Early success and Take That
Robert Peter Williams, aka Robbie Williams, was born 13 February 1974 in Stoke-on-Trent to parents Janet and Peter Williams. After enjoying performing in several school plays as a child, Robbie's first appearance on the pop scene came in 1990 when band manager Nigel Martin-Smith created the boyband called Take That. The role of the "cheeky one" fell to 16-year-old Robbie, and soon with songs like 'Back For Good', 'Relight My Fire' and 'Could It Be Magic', and earnings of £80 million for their label RCA under their belts, a legend had been born.
Solo career
Robbie left the band in July 1995, prior to the band's official split in 1996. In 1996, Robbie released his first single, a cover version of George Michael's Freedom, which made it to number two on the UK charts. He returned a year later with an original song, 'Old Before I Die' and from then his first album Life thru a Lens followed, and his popularity continued to grow.
Hits such as 'Angels' and 'Millennium' continued his success story, and by 2000 when he released his third album Sing When You're Winning, Robbie was hitting the charts internationally as well as in the UK. Despite further successes on the music seen, the mid-noughties saw Robbie struggle with substance abuse. However, a trip to rehab in 2007 helped the star address the issue.
Take That reunion
In 2010, the news many fans had been waiting for was announced: Take That were reuniting to create an album full of new material and a stadium tour was planned for summer 2011. A statement from the boys released at the time read: "The rumours are true... Take That: the original line-up, have written and recorded a new album for release later this year". Progress was released in November 2010, and the group's following tour crashed websites across Europe when tickets eventually went on sale.
Personal life
It wasn't just Robbie's career that was going from strength to strength in 2010, as in August Robbie wed his long-time partner Ayda Field at their Beverly Hills mansion, telling HELLO! he was "the happiest man on earth" after tying the knot. The pair have four children: two daughters, Theodora and Colette, and two sons, Charlton and Beau.
For all the latest news on Robbie and his family, click here.
