023, he played a busker in the Take That movie musical Greatest Days.

Charity Work

Gary Barlow is very active in charity work. In 2009, he organized a climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro with other celebrities to raise money for Comic Relief. This effort, along with other events he organized, raised over £6 million for charity. He also organized "Children in Need Rocks the Royal Albert Hall" in 2009, which brought together many famous artists.

In 2010, he joined other stars to record a charity single, "Everybody Hurts," to help victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. This song became the fastest-selling charity record of the 21st century in Britain. Gary has also donated handwritten lyrics to his hit songs to raise money for charities like the Teenage Cancer Trust.

In 2011, he held a special concert called GB40 for his 40th birthday, with all profits going to charity. He also organized the "Children in Need Rocks Manchester" concert and a celebrity gala, raising millions for Children in Need. In 2013, he performed at the Blackpool illuminations event, asking organizers to donate to Children in Need. He also visited British Armed Forces in Afghanistan to perform a morale-boosting concert for them.

Personal Life

Family

In 2000, Gary Barlow married Dawn Andrews, who was a dancer on Take That's 1995 tour. They have three children. Sadly, in 2012, their daughter Poppy was stillborn. Gary performed at the London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony just one week after this tragedy, showing incredible strength.

Gary is a fan of Liverpool F.C. football club. He also supports the Warrington Wolves rugby team and the New York Knicks basketball team.

Inspirations

Gary has said that the 1986 song "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush is one of the most inspiring songs to him. He said it helped him during a difficult time in the 1990s.

Politics

During the 2010 general election, Gary Barlow appeared at an event to support the Conservative Party's plan to encourage music in schools. He sang "Greatest Day" at the event.

Discography

Studio albums as a solo artist

• Open Road (1997)
• Twelve Months, Eleven Days (1999)
• Sing (2012)
• Since I Saw You Last (2013)
• Music Played by Humans (2020)
• The Dream of Christmas (2021)

Studio albums with Take That

• Take That & Party (1992)
• Everything Changes (1993)
• Nobody Else (1995)
• Beautiful World (2006)
• The Circus (2008)
• Progress (2010)
• III (2014)
• Wonderland (2017)
• Odyssey (2018)
• This Life (2023)

EPs

• Progressed (2011)

Tours

Solo Tours

• The Open Road Tour (1998–99)
• For the Fans Tour (1999)
• GB40 (2011)
• Gary Barlow: in Concert (2011–13)
• Since I Saw You Last Tour (2014)
• Gary Barlow: in Concert (2018)
• All the Hits Live (2021)
• A Different Stage (2022)
• The Songbook Tour (2025)

Take That Tours

• Party Tour (1992–93)
• Everything Changes Tour (1993–94)
• Pops Tour (1994–95)
• Nobody Else Tour (1995)
• The Ultimate Tour (2006)
• Beautiful World Tour 2007 (2007)
• Take That Present: The Circus Live (2009)
• Progress Live (2011)
• Take That Live (2015)
• Wonderland Live (2017)
• Greatest Hits Live (2019)
• This Life on Tour (2024)

Awards and Nominations

Books

• Gary Barlow: My Take. Bloomsbury UK 2006.
• Gary Barlow: A Better Me: The Official Autobiography. Blink Publishing 2018.

Images for kids

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  Barlow performing in Glasgow in 2017

• 

  Barlow performing in concert in 2013

• 

  A Different Stage at the Duke of York's Theatre in August 2022

See also

In Spanish: Gary Barlow para niños