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Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, '' Life thru a Lens'', was released in 1997, and included his signature song, "
Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...
". His second album, '' I've Been Expecting You'', featured the songs "
Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
" and " She's the One", his first number one singles. His discography includes seven UK No. 1 singles, and all but one of his 14 studio albums have reached No. 1 in the UK. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the UK, with two of them in the top 60, and he gained a
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
in 2006 for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day during his
Close Encounters Tour The Close Encounters Tour was a concert tour by British recording artist, Robbie Williams. Running from April to December 2006, the tour supported Williams' sixth studio album, ''Intensive Care''. To date, it was the singer's largest tour, play ...
. Williams has received a record 18
Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
, winning Best British Male Artist four times, Outstanding Contribution to Music twice, an Icon Award for his lasting impact on British culture, eight German ECHO Awards, and three MTV European Music Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the
UK Music Hall of Fame The UK Music Hall of Fame was an awards ceremony to honour musicians, of any nationality, for their lifetime contributions to music in the United Kingdom. The hall of fame started in 2004 with the induction of five founder members and five mor ...
after being voted the Greatest Artist of the 1990s. According to the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI), he has been certified for 20.2 million albums and 8.66 million singles in the UK as a solo artist. Five of his albums have also topped the
Australian albums chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, and has sold 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He also topped the 2000–2010 UK airplay chart. His three concerts at Knebworth in 2003 drew over 375,000 people, the UK's biggest music event to that point. In 2014, he was awarded the freedom of his hometown of
Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
and had a tourist trail created and streets named in his honour. Williams' thirteenth album, '' XXV'' was released on 9 September 2022. After 15 years, Williams rejoined Take That in 2010 to co-write and perform lead vocals on their album ''
Progress Progress is the movement towards a refined, improved, or otherwise desired state. In the context of progressivism, it refers to the proposition that advancements in technology, science, and social organization have resulted, and by extension w ...
'', which became the second-fastest-selling album in UK chart history and the fastest-selling record of the century at the time. The subsequent stadium tour, which featured seven songs from Williams' solo career, became the biggest-selling concert in UK history when it sold 1.34 million tickets in less than 24 hours. In 2011, Take That frontman
Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
confirmed that Williams had left the band for a second time to focus on his solo career, although he stated that the departure was amicable and that Williams was welcome to rejoin Take That in the future. Williams has since performed with Take That on three separate television appearances, and collaborated with Barlow on a number of projects such as the West End musical '' The Band''.


Early life

Robert Peter Williams was born on 13 February 1974 in
Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
, the son of Janet (née Farrell) and Peter Williams (also known as Pete Conway), who ran a pub called the Red Lion in
Burslem Burslem ( ) is one of the six towns that along with Hanley, Tunstall, Fenton, Longton and Stoke-upon-Trent form part of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. It is often referred to as the "mother town" of Stoke on Trent. ...
before his father became the licensee at the Port Vale FC Social Club. His maternal grandfather was an Irishman from
Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...
. He attended St Margaret Ward Catholic School in Tunstall and participated in several school plays, with his biggest role being the
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminal ...
in a production of ''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age Musical theatre, stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre ...
''


Take That


1990–1995: first stint

In 1990, the sixteen-year-old Williams was the youngest member to join Take That. According to the documentary '' Take That: For the Record'', his mother read an advertisement seeking members for a new boy band and suggested that he try out for the group. He met fellow member
Mark Owen Mark Owen (born 27 January 1972) is an English singer and songwriter best known for being a member of pop group and band Take That; as of 2019, the group have sold 14 million albums and 11.4 million singles in the UK. In Owen's solo career, he ...
on the day of his audition/interview with
Nigel Martin-Smith Nigel Martin-Smith is a Manchester-based English musical band manager. He helped form the 1990s British boy band Take That. Biography Early career Martin-Smith entered the entertainment industry in the early 1980s working as a casting agent fro ...
. Although the majority of the group's material was written and performed by
Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
, Williams performed lead vocals on their first Top Three hit "
Could It Be Magic "Could It Be Magic" is a song with lyrics by Adrienne Anderson and music by Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20. The song was initially released in 1971 by Featherbed (a group of session musi ...
",
I Found Heaven "I Found Heaven" is a song by English boy band Take That from their debut studio album, '' Take That & Party''. It was released as the album's fifth single on 3 August 1992. Background Written and produced by American singer Billy Griffin and ...
", and " Everything Changes". Williams' use of
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
and
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
brought him into conflict with Martin-Smith over the behaviour rules for Take That members. In November 1994, Williams's drug abuse had escalated; he had a near drug overdose the night before the group was scheduled to perform at the
MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
. According to the documentary ''For the Record'', he was unhappy with his musical ideas not being taken seriously by lead singer Barlow and Martin-Smith; his desire to explore hip hop and rap conflicted with Take That's usual ballads. Barlow explained in interviews that Williams had given up trying to offer creative input. Noting Williams' increasingly belligerent behaviour and poor attendance at rehearsals, and worried that he might leave the group during their upcoming tour, Orange and Barlow took their concerns to Martin-Smith. During one of the last rehearsals before the tour commenced, the three confronted Williams about his attitude and stated they wanted to do the tour without him. He agreed to quit and left the group in July 1995; it would be the last time for twelve years that they were all together. Despite the departure of Williams, Take That completed their
Nobody Else Tour Nobody may refer to: * Nobody, an indefinite pronoun Nobody may also refer to: Fictional characters * Nobody (''Kingdom Hearts''), a race of beings in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' video game series *Nobody, a character in the Jim Jarmusch films '' D ...
as a four-piece. They later disbanded on 13 February 1996, Williams's 22nd birthday. Shortly afterwards, Williams was photographed by the press partying with the members of
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
at
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
. Following his departure, he became the subject of talk shows and newspapers as he acknowledged his plans to become a solo singer, and he was spotted partying with
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling music ...
in France. However, a clause in his Take That contract prohibited him from releasing any material until after the group was officially dissolved, and he was later sued by Martin-Smith and forced to pay $200,000 in commission. After various legal battles over his right to a solo career, Williams succeeded in getting released from his contract with BMG. On 27 June 1996, Williams signed with
Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records () is a British record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ellis-Wright A ...
.


2006–2011: second stint

By March 2009, Williams had shown interest in rejoining
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
; however, the band completed their
The Circus Live Take That Present: The Circus Live was the seventh concert tour by British pop group, Take That. The tour promoted their fifth studio album, '' The Circus''. The tour began on 5 June 2009 at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland and finished on 5 ...
without him. In spite of rumours that Williams was working in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
with Take That in September that year, by the day of the Children in Need charity concert at
The Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...
in November they were still performing separately. However, both did join with the other acts in the final song of the evening, with Williams putting his arm around Gary Barlow and singing "
Hey Jude "Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock music, rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' fir ...
". On 15 July 2010, Williams reconciled with his former colleagues and rejoined Take That. In November 2010 the Take That album ''
Progress Progress is the movement towards a refined, improved, or otherwise desired state. In the context of progressivism, it refers to the proposition that advancements in technology, science, and social organization have resulted, and by extension w ...
'' was released, becoming the fastest selling album since 2000 and the second fastest selling album in UK history. The group travelled across the UK on their Progress Live tour, which included eight nights at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in London, then continued across Europe. The tour was the fastest selling in UK history with ticket hotlines and websites crashing under the demand. In August 2012, Take That performed at the
closing ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.
of the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...
. Williams was due to perform with Take That but missed the performance because his wife gave birth at around the same time; the group performed as a four-piece. Although still officially part of the Take That, Williams chose not to return for group's seventh and eighth studio albums and their accompanying tours, focusing instead on his solo commitments. He continued to write music with his colleagues and performed with the group on several occasions since 2011's Progress tour and planned on return for a full tour to celebrate Take That's 30th anniversary in 2019.


Solo career


1996–1998: ''Life thru a Lens'' and ''I've Been Expecting You''

Williams launched his solo career in 1996 with a cover of
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling music ...
's "
Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving one ...
", which reached number two in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Recordings for Williams's first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March 1997. Shortly after his introduction to songwriter and producer Guy Chambers, Williams released "
Old Before I Die "Old Before I Die" is a song by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released as the first single from his debut album, ''Life thru a Lens'' (1997). The Oasis-influenced song became a number-two hit in the United Kingdom and a number-one h ...
", the first single from his debut album. The single reached number two on the UK Charts; however, it was largely ignored on international charts. His debut album, '' Life thru a Lens'', was released in September 1997. The album launched with his first live solo gig at the
Élysée Montmartre Élysée Montmartre (french: L'Élysée Montmartre) is a music venue located at 72 Boulevard de Rochechouart, Paris, France. It opened in 1807, burned down in 2011, reopened in 2016, and has a capacity of 1,380 patrons. The nearest métro statio ...
theatre in Paris, France. The album debuted at number eleven on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. "
Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...
", the fourth single, is Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom. The song, apart from becoming a hit around Europe and Latin America, caused sales of his album to skyrocket. The album remained in the British top ten for forty weeks and spent 218 weeks there altogether, making it the 58th best selling album in UK history with sales of over 2.4 million. The album eventually managed to sell over three million copies in Europe. Williams and Chambers started writing the second album, '' I've Been Expecting You,'' in Jamaica in early 1998. The first single, "
Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
", accompanied with a music video featuring Williams parodying
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
, complete with
tuxedo Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element ...
and references to Bond films like '' Thunderball'' and '' From Russia with Love'', became Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom. It also became a top twenty hit in many European countries, Latin America and Australia. '' I've Been Expecting You'' was released in late October 1998 and debuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart. The album received more attention outside the United Kingdom, leaving its mark in the European and Latin American markets with hits such as " No Regrets", a collaboration with The
Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo ...
' singer
Neil Tennant Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for ''Smash Hits'', and ...
and
The Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature an ...
's
Neil Hannon Edward Neil Anthony Hannon (born 7 November 1970) is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter. He is the creator and front man of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy, and is the band's sole constant member. Hannon wrote the theme tunes for ...
. "She's the One", a cover of a World Party track written by Karl Wallinger, became Williams' second UK number-one single. Williams finished the year with a European Tour late in 1999. ''I've Been Expecting You'' sold almost 3 million copies in the UK and was certified 10× Platinum by the BPI. In Europe, the album sold over 4 million copies.


1999–2001: ''Sing When You're Winning'' and ''Swing When You're Winning''

In 1999, Williams was signed to
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...
in the United States, a part of EMI. He embarked on a United States promotional tour and released his first United States and Canadian single, "
Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
". The compilation album '' The Ego Has Landed'' was released in July 1999 in the United States and Canada. In the middle of promotion and the tours in 1999, Williams began work on his third studio album. The first single taken from the album was "
Rock DJ "Rock DJ" is a song by English singer and songwriter Robbie Williams, featured on his third studio album, '' Sing When You're Winning'' (2000). The song was released on 31 July 2000 as the lead single from the album. It samples Barry White's ...
", a song inspired by Williams's
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to c ...
mentor, the late
Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads ...
. The video created by Fred & Farid showed Williams in an attempt to get noticed by a group of females, first stripping and then tearing chunks of skin and muscle from his body, and caused controversy in the United Kingdom and many other countries. The video was edited by ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' for its graphic content and many other channels followed suit. The song became an instant hit, reaching number one in the UK (becoming his third number one single as a solo artist) and New Zealand. The song went on to win "Best Song of 2000" at the
MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
, "Best Single of the Year" at the
Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
and an
MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects The MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the visual effects artists and/or visual effects company of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the award's full name was Best Specia ...
. When the album, '' Sing When You're Winning'' was released in August 2000, it topped the charts in many different countries. In the UK the album was certified 2× Platinum on its first week of release. After the success of his third album, Williams wanted to take another musical direction. He took two weeks off from his tour to record ''
Swing When You're Winning ''Swing When You're Winning'' is a swing cover album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, and his fourth studio album overall. It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2001 and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart. ...
'', his fourth studio album. Born from his lifelong love for
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
combined with the success of the track " Have You Met Miss Jones?" that he recorded for the film '' Bridget Jones' Diary'' in 2001the album was recorded at
Capitol Studios Capitol Studios are recording studios located at the landmark Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California. The studios, which opened in 1956, were initially the primary recording studios for the American record label Capitol Records. While ...
in Los Angeles. Williams took the chance to duet with his long-time friend
Jonathan Wilkes Jonathan Wilkes (born 1 August 1978) is an English television presenter and singer. Early life and career Jonathan Wilkes was born in Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, to Eileen Wilkes and Graham Wilkes, and spent most of his childhood in ...
, ''Little Voice'' star
Jane Horrocks Barbara Jane Horrocks (born 18 January 1964) is a British actress. She portrayed the roles of Bubble and Katy Grin in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous''. She was nominated for the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for the title role in th ...
, ''Saturday Night Live'' star
Jon Lovitz Jonathan Michael Lovitz (; born July 21, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member of ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1990. Lovitz starred as Jay Sherman in '' The Critic'' and played a baseball scout in '' A League of ...
,
Rupert Everett Rupert James Hector Everett (; born 29 May 1959) is an English actor, director and producer. Everett first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film '' Another Country'' (1984) as a gay pupi ...
and actress
Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
. The first single released from the album was a duet with Kidman, on "
Somethin' Stupid "Somethin' Stupid", or "Something Stupid", is a song written by C. Carson Parks. It was originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as Carson and Gaile. A 1967 version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy Sinatra became ...
". Originally a hit for
Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...
and
Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatr ...
, the song became Williams' fifth number one hit in the UK. It eventually went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2001. "Beyond the Sea" was featured over the credits of the film ''
Finding Nemo ''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Lee Unkrich, the screenplay was wr ...
'' in 2003 and was also released on the film's soundtrack CD. A DVD, ''Robbie Williams Live at the Albert Hall'', was released in December of that year. So far, it has become one of the best selling music DVDs in Europe, being certified 6× Platinum in the United Kingdom and 2× Platinum in Germany.


2002–2005: ''Escapology'' and ''Intensive Care''

In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI. The contract included a number of provisos, including the label ceding greater creative control to the artist and a commitment to breaking Williams into the US market. So far it is the biggest music deal in British history. The deal was brokered by
Ingenious Media Ingenious Media (styled as INGENIθUS) is a division of London-based Ingenious Capital Management Limited, also known as Ingenious. The company was founded in 1998 by Patrick McKenna. Filmography 2000s 2010s 2020s Upcoming Fut ...
, a UK corporate finance advisory business. Williams began working on what would be his fifth studio album, spending a year in the recording studio. The album heralded a new era for Williams. He had taken a more active role in the making of this album. "One Fine Day", "Nan's Song", and " Come Undone" were the first songs that Williams wrote without the input of Guy Chambers. Most of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles. The album's first single, "
Feel Feel may refer to: *Feeling Music Bands * Feel (New York band), a dance and R&B band * Feel (Polish band), a pop rock band Songs * "Feel" (Kendrick Lamar song), 2017 * "Feel", by Phora, 2018 *"Feel", by Mahmut Orhan, 2016 * "Feel" (Kumi Koda so ...
", written by Williams and Chambers, was recorded as a demo. When they started working on the album and were trying to re-record the vocals, Williams felt unsatisfied with it, so he decided to include the demo version and then release it as the first single. When the single was released in late 2002, it became Williams' biggest international hit, going number one in The Netherlands and Italy and reaching the top ten in many European countries. When Williams' fifth studio album, '' Escapology'', was released in late 2002, it hit number one in at least 10 countries around the world. In the United States, however, it failed to make such an impact. ''Escapology'' sold almost 2 million copies by the end of 2003 in the United Kingdom. On 1–3 August 2003, Williams played three consecutive concerts at Knebworth to 125,000 people each night, making it the biggest event in UK music history. Memorable performances included "Come Undone" where he interjected with "Britain, I'm Your Son", and further interacted with the audience when he brought a girl up on stage. In October 2003, Williams released a live album of the concerts, ''
Live at Knebworth ''Live at Knebworth'', also known as ''Live Summer 2003'' with different cover text, is a live album by English pop singer Robbie Williams, recorded and released in 2003. The album is his first live album, and is a compilation of songs perform ...
''. In October 2004, Williams released, ''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'', a retrospective of his career, and also, to reveal the new tracks he had been working on with the then-new collaborator,
Stephen Duffy Stephen Anthony James Duffy (born 30 May 1960 in Alum Rock, Birmingham, England) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member, vocalist, bassist and then drummer of Duran Duran. He went on to record as a solo perform ...
. "
Radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...
", the compilation's first single, debuted at number one in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
(becoming Williams' sixth number-one hit). When the compilation was later released it debuted at number one in the UK and was the best selling album of the year in the UK and Europe. Eight years after the release of "Angels", the British public voted it as the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the
2005 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2005 was the 25th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, which for this 25th edition was marketed as "Brits 25 - The 25th Show". A Special BRITs 25 Award for the best single from the pa ...
. After touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion ''Greatest Hits'', Williams started working on his sixth studio album. Recorded at his house in the
Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Un ...
, the album was co-written by
Stephen Duffy Stephen Anthony James Duffy (born 30 May 1960 in Alum Rock, Birmingham, England) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member, vocalist, bassist and then drummer of Duran Duran. He went on to record as a solo perform ...
over the course of 24 months. The album ''
Intensive Care Intensive care medicine, also called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes pro ...
'' was launched in Berlin on 9 October. It became an international hit. In November 2005, Williams took home the
MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
for 'Best Male', but also, entered in ''
The Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' when he announced his World Tour for 2006, selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day. Williams kicked off his '' Close Encounters World Tour'' in South Africa in April 2006, when he finished his European leg of the tour. 2.5 million people had seen the show, and after touring Latin America and Australia the numbers went up to 3 million.


2006–2009: ''Rudebox'' and ''Reality Killed the Video Star''

Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album, '' Rudebox'', on 23 October 2006. It featured collaborations with the
Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo ...
,
William Orbit William Mark Wainwright (born 15 December 1956),"William Orbit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 30. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2000. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 7 May 2017. Available onlinvia ''Encyclopedia.com'' known ...
, Soul Mekanik,
Joey Negro David Russell Lee (born 18 June 1964) is an English DJ and house music producer, formerly known by the stage name Joey Negro, which he retired in July 2020 following the George Floyd protests. He has released music under a variety of pseudo ...
,
Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...
, Chris Grierson, and The Orr Boys. It received mixed reviews: Allmusic gave it a four star rating, the '' NME'' 8 out of 10, and Music Week and MOJO were equally positive, but it received much weaker reviews from some of the British press. The album sold 2× Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million making it the fastest platinum-selling album of 2006. To promote his album, Williams commissioned a series of short films. ''Goodbye to the Normals'' was directed by Jim Field Smith and features "Burslem Normals" by Williams. In February 2009, it was confirmed that Williams had written material with Guy Chambers and
Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...
. A spokesman said that Williams was planning to begin the recording sessions in March and that the new album would be released in late 2009. This will probably be the last Williams album released by EMI. On his official website, Williams confirmed that he was working with producer
Trevor Horn Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
on his new album, which would eventually be titled ''
Reality Killed the Video Star ''Reality Killed the Video Star'' is the eighth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released in November 2009. The album was produced by Trevor Horn and recorded between September 2008 and August 2009 in London and L ...
'', a reference to the song "
Video Killed the Radio Star "Video Killed the Radio Star" is a song written by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley in 1979. It was recorded concurrently by Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club (with Thomas Dolby on keyboards) for their album '' English Garden'' an ...
" by Horn's former band
The Buggles The Buggles were an English new wave band formed in London in 1977 by singer and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. They are best known for their 1979 debut single " Video Killed the Radio Star", which topped the UK Singles Cha ...
. The album was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom. On 11 October 2009 Williams published a 12-track compilation album, titled '' Songbook'', as a free CD for the newspaper ''
The Mail on Sunday ''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. It is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK and was launched in 1982 by Lord Rothermere. Its sister paper, the ''Daily Mail'', was first pub ...
''. That same evening, Williams made his "comeback" on ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' results show, performing his new single "
Bodies Bodies may refer to: * The plural of body * ''Bodies'' (2004 TV series), BBC television programme * Bodies (upcoming TV series), an upcoming British crime thriller limited series * "Bodies" (''Law & Order''), 2003 episode of ''Law & Order'' * B ...
" for the first time live. On 20 October 2009 Williams opened the BBC Electric Proms at the London RoundHouse. It was his first live concert for 3 years and was broadcast across 200 cinemas worldwide. Accompanied by a string section, horn section, full band and producer Trevor Horn, Williams performed several new tracks from ''Reality Killed the Video Star'' and older tracks. ''Reality Killed the Video Star'' was previewed in the UK on the
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active use ...
music streaming service on 6 November 2009, and official released on 9 November. In a high-profile chart battle, Williams' album was pitted against ''
X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...
'' 2008 runners-up JLS who released their debut album the same day. JLS beat Williams to the number one spot by 1500 sales. The album was also released in the United States (Williams' first album to be released there since 2002's ''Escapology''). In late November 2009, Williams travelled to Australia to perform at the
ARIA Music Awards of 2009 The 23rd Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) took place on 26 November 2009 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. The ceremony was telecast o ...
.


2010–2012: ''In and Out of Consciousness'' and ''Take the Crown''

In October 2010, Williams released his second greatest hits album, '' In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010'', to celebrate 20 years as a performing artist. A single, "
Shame Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion often associated with negative self-evaluation; motivation to quit; and feelings of pain, exposure, distrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness. Definition Shame is a discrete, basic emotion, d ...
", was also released, which was written and sung by Williams and Barlow. On 21 October 2011 Williams signed with
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anothe ...
(
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and it ...
), following his departure from his previous record label EMI in 2010. Williams was the opening act at the
Diamond Jubilee Concert The Diamond Jubilee Concert was a British music concert and celebration held outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall in London on 4 June 2012. The concert was organised by Take That singer-songwriter Gary Barlow and was part of Queen Elizabeth ...
, which was co-organised by
Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
, held outside
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
on 4 June 2012. During the end of August his official website began a countdown to the release of information regarding his latest solo material, with an image of his face and his mind unveiled daily as the countdown expired. Titled '' Take the Crown'', the album debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
making it Williams' tenth number one album. It also marked the second time that Williams had a number one single ("Candy") and album at the same time on the chart. The first time was in 2001 when "
Somethin' Stupid "Somethin' Stupid", or "Something Stupid", is a song written by C. Carson Parks. It was originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as Carson and Gaile. A 1967 version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy Sinatra became ...
" and ''
Swing When You're Winning ''Swing When You're Winning'' is a swing cover album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, and his fourth studio album overall. It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2001 and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart. ...
'' were number one on the singles and albums chart respectively. The album's lead single, "
Candy Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...
", premiered on 10 September 2012 and was released on 11 September in most countries and 29 October in the UK. In the UK, "Candy" became Williams' first number one single since "
Radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...
" (2004) and his seventh solo number one single. In its first week the song has sold 137,000 copies becoming the fastest-selling male artist single of the year. On 26 November 2012 Williams announced a 17 date stadium tour of Europe. Williams also confirmed that the support act for the tour would be
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
who also duets with him on "Kids". Universal and EMI merged in 2012, bringing Williams' Chrysalis/Virgin recordings full circle to Universal.


2013–2014: ''Swings Both Ways'' and ''Under the Radar Volume 1''

In September 2013, Williams announced a follow up to his 2001 swing album, titled '' Swings Both Ways'' for release in November. The album features covers and original songs, whilst also including duet recordings with
Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...
,
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
, Rufus Wainright,
Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...
and
Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...
. In November 2013 Williams made a cameo appearance in the video to Murs's song "
Hand on Heart "Hand on Heart" is a song by English singer-songwriter Olly Murs for his third studio album '' Right Place Right Time'' (2012). The song was released as the fifth single from the album, although released to promote the 2013 re-release. It was co ...
". Williams released a compilation album entitled ''
Under the Radar Volume 1 ''Under the Radar Volume 1'' is a compilation album by English singer Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 19 ...
'' on 1 December 2014 through his website, featuring leftovers and unreleased songs. " hese areloads and loads of songs that I have written that I am incredibly passionate about, I want you to hear them, otherwise they are just going to remain in my computer!" Williams claims that Guy Chambers "is not happy" about these songs being released online: "He thinks I am a lunatic for not putting them on an album that we have promoted with TV performances and at radio stations and a big tour," Williams said. "But I am an impetuous bugger, and I want them out now, now, now!"


2016–2018: ''The Heavy Entertainment Show'', and ''The X Factor''

In May 2016, it was announced that Williams had signed a recording contract with
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...
. In a statement, Williams said: "They're ony Musicinspired, I'm inspired. I'm more ready than I ever have been and I'm totally convinced I'm in the right place. I look forward to working on this album, which is an album I'm immensely proud of, in this exciting new partnership with Sony Music." ''
The Heavy Entertainment Show ''The Heavy Entertainment Show'' is the eleventh studio album by English recording artist Robbie Williams. It was released on 4 November 2016 through Columbia Records. It features guest appearances from Rufus Wainwright and John Grant. The ...
'' became his 12th UK number-one album, putting him level with
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
. In July 2017, Williams announced a new album, '' Under the Radar Volume 2'', which was released in November 2017. A third edition in the Under the Radar series was released on Valentine's Day of 2019. On 14 June 2018, Williams performed at the
2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony The 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony took place on Thursday, 14 June 2018, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia at 3:30 (BST), about a half hour before the opening match which Russia won 5–0 over Saudi Arabia. Mascots Zabivak ...
held at the
Luzhniki Stadium Luzhniki Stadium ( rus, стадион «Лужники», p=stədʲɪˈon lʊʐnʲɪˈkʲi, ''Stadion Luzhniki'') is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. The full name of the stadium is Grand Sports Arena of the ...
in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
. Williams sang " Let Me Entertain You" and "
Feel Feel may refer to: *Feeling Music Bands * Feel (New York band), a dance and R&B band * Feel (Polish band), a pop rock band Songs * "Feel" (Kendrick Lamar song), 2017 * "Feel", by Phora, 2018 *"Feel", by Mahmut Orhan, 2016 * "Feel" (Kumi Koda so ...
" before he performed a duet of "
Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...
" with Russian soprano
Aida Garifullina Aida Emilevna Garifullina (russian: Аида Эмилевна Гарифуллина, tt-Cyrl, Аида Эмил кызы Гарифуллина, translit=Aida Emil kyzy Garifullina; born 30 September 1987) is a Russian lyric soprano of Tatar ...
. Williams then performed an encore with "
Rock DJ "Rock DJ" is a song by English singer and songwriter Robbie Williams, featured on his third studio album, '' Sing When You're Winning'' (2000). The song was released on 31 July 2000 as the lead single from the album. It samples Barry White's ...
", during which he gave
the finger In Western culture, "the finger", or the middle finger (as in giving someone the (middle) finger, the bird or flipping someone off) is an obscene hand gesture. The gesture communicates moderate to extreme contempt, and is roughly equivalent i ...
. Fox in the U.S. apologised for the incident which they had broadcast live. The incident was not shown on ITV in the UK who had cut away prior to the encore. Williams appeared on '' This Morning'' on 19 June and explained what happened, "It was one minute to kick off, I was under a lot of pressure, because there was one minute left and I didn't know how I was going to do half a minute, so I just did a one-minute countdown
sing his middle finger Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
" Asked by presenter
Phillip Schofield Phillip Bryan Schofield (born 1 April 1962) is an English television presenter who works for ITV. He is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2002–present) and ''Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2014, 2018–present) alongside Holl ...
whether he regrets it, he said: "Yeah, of course, yeah. I cannot trust me. I don't know what I'm going to do at any time. There's no, sort of, plan. The plan was, sing in key, don't fall over. That was the plan and 99% of the plan, I pulled off." When asked did the idea just enter his head he responded, "Nothing actually pops into my head. There's a block between me and sense... then something happens and then five minutes later, I'm like, 'Did I? Yeah, I did, didn't I?". On 17 July 2018, Williams along with his wife, and
One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
star
Louis Tomlinson Louis William Tomlinson (; born Louis Troy Austin; 24 December 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction. Tomlinson began his career appearing in television dramas before he auditioned ...
, were announced as the new judges on the fifteenth series of ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' in the UK, joining
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
and replacing
Louis Walsh Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...
,
Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, later Arden; born 9 October 1952) is a British-American television personality, music manager and author. She is married to heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne and came to prominence while appearing ...
and
Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
.


2019–present: ''The Christmas Present'', Lufthaus, and ''XXV''

On 22 November, Williams released his first Christmas album titled '' The Christmas Present'', which features guest appearances from boxer
Tyson Fury Tyson Luke Fury (born 12 August 1988) is an English professional boxer. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBC title since defeating Deontay Wilder in 2020, and '' The Ring'' magazine title from 2020 to August 202 ...
,
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
,
Jamie Cullum Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...
,
Helene Fischer Helene Fischer ( /heˈleːnə ˈfɪʃɚ/; German: eˈleːnə ˈfɪʃɐ born Jelena Petrovna Fischer, 5 August 1984) is a Russian-born German singer. Since her debut in 2005, she has won numerous awards, including 17 Echo awards, four "Die Kron ...
and
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
. The album debuted at number two on the UK Charts behind
Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
's ''
Everyday Life Everyday life, daily life or routine life comprises the ways in which people typically act, think, and feel on a daily basis. Everyday life may be described as mundane, routine, natural, habitual, or normal. Human diurnality means most peo ...
''. The album sold over 67,000 copies, which is identical sales to his previous studio album release ''
The Heavy Entertainment Show ''The Heavy Entertainment Show'' is the eleventh studio album by English recording artist Robbie Williams. It was released on 4 November 2016 through Columbia Records. It features guest appearances from Rufus Wainwright and John Grant. The ...
'', Williams also sold over 10,000 cassettes in 7 days, which is the most in two decades. The following week saw Williams' album go to #1 in the UK, outselling the nearest competitor
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
by 5,000 copies. This was Williams' 13th UK number-one album, tying
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
for the most UK number-one albums. On 25 February 2022, it was revealed that Williams had teamed up with his regular collaborators Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis to record the trance track "Sway" under the new alias 'Lufthaus'. In April 2022, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' observed that while Williams "remains a big draw", he was no longer guaranteed hits and was "now more likely to be playlisted on Smooth Radio than
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
". Williams said he was working on more experimental music, which he likened to
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades ...
, but said: "Do I unashamedly want to still be one of the biggest artists in the world? Yeah, I do ... I've had an interesting first half of my life. I’d like an interesting second half, too." On 7 June 2022, Williams announced that his tenth compilation album, '' XXV'', would be released on 9 September 2022. It will feature new, reimagined versions of his hit songs, plus new material. On the same day as this announcement, Williams released "Angels XXV", a reworked version of "Angels". On 10 June 2022, "Angels (XXV)" reached number 92 on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart, rising to 74 a week later. On 5 August 2022, Williams released the single "Lost", also taken from ''XXV''. ''XXV'' was released on 9 September 2022 and debuted a week later at number 1 on the UK Official Albums Chart. In doing so, Williams broke all previous ''Official Chart'' records with his fourteenth solo number one album. On 24 September 2022, Williams performed at the
2022 AFL Grand Final The 2022 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match contested between Geelong and the Sydney Swans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 24 September 2022. It was the 127th grand final of the Australian Football League (AFL), staged to ...
held at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern ...
in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. Williams sang " Let Me Entertain You", "
Rock DJ "Rock DJ" is a song by English singer and songwriter Robbie Williams, featured on his third studio album, '' Sing When You're Winning'' (2000). The song was released on 31 July 2000 as the lead single from the album. It samples Barry White's ...
", "
Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography * Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland *Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
" and "
Feel Feel may refer to: *Feeling Music Bands * Feel (New York band), a dance and R&B band * Feel (Polish band), a pop rock band Songs * "Feel" (Kendrick Lamar song), 2017 * "Feel", by Phora, 2018 *"Feel", by Mahmut Orhan, 2016 * "Feel" (Kumi Koda so ...
" before he performed "Angels" which Williams dedicated to Australian cricketer
Shane Warne Shane Keith Warne (13 September 1969 – 4 March 2022) was an Australian international cricketer, whose career ran from 1991 to 2007. Warne played as a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-handed batsman for Victoria, Hampshire and Australi ...
, who had died in March 2022. Williams then covered
John Farnham John Peter Farnham AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...
's "
You're the Voice "You're the Voice" is a song written by Andy Qunta, Keith Reid, Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson, and recorded by the Australian singer John Farnham and released as a single in September 1986 ahead of his album '' Whispering Jack''. "You're t ...
" stating "The next song is the unofficial national anthem of Australia! Let's all send our love to John and his family". Just two days prior on 22 September 2022, John Farnham had released a statement outlining that he was to undergo immediate surgery after being diagnosed with cancer. Williams then performed "
Kids Kid, Kids, KIDS, and K.I.D.S. may refer to: Common meanings * Colloquial term for a child or other young person ** Also for a parent's offspring regardless of age * Engage in joking * Young goats * The goat meat of young goats * Kidskin, leath ...
" with Australian singer
Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive wee ...
. On 7 October 2022, Lufthaus released the single "Soul Seekers". Williams' XXV tour started on 9 October 2022 in
The O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as the O2 (stylised as The O2 arena), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of the O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the ...
, supported by Lufthaus. In November 2022, Williams performed in
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
as part of the country's
FIFA World Cup 2022 The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022; it is the first Worl ...
celebrations. His appearance attracted criticism due to Qatar's human right's abuses and strict LGBT laws. After the criticism, Williams stated, "I don't condone any abuses of human rights anywhere ..if we're not condoning human rights abuses anywhere, then it would be the shortest tour the world has ever known: I wouldn't even be able to perform in my own kitchen ..Anybody leaving messages saying 'no to Qatar' are doing so on Chinese technology ..the hypocrisy there is that if we take that case in this place, we need to apply that unilaterally to the world. Then if we apply that unilaterally to the world, nobody can go anywhere."


Other projects


Collaborations

Robbie Williams collaborated with Australian pop star
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
on the song "
Kids Kid, Kids, KIDS, and K.I.D.S. may refer to: Common meanings * Colloquial term for a child or other young person ** Also for a parent's offspring regardless of age * Engage in joking * Young goats * The goat meat of young goats * Kidskin, leath ...
". The single peaked at number 2 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 2000 and was later selected to be part of the music of ''Grand Theft Auto V''. Williams also collaborated with Australian film star
Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
on a cover of
Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...
and
Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatr ...
's "
Somethin' Stupid "Somethin' Stupid", or "Something Stupid", is a song written by C. Carson Parks. It was originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as Carson and Gaile. A 1967 version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy Sinatra became ...
". The single reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in 2001. His single " No Regrets" featured Neil Tennant, and Neil Hannon on backing vocals. In 2001, Williams recorded "
We Are the Champions "We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album ''News of the World'' (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems.
" with
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
for the 2001 medieval adventure film ''
A Knight's Tale ''A Knight's Tale'' is a 2001 American medieval adventure comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Brian Helgeland. The film stars Heath Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire who poses as a knight and competes in tournaments, win ...
''. In 2002, Williams appeared on the track " My Culture" on the ''
1 Giant Leap 1 Giant Leap is a British electronic music duo consisting of the two principal artists, Jamie Catto (Faithless founding member) and Duncan Bridgeman. Career Based in the UK, the two musicians set out to create a multimedia project that would ...
'' album, alongside rapper
Maxi Jazz Maxwell Fraser (14 June 1957 – 23 December 2022), better known by his stage name Maxi Jazz, was a British musician, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ. He was the lead vocalist of British electronic band Faithless from 1995 to 2011 and 2015 ...
(which features lyrics from the hidden track "Hello Sir" from '' Life thru a Lens''). Williams also features on a double CD titled ''Concrete'' which was released on the same day as ''Rudebox''. The CD features a concert recorded for the BBC featuring the Pet Shop Boys and Williams singing their classic hit "Jealousy". Their joint effort, "
She's Madonna "She's Madonna" is a song by British singer Robbie Williams with the duo Pet Shop Boys, from his seventh studio album, '' Rudebox'' (2006). The track was released as its third and final international single on 5 March 2007 by Chrysalis Records ...
", was released as a single in March 2007. On 13 August 2007, a
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
duets album was released, on which Williams sings "
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" is a song published in 1930. It was written by Sam H. Stept with lyrics by Sidney Clare. The original publication also credited singer Bee Palmer as co-composer. Background The lyrics are an admonishme ...
". In 2010 he announced the release of "
Shame Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion often associated with negative self-evaluation; motivation to quit; and feelings of pain, exposure, distrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness. Definition Shame is a discrete, basic emotion, d ...
", a duet with Take That lead singer songwriter
Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
, as the first single from his greatest hits collection, '' In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010'', which was certified silver in the UK and charted in 19 countries worldwide. In 2010, Williams and comedian/actor
Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian and actor known for his flamboyant, loquacious style and manner. Brand has received three British Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer (2006), Best Live Stand-Up (2008), and the award for ...
along with
Frank Skinner Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), professionally known as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...
,
David Baddiel David Lionel Baddiel (; born 28 May 1964) is an English comedian, presenter, screenwriter, and author. He is known for his work alongside Rob Newman in ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' and his comedy partnership with Frank Skinner. He has als ...
and singer-songwriter
Ian Broudie Ian Zachary Broudie (born 4 August 1958) is an English musician and singer-songwriter from Liverpool. After emerging from the post-punk scene in Liverpool in the late 1970s as a member of Big in Japan, Broudie went on to produce albums (somet ...
(of
The Lightning Seeds The Lightning Seeds (also known as Lightning Seeds) are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1989 by Ian Broudie (vocals, guitar, producer), formerly of the bands Big in Japan, Care, and Original Mirrors. Originally a studio-based s ...
), under the name "The Squad", recorded a new version of "
Three Lions "Three Lions" is a song by the English comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner and the rock band the Lightning Seeds. It was released on 20 May 1996 to mark the England football team's participation in that year's UEFA European Championshi ...
", the England football team's song, for the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
. In 2012, Williams recorded a duet with Mexican recording artist
Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most successful and influential Mexican artists. Havi ...
for the Spanish song "Te quiero dijiste (Muñequita linda)", included on her album '' Habítame Siempre''. In 2019 he collaborated with British comedian
Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer, and actor. He is known for his deadpan delivery of controversial one-liners and distinctive laugh, for which he has been both praised and criti ...
, co-writing the lyrics for "Live in Las Vegas" – the opening song of Williams's residency at the
Wynn Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas, often simply referred to as Wynn, is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by Wynn Resorts, and was built on the former site of the Desert Inn resor ...
. A studio version of the song has been recorded excerpts of which have been used in promotional material for the show, but the song is not yet available for download.


Other work

In 2005 Williams provided the voice of Dougal in the
film adaption A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of ''
The Magic Roundabout ''The Magic Roundabout'' is an English-language children's television programme that ran from 1965 to 1977. It used the footage of the French stop motion animation show ''Le Manège enchanté'' but with completely different scripts and characte ...
''. On 26 August 2010, it was announced Williams would become a guest vocal coach on the ninth series of German reality television show '' Popstars: Girls forever'' to teach candidates for a girl group. On 20 September 2010, Williams released his second book called ''You Know Me'' in collaboration with Chris Heath. The book features a collection of photographs of Williams from the past 20 years of his career and discussion of them by Williams as transcribed by Heath. Williams launched a radio show titled ''Radio Rudebox'' on 6 October 2011 where he played music and interviewed Gary Barlow.


Video games

Williams recorded the song "
It's Only Us "It's Only Us" is a song by British singer Robbie Williams, released as a double A-side with a cover of " She's the One" on 8 November 1999. Unlike "She's the One", "It's Only Us" was a brand new recording made for the '' FIFA 2000'' soundtrack ...
" as the theme for the ''FIFA'' video game ''
FIFA 2000 ''FIFA 2000'' (titled ''FIFA 2000: Major League Soccer'' in North America) is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts. It was the seventh game in the main ''FIFA'' series. The game was released f ...
''. As part of the agreement to license the track
EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network ...
included
Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley of ...
, the football club Williams supports, in the game, despite only being in the third tier of the English football league system. Williams features in his own karaoke video game, '' We Sing Robbie Williams'', which was released on 12 November 2010 by Nordic Games Publishing AB.


Los Angeles Vale F.C.

In 2005, Williams founded a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
team called Los Angeles Vale F.C. Williams formed the club with other celebrity friends after building his own soccer pitch at his home in Los Angeles. The club was named after Williams' hometown club,
Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley of ...
, and its logo was very similar. The club supposedly was disbanded in 2007, reportedly after Williams discovered two players had swindled him out of £200,000.


Farrell clothing

In 2011, Williams announced he was working with entrepreneur Peter Jones in developing a clothing line called Farrell in honour of his grandfather Jack Farrell. Although the business had filed for bankruptcy, it was later relaunched in 2014 with support of clothing company
Primark Primark Stores Limited (; trading as Penneys in the Republic of Ireland) is an Irish multinational fast fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. It has stores across Europe and in the United States. The Penneys brand is not us ...
.


Musical theatre

In 2018, it was announced that Williams and Guy Chambers would write the music and lyrics (with a book by
Mark Ravenhill Mark Ravenhill (born 7 June 1966) is an English playwright, actor and journalist. Ravenhill is one of the most widely performed playwrights in British theatre of the late-twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His major plays include ''Shoppin ...
) for the stage musical adaptation of David Walliams children's book ''The Boy in the Dress'' for the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
. The musical opened in November 2019 at the
Royal Shakespeare Theatre The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespea ...
,
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...
where it ran for an 18-week season earning rave reviews from the critics and audiences.


Legacy

It has been claimed that Williams has sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history and has won more BRIT Awards than any other artist to date. His records sales stands at over 77 million worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. Williams was entered in ''
The Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' when, after he announced his World Tour for 2006, 1.6 million tickets were sold in one day. Caroline Sullivan of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' wrote Williams is "a perfect meeting of ego, self-deprecation and hits", adding "there really is nobody else, in pop music anyway, who combines monumental hamminess and bone-deep vulnerability quite so effectively." He has received a record eighteen
Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
Best British Male Artist four times, two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music and the 2017 Brits Icon for his "lasting impact on British culture", and eight German
ECHO In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the
UK Music Hall of Fame The UK Music Hall of Fame was an awards ceremony to honour musicians, of any nationality, for their lifetime contributions to music in the United Kingdom. The hall of fame started in 2004 with the induction of five founder members and five mor ...
, after being voted as the Greatest artist of the 1990s. He appeared in the 2009 edition of the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' when his sell-out show at the BBC Electric Proms at London's Roundhouse was screened by more than 250 cinemas across 23 countries to set a new record for the most simultaneous cinematic screenings of a live concert. Williams appears in the list of the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the UK six times–with four albums in the top 60. In 2005, the British public voted "
Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...
" the song they would most like played at their funeral. In October 2009, it was announced that he would receive the Outstanding Contribution to British Music award at the 2010 Brit Awards. In September 2010, Williams switched on the
Blackpool illuminations Blackpool Illuminations is an annual lights festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year, held each autumn in the British seaside resort of Blackpool on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. Also known locally as The Lights o ...
, stating that it was one of the greatest honours he had achieved. In October,
Media Control Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
named Williams the most successful album-artist of the millennium due to the fact that he had spent No. 1 on the
German Albums Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustr ...
for 38 weeks since 2000. He also reached that chart's Top Ten 135 times. He was ranked at No. 11 the greatest frontman of all time in a reader poll by '' Q'' magazine.


Influences

During his childhood, Williams was influenced by swing musicians such as
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
,
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
, and
Sammy Davis Jr Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...
. The first records he listened to were released by
Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...
,
Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and " The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine Grammy Award ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
and
Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...
, which belonged to his mother. At the age of 10, he got into Hip hop and started collecting Electro albums; and when he started his solo career in the ‘90s, he was influenced by
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...
bands such as
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
, Blur and Pulp. As a singer, his influences include
Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...
,
Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
and
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...
. He worked with Tom Jones several times throughout his career: They performed together at the Brit Awards in 1998; the following year, they recorded a cover of the song "
Are You Gonna Go My Way ''Are You Gonna Go My Way'' is the third studio album by American singer Lenny Kravitz, released on March 9, 1993, by Virgin Records. It was recorded at Waterfront Studios, Hoboken, New Jersey, by Henry Hirsch. It became Kravitz's first top 20 ...
" for Jones’ album Reload; and in 2012, Williams and Jones worked together again on the song "On My Own", b-side of his single " Different". Williams also feels great admiration for Freddie Mercury and Queen. In 2001, Williams,
Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury and ...
and Roger Taylor released a new version of "
We Are the Champions "We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album ''News of the World'' (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems.
" for the movie ''A Knight's Tale''. He also revealed that he was once asked to be the new frontman of Queen, but that he turned down the offer because of his "very low self-esteem". He said: "I just thought I'd save them the audacity of me even trying to step on a stage and be in the same echelon as Freddie Mercury. Because he, to me, is angelic. He's godlike. It was just too scary." Williams has revealed that he does the "Elvis Prayer" before going on stage at every concert. In 2000, he got a tattoo of the phrase "Elvis Grant Me Serenity" and he also played as an Elvis impersonator in the music video for his song "
Advertising Space "Advertising Space" is a song by British singer Robbie Williams, for his sixth studio album, '' Intensive Care'' (2005). It was released as the third single from the album on 12 December 2005 and reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart. Wil ...
" (2005). Speaking to BBC Radio 2 in February 2021, Williams cited
Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads ...
as his biggest inspiration as a lyricist. He sings on "You're the Why", the final track of the posthumously released album
Ten More Turnips from the Tip ''Ten More Turnips from the Tip'' is the fourth and final studio album by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and Dury's ninth overall. It was compiled and released in 2002, two years after Dury's death in March 2000. Background The album came to be ...
(2002).


Influence in others artists

Contemporary artists have expressed their admiration for Williams and have cited him as one of their influences. The English rapper
Example Example may refer to: * '' exempli gratia'' (e.g.), usually read out in English as "for example" * .example The name example is reserved by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a domain name that may not be installed as a top-level ...
admitted his obsession with Williams and how he had been inspired by Williams’ performances when he was younger. He described his own performance on stage as "a combination of rap, rock and Robbie Williams".
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently re ...
, in an interview with El Hormiguero, revealed that the first album he ever bought was "Life Thru A Lens". English pop singer
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
paid tribute to Williams' "Angels" music video in the music video for his single "
Hand on Heart "Hand on Heart" is a song by English singer-songwriter Olly Murs for his third studio album '' Right Place Right Time'' (2012). The song was released as the fifth single from the album, although released to promote the 2013 re-release. It was co ...
". And one of
Louis Tomlinson Louis William Tomlinson (; born Louis Troy Austin; 24 December 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction. Tomlinson began his career appearing in television dramas before he auditioned ...
's earliest influences was Robbie Williams, of whom he declares a big fan.


Personal life


Residence

In 2006, Williams emigrated to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
. He briefly moved back to the UK in 2009 when he bought an £8.5 million mansion in
Compton Bassett Compton Bassett is a village and rural Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Wiltshire, England, with a population of approximately 250. The village lies about north of Cherhill and east of the town of Calne. Parish church The Church ...
, but sold the property a year later to move back to Los Angeles. In 2017, he sold his mansion in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
to
DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, record producer and rapper. Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station 99 Jamz, a ...
for $9.9 million. In 2016, he moved into
Woodland House Woodland House is a large detached house at 31 Melbury Road in the Holland Park district of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. Built from 1875 to 1877 in the Queen Anne style by the architect Richard Norman Shaw, it is a Grade II* lis ...
, a £17 million mansion in the
Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...
area of
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. His next-door neighbour there is
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...
guitarist
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
, who has lived in
The Tower House The Tower House, 29 Melbury Road, is a late-Victorian townhouse in the Holland Park district of Kensington and Chelsea, London, built by the architect and designer William Burges as his home. Designed between 1875 and 1881, in the French ...
since 1972. In 2018, Page delayed Williams' plans for an underground swimming pool, stating that construction work would damage The Tower House."Jimmy Page delays Robbie Williams's underground swimming pool"
''The Irish Times''. Retrieved 14 June 2018


Health issues

Williams has reportedly battled
mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...
,
obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's ...
, self-esteem issues,
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
, and
substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
throughout his life. He has discussed how his friend
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
booked him into a clinic to cope with his drug use that emerged from the depression he was experiencing while still in Take That. Williams revealed in 2011 he had been experiencing
lethargy Lethargy is a state of tiredness, sleepiness, weariness, fatigue, sluggishness or lack of energy. It can be accompanied by depression, decreased motivation, or apathy. Lethargy can be a normal response to inadequate sleep, overexertion, overwo ...
caused by a type of
hormone imbalance Endocrine diseases are disorders of the endocrine system. The branch of medicine associated with endocrine disorders is known as endocrinology. Types of disease Broadly speaking, endocrine disorders may be subdivided into three groups: # Endocrin ...
called andropause for a number of years, and thought at first it was a return of his depression. In a June 2020 interview with '' Weight Watchers Magazine'', he revealed that he had developed an
addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...
to online golf games.


Interests

Williams has a strong interest in
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...
s and related
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
phenomena, and pursued this interest during his 2007–08 sabbatical. His interest in the subject led to him taking part in a documentary for
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...
with
Jon Ronson Jon Ronson (born 10 May 1967) is a British-American journalist, author, and filmmaker whose works include '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'' (2001), ''The Men Who Stare at Goats'' (2004), and ''The Psychopath Test'' (2011). He has been desc ...
. The documentary followed them to a UFO convention in
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
, during which Williams connected his interest in the paranormal with the desire to understand his childhood fears of his mother's interest in "the world's mysteries, elves, demons, ndwitchcraft". Williams featured in a 2018 TV documentary ''Hunt for the Skinwalker'' by Jeremy Corbell, and revealed that his partner Ayda Field dissuaded him from buying the
Skinwalker Ranch Skinwalker Ranch, also known as Sherman Ranch, is a property of approximately , located southeast of Ballard, Utah, that is reputed to be the site of paranormal and UFO-related activities. Its name is taken from the skin-walker of Navajo legen ...
when it became for sale. Williams became an ordained minister with the
Universal Life Church Monastery The Universal Life Church Monastery (ULCM) is a multi-religious interfaith ministry that has an online ordination program, which allows individuals to preside over weddings, baptisms, and funerals in the United States depending on state and coun ...
to officiate the wedding of friends. Williams has a number of tattoos, many of which are related to British culture. These include: * an Ace of Spades, commemorating heavy metal band
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a prec ...
. * a fez, common headwear of comedian
Tommy Cooper Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a Welsh prop comedian and Magic (illusion), magician. As an entertainer, his appearance was large and lumbering at , and he habitually wore a red Fez (hat), fez when performing. He ...
. * the logo of '' The Saint'', tribute to
Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 1 ...
who played the titular character on the TV show. * the spectacles logo of ''
The Two Ronnies ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, ser ...
'', the comedy sketch show of the TV double act of
Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', and '' Open All Hours''. ...
and
Ronnie Corbett Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...
. * the "skip dance" pose of
Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, workin ...
, another TV comic double act (
Eric Morecambe John Eric Bartholomew, (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984), known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's d ...
and Ernie Wise). * a Stafford knot, a symbol of his home county
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands C ...
. * the logo of his former group
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
. * the coat of arms of
Burslem Burslem ( ) is one of the six towns that along with Hanley, Tunstall, Fenton, Longton and Stoke-upon-Trent form part of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. It is often referred to as the "mother town" of Stoke on Trent. ...
, the town in Stoke-on-Trent where he grew up. * the notes and words of the first line of the chorus of
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' song "
All You Need Is Love "All You Need Is Love" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in July 1967. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song was Britain's contribution t ...
" on his lower back. Williams became a fan of his hometown football team Port Vale FC as a child after his father became the licensee of the team's social club. He has played in a testimonial game for club legend
Neil Aspin Neil Aspin (born 12 April 1965) is an English football manager and former player. A solid defender who could play at centre-back and right-back, he was a good marker and an adept tackler. He made his debut in the English Football League for Lee ...
. In 2020, Williams received backlash for expressing his belief in the widely debunked
Pizzagate conspiracy theory "Pizzagate" is a conspiracy theory that went viral during the 2016 United States presidential election cycle. It has been extensively discredited by a wide range of organizations, including the Washington, D.C. police. In March 2016, the pe ...
.


Relationships and fatherhood

In 1997, Williams was in a month long relationship with
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...
singer
Melanie Chisholm Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...
. In May 2006, Williams started dating American actress
Ayda Field Ayda Field (born Ayda Sabahat Evecan, May 17, 1979) is a Turkish-American model and actress. She is best known for being a regular panellist on British television show ''Loose Women'', a judge on the British ''The X Factor'', alongside her husba ...
. She was featured in the UFO documentary that Williams did for BBC Radio 4 and took part in a field investigation he did in
Trout Lake, Washington Trout Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Klickitat County, Washington, United States. The population was 557 at the 2010 census. The town is notable for its organic dairy and herb farms, and as an access poi ...
in 2008. Williams and Field wed at his home in
Mulholland Estates Mulholland Estates is a guard gated community in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California, US. Although properties in the estate have a 90210 ZIP code and thus a Beverly Hills address, it is actually part of the Beverly Hills Post Offi ...
in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
on 7 August 2010. They have four children: daughters Theodora and Colette, and sons Charlton and Beau. There have been questions about Williams's sexuality, with some speculating that he may be
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...
. In an interview with the ''Daily Star'', he stated: "I love musical theatre and a lot of the other things that are often associated with gays. I am 49% homosexual and sometimes as far as 50%. However, that would imply that I enjoy having a particular sort of fun, which I don't."


Wealth

In the 2011 ''
Sunday Times Rich List The ''Sunday Times Rich List'' is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families resident in the United Kingdom ranked by net wealth. The list is updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday new ...
'' of wealthiest people in the British music industry, his wealth was estimated at £90 million. Williams is a lifelong supporter of football club
Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley of ...
, based in his home town of
Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
, and in February 2006 he bought £240,000 worth of shares in the club, making him the largest
shareholder A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of a corporation is an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the legal o ...
. However the club entered
administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...
on 9 March 2012, and as a result Williams lost all of his shares in the club and received only a fraction of his original investment back.


Charity

Williams has set up a charity in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent entitled ''Give It Sum'', its goal being to "improve local conditions and strengthen community life by giving money to those who are disadvantaged." Williams, with the help of friend Jonathan Wilkes, has organised charity football matches called
Soccer Aid ''Soccer Aid'' is a British annual (formerly bi-ennial) charity event that has raised over £38 million in aid of UNICEF UK, through ticket sales and donations from the public. The televised event is a friendly-style football match between tw ...
to raise money for
UNICEF UK UNICEF UK, also known as the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF national committees based in industrialised countries. The national committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development work. In 2 ...
. A mixture of non-football celebrities and professional football players have played Soccer Aid matches in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wembl ...
in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
and
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in London. Williams has been the Patron of the children's charity the Donna Louise Trust, based in Stoke-on-Trent, since 2002. The charity offers respite and palliative care to
terminally ill Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced h ...
and life-limited children who are not expected to live past the age of 16.


Awards and nominations

Williams has won various awards, with some of his more recognised accolades being the
Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
. He has won a record eighteen Brit Awards, which also include the Brits he won with
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
, making 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 * '' Life thru a Lens'' (1997) * '' I've Been Expecting You'' (1998) * '' Sing When You're Winning'' (2000) * ''
Swing When You're Winning ''Swing When You're Winning'' is a swing cover album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, and his fourth studio album overall. It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2001 and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart. ...
'' (2001) * '' Escapology'' (2002) * ''
Intensive Care Intensive care medicine, also called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes pro ...
'' (2005) * '' Rudebox'' (2006) * ''
Reality Killed the Video Star ''Reality Killed the Video Star'' is the eighth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released in November 2009. The album was produced by Trevor Horn and recorded between September 2008 and August 2009 in London and L ...
'' (2009) * '' Take the Crown'' (2012) * '' Swings Both Ways'' (2013) * ''
The Heavy Entertainment Show ''The Heavy Entertainment Show'' is the eleventh studio album by English recording artist Robbie Williams. It was released on 4 November 2016 through Columbia Records. It features guest appearances from Rufus Wainwright and John Grant. The ...
'' (2016) * '' The Christmas Present'' (2019) See also * '' Under the Radar Vol. 1'' (2014) * '' Under the Radar Vol. 2'' (2017) * '' Under the Radar Vol. 3'' (2019) Studio albums with Take That *'' Take That & Party'' (1992) *'' Everything Changes'' (1993) *''
Nobody Else ''Nobody Else'' is the third studio album by British boy band Take That. It would become Take That's last studio album to be recorded before they disbanded in 1996. The album includes the singles "Sure", " Back for Good" (which remains the gr ...
'' (1995) *''
Progress Progress is the movement towards a refined, improved, or otherwise desired state. In the context of progressivism, it refers to the proposition that advancements in technology, science, and social organization have resulted, and by extension w ...
'' (2010) *'' Progressed'' (2011) *''
Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Iliad'', ...
'' (2018)


Concerts


Solo

*Show Off Must Go On Tour (1997) * Ego Has Landed Tour (1998) *One More for the Rogue Tour (1998–99) * 1999 Tour (1999) (Man, The Myth, The Tax Bill .k.a. Born To Be Mild A Few Dollars More..., Get Your Coat Baby, You've Pulled!) *The Sermon on the Mount Tour (2000–01) * Weddings, Barmitzvahs & Stadiums Tour (2001) *2003 Tour (2003) (Weekends of Mass Distraction, Cock of Justice, Aussie Typo) *
Close Encounters Tour The Close Encounters Tour was a concert tour by British recording artist, Robbie Williams. Running from April to December 2006, the tour supported Williams' sixth studio album, ''Intensive Care''. To date, it was the singer's largest tour, play ...
(2006) *
Take the Crown Stadium Tour The Take the Crown Stadium Tour was a concert tour by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams in promotion of his ninth studio album '' Take the Crown'' The tour was his first solo tour since the Close Encounters Tour (2006). In July 2013, th ...
(2013) * Swings Both Ways Live (2014) * Let Me Entertain You Tour (2015) *
The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour was the twelfth concert tour by British recording artist Robbie Williams, to support his album ''The Heavy Entertainment Show''. The tour began in England and travelled throughout Europe in Summer 2017, extend ...
(2017–18) *
XXV Tour ''XXV'' is a compilation album by English singer Robbie Williams, released through Columbia Records on 9 September 2022. The album marks the 25th anniversary of Williams's solo career, and contains re-recorded and orchestrated versions of songs f ...
(2022-23)


Take That

*
Party Tour The Party Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist, Pink. The tour supported her second studio album ''Missundaztood'' (2001). Background While promoting her second studio album, ''Missundaztood'', Pink stated she was proud ...
(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

Along the tours, Robbie Williams had various members in his band. 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 Karl Peter Brazil (born 27 May 1977, Solihull) is an English session drummer. He is best known as the drummer for the British indie rock band Feeder, replacing the band's previous drummer Mark Richardson. He often works with other pop and r ...
– drums (2009–present) *Tom Longworth – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2012–present) Choristers *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) Former members *Fil Eisler – bass, guitar, backing vocals (1997–2001) *Andy Wallace – keyboard, tambourine (1997–1998; 2002) *Smiley Barnard – drums (1997) *
Chris Sharrock Chris Sharrock (born 30 May 1964) is an English drummer, hailing from Bebington, Cheshire (now Merseyside), England. He has been a member of the Icicle Works, the La's, the Wild Swans, World Party, the Lightning Seeds, Robbie Williams's liv ...
– drums (1998–2008) *Alex Dickson – guitar (1998–2000) *Claire Worrall – keyboard, guitar, backing vocals (1998–2007) * Chris White – saxophone, flute (1999–2003) *Paul Spong – saxophone, flute (1999–2003) *Dave Bishop – trombone, flute (1999–2003) *Neil Sidwell – trombone, flute (1999–2003) *Simon Gardner – trumpet (1999–2003) *Yolande Charles – bass, backing vocals (2000–2003) * Tessa Niles – backing vocals (2000–2003) *
Katie Kissoon Mac and Katie Kissoon are a pop soul duo, consisting of brother and sister Mac Kissoon (born Gerald Farthing, November 11, 1943, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) and Katie Kissoon (born Katherine Farthing, March 11, 1951, Port of Spain). E ...
– backing vocals (2000–2003) * Neil Taylor – guitar, backing vocals (2002–2012) *
Max Beesley Maxton Gig Beesley Jr. (born 16 April 1971) is an English actor and musician. He has appeared in a variety of television shows such as ''Bodies'', ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', '' Survivors'', '' Mad Dogs'', '' Homeland'', '' Suit ...
– piano, percussion instrument (2002–2006) *
Stephen Duffy Stephen Anthony James Duffy (born 30 May 1960 in Alum Rock, Birmingham, England) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member, vocalist, bassist and then drummer of Duran Duran. He went on to record as a solo perform ...
– guitar (2004–2006) *Paul Beard – keyboard (2009–2012)


Timeline

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:85 bottom:75 top:0 right:15 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:12/31/1996 till:12/31/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy ScaleMinor = start:12/31/1996 increment:1 ScaleMajor = start:01/01/1997 increment:2 Legend = position:bottom orientation:vertical columns:4 Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:LGuitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:RGuitar value:green legend:Rhythm_guitar id:Keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Album value:black legend:Albums id:bars value:gray(0.9) BackgroundColors = bars:bars LineData = at:09/29/1997 color:Album layer:back at:10/26/1998 color:Album layer:back at:08/28/2000 color:Album layer:back at:11/19/2001 color:Album layer:back at:11/18/2002 color:Album layer:back at:10/24/2005 color:Album layer:back at:10/23/2006 color:Album layer:back at:11/06/2009 color:Album layer:back at:11/02/2012 color:Album layer:back at:11/16/2013 color:Album layer:back at:11/04/2016 color:Album layer:back at:11/22/2019 color:Album layer:back # For some reason (probably my ignorance of EasyTimeline syntax), none of the links work without an explicit "link" parameter in one of them. BarData = bar:Williams text:Robbie Williams bar:Nuttall text:Gary Nuttall bar:Chambers text:Guy Chambers bar:Eisler text:Fil Eisler bar:Wallace text:Andy Wallace bar:Barnard text:Smiley Barnard bar:Sharrock text:Chris Sharrock bar:Dickson text:Alex Dickson bar:Worral text:Claire Worral bar:Charles text:Yolande Charles bar:Taylor text:Neil Taylor bar:Duffy text:Stephen Duffy bar:Meehan text:Jeremy Meehan bar:Beard text:Paul Beard bar:Brazil text:Karl Brazil bar:Longworth text:Tom Longworth PlotData = width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Williams from:01/01/1997 till:end color:Vocals bar:Nuttall from:01/01/1997 till:end color:Lguitar bar:Chambers from:01/01/1997 till:11/18/2002 color:Rguitar bar:Chambers from:01/01/1998 till:11/18/2002 color:Keys width:3 bar:Chambers from:11/23/2012 till:end color:Keys width:3 bar:Chambers from:11/23/2012 till:end color:Rguitar bar:Eisler from:01/01/1997 till:12/01/2001 color:Bass bar:Eisler from:08/28/2000 till:12/01/2001 color:Rguitar bar:Wallace from:01/01/1997 till:03/01/1998 color:Keys bar:Wallace from:11/01/2002 till:11/30/2002 color:Keys bar:Barnard from:01/01/1997 till:12/31/1997 color:Drums bar:Sharrock from:01/01/1998 till:05/01/2008 color:Drums bar:Dickson from:03/01/1998 till:08/28/2000 color:Rguitar bar:Worral from:10/01/1998 till:04/01/2007 color:Keys bar:Worral from:11/18/2002 till:04/01/2007 color:Rguitar width:3 bar:Charles from:08/28/2000 till:12/01/2003 color:Bass bar:Taylor from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2012 color:Rguitar bar:Duffy from:01/01/2004 till:04/01/2007 color:Rguitar bar:Meehan from:01/01/2004 till:end color:Bass bar:Beard from:01/01/2009 till:12/31/2012 color:Keys bar:Brazil from:01/01/2009 till:end color:Drums bar:Longworth from:01/01/2012 till:end color:Rguitar


References


Further reading

* Chris Heath, ''Feel: Robbie Williams'', 2004, Ebury. .


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Robbie 1974 births Living people 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English singers 21st-century English male actors 21st-century English singers Association footballers not categorized by position Brit Award winners MTV Europe Music Award winners Capitol Records artists Columbia Records artists English dance musicians English expatriates in the United States English football chairmen and investors English male film actors English male television actors English male voice actors English people of Irish descent English podcasters English pop singers English male singer-songwriters Hollywood United players Ivor Novello Award winners Music in Stoke-on-Trent Musicians from Staffordshire People from Burslem People with mood disorders Port Vale F.C. Robbie Williams Band members Take That members World Music Awards winners English child singers Association football players not categorized by nationality BT Digital Music Awards winners