Robbie Williams, born Robert Peter Williams, is an Irish-born English singer and songwriter who rose to fame as a member of the boy band Take That before achieving massive international success as a solo artist. Known for his charismatic stage performances, distinctive sound, and sharp lyrical style, he is regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern pop music. His most notable hits include Feel, She’s the One, Rock DJ, No Regrets, and She’s Madonna.

Robbie Williams was born on February 13, 1974, in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, to an Irish-origin family. His father, Pete Conway, known on stage as Pete Conway, was a comedian, while his mother, Jan Williams, worked as a florist. When Robbie was four years old, his parents divorced, an event that would leave a lasting emotional impact on his childhood.

Williams’ career began when his mother noticed a newspaper advertisement placed by producer Nigel Martin Smith, who was searching for singers for a new boy band. Robbie auditioned, impressed the management with his voice and charisma, and was selected at the last moment to join the group that would soon be known as Take That. In 1990, the band began recording its first album.

Consisting of Mark Owen, Jason Orange, Howard Donald, Gary Barlow, and Robbie Williams, Take That quickly became one of the most successful pop acts in the United Kingdom. The group achieved ten number-one singles and sold over nineteen million albums worldwide, becoming a defining boy band of the early 1990s and inspiring numerous similar groups.

In 1995, ongoing internal tensions and Williams’ increasingly turbulent lifestyle led to his departure from Take That. British tabloids fueled speculation that he had been expelled due to excessive partying, but Williams was already focused on launching a solo career. During much of that year, he spent time with the band Oasis, hoping to collaborate with its leader Noel Gallagher. While no musical collaboration materialized, this period immersed Williams in a world of intense fame, substance abuse, and public scrutiny.

Williams’ solo career officially began with his cover of Freedom, originally performed by George Michael. Released in late 1996, the single received a lukewarm response. His fortunes changed dramatically in 1997 with the release of Old Before I Die, which climbed to number two on the UK charts and signaled a successful reinvention.

Later that year, he released his debut solo album Life Thru a Lens, which became a major success in the United Kingdom. Critics praised his live performance at the Elysée Montmartre Theatre in Paris, and Williams was soon recognized as a serious solo artist. In 1998, he followed up with I’ve Been Expecting You, an album that topped the UK charts for two weeks and produced hit singles such as No Regrets and Strong. The song “No Regrets” featured a collaboration with the band Pet Shop Boys.

International interest in Williams grew with the release of the compilation album The Ego Has Landed in 1999, which earned him a gold record in the United States. At the 2000 Brit Awards, he won Best Single and Best Video for She’s the One. That same year, he released Swing When You’re Winning, which became one of his most commercially successful albums worldwide. The single Rock DJ won the MTV Europe Award for Best Song.

In 2001, Williams dominated the Brit Awards, winning Best Male Solo Artist, Best Single, and Best Video. That year, he recorded a highly successful duet of Somethin’ Stupid with actress Nicole Kidman, which topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.

In October 2002, Williams signed a landmark £125 million deal with EMI and released the album Escapology, which remained at number one on the UK album charts for seven weeks. His collaboration with songwriter Guy Chambers continued on this album, producing the global hit Feel, which sold over four million copies worldwide and became the most successful single of his career.

After releasing the live album Live at Knebworth, Williams issued the compilation Greatest Hits and later ended his long-standing partnership with Guy Chambers, beginning a new collaboration with Stephen Duffy. His 2005 album Intensive Care featured the single Advertising Space, a song dedicated to Elvis Presley, and became his best-selling studio album internationally.

In 2007, Williams released the dance-oriented album Rudebox, collaborating with artists such as Pet Shop Boys, William Orbit, Mark Ronson, and others. The album included the single She’s Madonna, a song written as a tribute to Madonna. That same year, Williams entered a rehabilitation clinic in Tucson, Arizona, due to dependency on the antidepressant Seroxat, and was discharged after successful treatment.

Williams’ personal life has frequently attracted media attention. He was romantically linked to figures such as Rachel Hunter and Katie Melua. In 2010, he married Turkish-American actress Ayda Field in Los Angeles. The couple welcomed their daughter, Theodora Rose Williams, on September 18, 2012, in London.

Robbie Williams continues to reside in California and remains one of the most commercially successful and recognizable pop artists in British music history, with a career defined by reinvention, resilience, and global appeal.

Source: Biyografiler.com