Rick Astley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rick Astley
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Astley at Glastonbury Festival 2023
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Richard Paul Astley
6 February 1966 Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England
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Lene Bausager
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| Children | 1 |
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Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, radio DJ, and podcaster. He became famous in the 1980s with his catchy pop songs. His first album, Whenever You Need Somebody (1987), sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
His very first song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", was a massive hit. It reached number one in over 25 countries! It also won a Brit Award for Best British Single in 1988. Another hit, "Together Forever", also topped the charts in the US.
Rick Astley took a break from music in 1993 to spend time with his family. He returned in 2000. In 2016, his album 50 (released for his 50th birthday) went to number one in the UK. His latest album, Are We There Yet?, came out in 2023.
Astley has sold about 40 million records around the world. He became super popular again in 2007 because of the Rickrolling internet meme. This meme uses the music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up". Thanks to this, his career got a big boost! In 2008, he was even voted "Best Act Ever" at the MTV Europe Music Awards. In 2021, "Never Gonna Give You Up" reached one billion views on YouTube.
Contents
Early Life and Music Start
Rick Astley was born on 6 February 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, England. He was the youngest of four children. When he was 10, Rick started singing in a local church choir. This is where his love for music began.
In his school days, Rick played the drums in several local bands. After leaving school at 16, he worked as a driver for his dad's business. At night, he played drums in bands like FBI, performing in pubs and clubs.
Music Career
Becoming a Star (1985–1986)
In 1985, Rick Astley was the drummer for a soul band called FBI. He was noticed by record producer Pete Waterman. Waterman convinced Rick to move to London to work at his recording studio, PWL.
There, Rick learned about making music from the famous production team Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW). They helped him get ready for his music career. He even started as a "tea boy" at the studio to help him overcome his shyness.
Worldwide Success (1987–1989)
Rick's first solo song was "Never Gonna Give You Up", released in August 1987. His unique deep voice and dance-pop style made the song an instant hit. It stayed at number one on the British charts for five weeks. It was the best-selling song of that year! The song also hit number one in 24 other countries, including the US and Australia.
"Never Gonna Give You Up" won Best British Single at the 1988 BRIT Awards. Rick performed it for a huge audience of 100 million people worldwide.
His next song, "Whenever You Need Somebody", was also a big hit in Europe. It reached number one in seven countries.
In November 1987, Rick's first album, Whenever You Need Somebody, came out. It quickly reached number one in the UK and Australia. It sold over 15 million copies worldwide. This made Rick Astley the top-selling British artist of the year.
Rick's fourth single was "Together Forever" (1988). It reached number two in the UK. It was even more successful in the US, topping the charts there. This was his second and last US number-one hit.
In 1989, Rick was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. He lost to Tracy Chapman.
His next album, Hold Me in Your Arms, was released in 1989. It included the hit song "She Wants to Dance with Me", which Rick wrote himself. This song reached the top 10 in both the UK and US.
By the end of 1989, Rick was tired of negative comments from the media. He decided to try different types of music. He left Stock Aitken Waterman.
Changing His Sound and Taking a Break (1990–1993)
In 1990, Rick decided to move from dance-pop to soul music. He also changed his look, growing his hair to show he was a more mature musician. His third album, Free, came out in 1991. It featured songs he worked on with Elton John.
Rick had another big success with his 1991 song "Cry for Help". This emotional song reached number seven in both the UK and US. It was also a number one hit on the US and Canadian Adult Contemporary charts.
Rick's next album, Body and Soul, was released in 1993. Around this time, Rick decided to step away from the music business. He wanted to focus on his family. Because of this, the album wasn't promoted much.
Retirement and Return (1994–2020)
Rick Astley retired from music in 1993 to spend time with his daughter, who was born in 1992. He stayed out of the public eye for many years. He later said he was frustrated with the business side of music.
Seven years later, Rick returned to music. He signed a new deal and released an album called Keep It Turned On in 2001. His first collection of greatest hits, Greatest Hits, came out in 2002. It reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart.
In 2004, Rick went on tour for the first time in 14 years. In 2005, he released Portrait, an album of classic cover songs.
In 2008, Rick was nominated for the 'Best Act Ever' award at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Fans launched a huge online campaign to help him win. On 7 November, Rick won the award! This happened around the same time the "Rickrolling" meme became very popular.
Rick continued to tour around the world, often with other 1980s stars. In 2010, he released a new song called "Lights Out". It was his first new song in the UK charts in 17 years.
In April 2016, Rick released "Keep Singing" from his album 50. He explained that turning 50 inspired him to release new music. The album reached number one on the UK charts in June 2016.
In 2018, Rick announced his album Beautiful Life, which came out in July. It reached number six on the UK Albums Chart. In 2019, Rick toured with the band Take That. He also sometimes sings with the band Foo Fighters at their concerts.
In October 2019, Rick released a new album, The Best of Me. It included some new songs and new versions of his old hits. One of these was a piano version of "Never Gonna Give You Up".
Recent Music and Performances (2020–present)
In June 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, Rick released four cover songs. He also started a TikTok account, dancing to "Never Gonna Give You Up" in his first video. It got millions of views!
In September 2021, Rick covered the ABBA song "The Winner Takes It All". That same month, he and the band Blossoms performed two concerts of songs by the Smiths. They performed together again at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival. Rick also played his own solo set at Glastonbury that year, which was his first time there.
In October 2023, Rick released Are We There Yet?, his first album of new music since 2018. It was inspired by soul music and reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. Rick's autobiography, Never: The Autobiography, was released in October 2024.
Rickrolling and Its Impact
In 2007, Rick Astley became famous again because of an Internet meme called Rickrolling. This meme is a trick where someone sends you a link that looks like something else. But when you click it, it takes you to the music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" instead! If you fall for it, you've been "rickrolled".
The meme became super popular in 2008. Even YouTube used it for their April Fools' Day event that year. Rickrolling became popular again in the early 2020s, especially during online classes on Zoom.
At first, Rick wasn't sure about using this new fame. But he accepted it when he "rickrolled" the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with a surprise performance of his song. Since then, the meme has really helped his music career. Rick has even been rickrolled himself a few times!
Personal Life
Rick Astley is married to film producer Lene Bausager. They met in 1987 and got married in 2003. They have one daughter. Rick and his wife live in the town of Molesey in Surrey, England.
In 2017, Rick partnered with a Danish brewery called Mikkeller. They opened two pubs in London. In 2023, Rick shared that he is experiencing hearing loss and now wears hearing aids.
Discography
- Whenever You Need Somebody (1987)
- Hold Me in Your Arms (1988)
- Free (1991)
- Body & Soul (1993)
- Keep It Turned On (2001)
- Portrait (2005)
- 50 (2016)
- Beautiful Life (2018)
- Are We There Yet? (2023)
See also
In Spanish: Rick Astley para niños
- List of awards and nominations received by Rick Astley
- List of artists who reached number one in the United States
- Lists of UK Albums Chart number ones
- Lists of UK Singles Chart number ones
