Robbie Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robbie Williams
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Williams at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Peter Williams |
| Born | 13 February 1974 Stoke-on-Trent, England |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
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Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is a famous English singer and songwriter. He first became well-known as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995. After leaving the band, he started his own solo career in 1996.
His first solo album, Life thru a Lens, came out in 1997. It included his super popular song "Angels". His second album, I've Been Expecting You, had two number-one hits: "Millennium" and "She's the One".
Robbie Williams has had seven number-one singles in the UK. Almost all of his 14 studio albums have reached number one in the UK. Six of his albums are among the top 100 best-selling albums in the UK. In 2006, he even set a Guinness World Record for selling 1.6 million concert tickets in just one day!
He has won a record 18 Brit Awards, which is more than any other artist. He was voted the Greatest Artist of the 1990s and was added to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Robbie Williams has sold 75 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
In 2010, Robbie rejoined Take That for their album Progress. This album became one of the fastest-selling in UK history. The tour that followed, Progress Live, sold 1.34 million tickets in less than 24 hours. This made it the biggest-selling concert in UK history at the time. He later left Take That again to focus on his solo music, but he still performs with them sometimes. In 2024, a movie about his life, Better Man, was released.
Contents
Robbie Williams' Story
Early Life and School
Robert Peter Williams was born on 13 February 1974 in Stoke-on-Trent, England. His parents, Janet and Peter, ran a pub. Robbie went to St Margaret Ward Catholic School. He loved acting in school plays. His biggest role was playing the Artful Dodger in Oliver!
Joining Take That
In 1990, when Robbie was 16, he became the youngest member of a new boy band called Take That. His mom saw an ad looking for band members and suggested he try out. Robbie met Mark Owen on the day of his audition.
Most of Take That's songs were written by Gary Barlow. But Robbie sang lead on some of their early hits. These included "Could It Be Magic" and "Everything Changes".
Robbie wanted to try different music styles like hip hop and rap. However, the band usually focused on ballads. This caused some disagreements. He also started missing rehearsals. In July 1995, Robbie decided to leave the group. Take That continued as a four-piece band. They officially broke up on Robbie's 22nd birthday in 1996.
After leaving, Robbie was seen partying with other famous musicians. He wanted to start a solo career. But his contract with Take That stopped him from releasing new music right away. After some legal issues, he was finally free to sign with Chrysalis Records in 1996.
Rejoining Take That (2006–2011)
Robbie showed interest in rejoining Take That in 2009. On 15 July 2010, he officially reunited with the band. Their album Progress came out in November 2010. It became the fastest-selling album since 2000 in the UK.
The group then went on their Progress Live tour across the UK and Europe. This tour sold tickets incredibly fast. In August 2012, Take That performed at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. Robbie was supposed to join them but missed it because his wife was having their baby.
Robbie later focused on his solo career again. However, he has performed with Take That on TV shows. He also worked with Gary Barlow on a musical called The Band.
Robbie's Solo Music
Early Solo Success (1996–1998)
Robbie started his solo career in 1996 with a cover of George Michael's "Freedom". It reached number two in the UK. He then met songwriter Guy Chambers, who helped him create his first album.
His first single, "Old Before I Die", reached number two in the UK. His first album, Life thru a Lens, came out in September 1997. It started at number eleven on the UK charts.
"Angels" was the fourth single from the album. It became Robbie's best-selling song in the UK. This song helped his album sales go way up. Life thru a Lens stayed in the UK top ten for 40 weeks. It has sold over 2.4 million copies in the UK.
Robbie and Guy Chambers wrote the second album, I've Been Expecting You, in Jamaica in 1998. The first single, "Millennium", became Robbie's first solo number-one hit in the UK. The music video for "Millennium" showed Robbie making fun of James Bond.
I've Been Expecting You was released in October 1998. It went straight to number one in the UK. The album also became popular in Europe and Latin America. It included songs like "No Regrets" and "She's the One". "She's the One" became his second UK number-one single. The album sold almost 3 million copies in the UK.
Big Hits and New Styles (1999–2001)
In 1999, Robbie signed with Capitol Records in the United States. He released a collection of songs called The Ego Has Landed in the US and Canada. While promoting this, he started working on his third studio album.
The first single from this album was "Rock DJ". It quickly became a number-one hit in the UK and New Zealand. The song won "Best Song of 2000" at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
His third album, Sing When You're Winning, was released in August 2000. It topped the charts in many countries. After this success, Robbie wanted to try something new. He took a break from touring to record Swing When You're Winning. This fourth album was inspired by his love for Frank Sinatra.
For this album, Robbie sang duets with friends and famous stars. He sang with Nicole Kidman on "Somethin' Stupid". This song became Robbie's fifth number-one hit in the UK. It was one of the biggest hits of 2001. His song "Beyond the Sea" was used in the movie Finding Nemo.
Record Deals and Huge Concerts (2002–2005)
In 2002, Robbie signed a massive £80 million deal with EMI. This was the biggest music deal in British history at the time. He spent a year working on his fifth album, Escapology. Robbie took a bigger role in writing the songs for this album.
The first single, "Feel", became his biggest international hit. It reached number one in the Netherlands and Italy. When Escapology was released in late 2002, it hit number one in at least 10 countries.
In August 2003, Robbie played three huge concerts at Knebworth. Each night, 125,000 people came to watch. This made it the biggest music event in UK history. In October 2003, he released a live album from these concerts, Live at Knebworth.
In 2004, Robbie released Greatest Hits. It included new songs he worked on with Stephen Duffy. The first single from this album, "Radio", became his sixth number-one hit in the UK. The album was the best-selling album of the year in the UK and Europe. In 2005, "Angels" was voted the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the 2005 Brit Awards.
His sixth album, Intensive Care, came out in 2005. It was a big international hit. In November 2005, Robbie won 'Best Male' at the MTV Europe Music Awards. He also set another Guinness World Record for selling 1.6 million tickets for his 2006 World Tour in just one day. His Close Encounters World Tour was seen by 3 million people.
New Sounds and Comebacks (2006–Present)
Robbie released his dance/electro album, Rudebox, in October 2006. It had songs with other artists like the Pet Shop Boys. The album sold very well in Europe.
In 2009, Robbie worked with producer Trevor Horn on his new album, Reality Killed the Video Star. It was released in November 2009. Robbie performed his new single "Bodies" on The X Factor. He also had his first live concert in three years at the London Roundhouse.
In October 2010, Robbie released his second greatest hits album, In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010. It celebrated 20 years of his music. He also released a new song called "Shame" with Gary Barlow.
In 2011, Robbie signed with Island Records. He was the opening act at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in front of Buckingham Palace in 2012. His album Take the Crown came out in 2012 and was his tenth number-one album in the UK. The lead single, "Candy", became his seventh solo number-one single.
In 2013, Robbie released Swings Both Ways, a follow-up to his swing album. It included duets with Michael Bublé, Olly Murs, and Kelly Clarkson. In 2014, he released Under the Radar Volume 1 with unreleased songs.
In 2016, Robbie signed with Sony Music. His album The Heavy Entertainment Show became his 12th UK number-one album. He released Under the Radar Volume 2 in 2017 and Under the Radar Vol. 3 in 2019.
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In June 2018, Robbie performed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Moscow, Russia. He sang "Let Me Entertain You" and "Feel". He also sang "Angels" with Russian singer Aida Garifullina. Later that year, he became a judge on The X Factor in the UK.
In November 2019, Robbie released his first Christmas album, The Christmas Present. It featured guests like Tyson Fury and Rod Stewart. This album became his 13th UK number-one album, tying him with Elvis Presley for the most UK number-one albums.
In 2022, Robbie announced his tenth collection album, XXV. It has new versions of his hit songs. XXV was released in September 2022 and became his 14th solo number-one album. This broke the record for the most UK number-one albums by a solo artist. In September 2022, Robbie performed at the 2022 AFL Grand Final in Australia. He sang many of his hits and dedicated "Angels" to Australian cricketer Shane Warne. He also sang "You're the Voice" and "Kids" with Delta Goodrem.
In 2023, Robbie worked with French singer Mareva Galanter and English duo Soft Play. In 2024, he featured on a song with Lucy Spraggan and Noga Erez. He also released "Forbidden Road" from the Better Man movie soundtrack.
Other Projects
Music Collaborations
Robbie Williams has worked with many other artists.
- He sang "Kids" with Australian pop star Kylie Minogue in 2000. It reached number 2 in the UK.
- He also sang "Somethin' Stupid" with Nicole Kidman in 2001. This song became a UK number-one hit.
- In 2001, Robbie recorded "We Are the Champions" with Queen for the movie A Knight's Tale.
- He sang "My Culture" with rapper Maxi Jazz in 2002.
- In 2007, he released "She's Madonna" with the Pet Shop Boys.
- In 2010, he released "Shame", a duet with Gary Barlow.
- He also recorded a new version of "Three Lions", the England football team's song, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
- In 2012, he sang a Spanish song "Te quiero dijiste (Muñequita linda)" with Mexican artist Thalía.
Other Work
In 2005, Robbie provided the voice of Dougal in The Magic Roundabout film. In 2010, he was a guest vocal coach on the German TV show Popstars: Girls forever.
He released his second book, You Know Me, in 2010. It has photos and stories from his career. In 2011, Robbie started a radio show called Radio Rudebox.
Robbie also worked with businessman Peter Jones to create a clothing line called Farrell.
Video Games
Robbie recorded the song "It's Only Us" for the video game FIFA 2000. Because of this, his favorite football team, Port Vale, was included in the game.
He also has his own karaoke video game, We Sing Robbie Williams, released in 2010.
Football
In 2005, Robbie started a football team called Los Angeles Vale F.C. He named it after his hometown club, Port Vale. In January 2024, Robbie was named president of Port Vale Football Club.
Musical Theatre
Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers wrote the music and lyrics for a musical. It's based on David Walliams' children's book The Boy in the Dress. The musical opened in 2019 and received great reviews.
Film
In August 2024, Better Man, a movie about Robbie's life, was released. It was shown at film festivals and later in cinemas. The movie received many nominations at the 2025 AACTA Awards.
Robbie's Interests and Life
Personal Life
Robbie Williams moved to Los Angeles in 2006. He married American actress Ayda Field in August 2010. They have four children: daughters Theodora and Colette, and sons Charlton and Beau.
Robbie has dyslexia and dyscalculia, which are learning differences.
Hobbies and Tattoos
Robbie is very interested in UFOs and other paranormal things. He even made a documentary about it for BBC Radio 4.
He has many tattoos, and some of them are related to British culture.
- An Ace of Spades for the band Motörhead.
- A fez hat for comedian Tommy Cooper.
- The logo of The Saint TV show.
- The spectacles logo of The Two Ronnies comedy show.
- The "skip dance" pose of Morecambe and Wise.
- A Stafford knot, a symbol of his home county Staffordshire.
- The logo of his old band Take That.
- The coat of arms of Burslem, his hometown.
- The words "Elvis Grant Me Serenity" and notes from the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love".
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Robbie is a big fan of his hometown football team, Port Vale FC. His father used to run the team's social club.
Charity Work
Robbie has done a lot for charity.
- He set up a charity called Give It Sum in Stoke-on-Trent. It helps people who are struggling in his local community.
- With his friend Jonathan Wilkes, he organizes charity football matches called Soccer Aid. These games raise money for UNICEF UK. Many celebrities and football players take part.
- Since 2002, Robbie has been a patron for the Donna Louise Trust. This charity helps children with serious illnesses.
Robbie's Musical Influences
When Robbie was a child, he loved swing musicians like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. He also listened to artists like Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. When he was 10, he got into hip hop and electronic music. Later, when he started his solo career, he was inspired by Britpop bands like Oasis and Blur.
As a singer, he looks up to Tom Jones, Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, and Bono.
- He has performed with Tom Jones many times.
- He greatly admires Freddie Mercury and Queen. He even said he was asked to be the new lead singer for Queen once, but he felt too nervous.
- Robbie does an "Elvis Prayer" before every concert. He has an "Elvis Grant Me Serenity" tattoo.
Robbie has said that Ian Dury is his biggest inspiration for writing songs.
Robbie's Legacy
Robbie Williams has sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist. He has also won more Brit Awards than any other artist. He has sold over 77 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the best-selling artists of all time.
He holds a Guinness World Record for selling 1.6 million concert tickets in one day in 2006. The Guardian newspaper described him as a perfect mix of confidence and vulnerability.
Robbie has won 18 Brit Awards, including two for his "Outstanding Contribution to Music". In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. He was voted the Greatest artist of the 1990s.
In 2005, the British public voted "Angels" as the song they would most like played at their funeral. In 2010, he received another "Outstanding Contribution to British Music" award at the Brit Awards. He was also named the most successful album-artist of the millennium in Germany.
Influence on Other Artists
Many modern artists admire Robbie Williams and say he has influenced them.
- The English rapper Example said Robbie's performances inspired him.
- Ed Sheeran said his first album ever was Robbie's Life Thru A Lens.
- English pop singer Olly Murs made a music video that paid tribute to Robbie's "Angels" video.
- One Direction star Louis Tomlinson has said Robbie Williams was one of his earliest influences.
Awards and Nominations
Robbie Williams has won many awards. He has a record eighteen Brit Awards, including those he won with Take That. This makes him the most successful artist in the history of the awards. He has also won 8 Echo Awards from the German music industry.
Discography
Studio albums as a solo artist
See also
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Studio albums with Take That
Studio albums with Lufthaus
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Concerts
Solo Tours
- Show Off Must Go On Tour (1997)
- Ego Has Landed Tour (1998)
- One More for the Rogue Tour (1998–99)
- 1999 Tour (1999)
- The Sermon on the Mount Tour (2000–01)
- Weddings, Barmitzvahs & Stadiums Tour (2001)
- 2003 Tour (2003)
- Close Encounters Tour (2006)
- Take the Crown Stadium Tour (2013)
- Swings Both Ways Live (2014)
- Let Me Entertain You Tour (2015)
- The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour (2017–18)
- XXV Tour (2022–23)
- Robbie Williams Live 2025 (2025)
Take That Tours
- Party Tour (1992–93)
- Everything Changes Tour (1993–94)
- Pops Tour (1994–95)
- Progress Live (2011)
Residencies
- Robbie Williams Live in Las Vegas (2019)
Robbie Williams Band Members
Robbie Williams has had many talented musicians in his band over the years.
Current members
- Robbie Williams – lead vocals, guitar, tambourine (1997–present)
- Gary Nuttall – lead guitar, backing vocals (1997–present)
- Guy Chambers – keyboard, guitar, backing vocals (1997–2002; 2012–present)
- Jeremy Meehan – bass guitar, backing vocals (2004–present)
- Karl Brazil – drums (2009–present)
- Tom Longworth – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2012–present)
- Denosh Bennett – backing vocals (2012–present)
- Sara-Jane Skeete – backing vocals (2012–present)
- Nayanna Holley – backing vocals (2012–present)
Brass (Atlantic Horns)
- Ben Edwards – trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion (2012–present)
- Mike Kearsey – trombones, sousaphone, keyboards, percussion (2012–present)
- Mark Brown – saxophones, bass clarinet, acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2012–present)
