Robbie Williams

About Robbie Williams

For English superstar Robbie Williams, the globe is split into two alternate realities-the rest of the world, and America. Anywhere except the USA, Robbie can start riots just by raising an eyebrow and he's one of the best selling male artists in the world. But he's launched several high profile sorties against the hip hop dominated US pop charts and failed every time. Robbie Williams is also a master of personal reinvention, changing his style with every new album. Williams got his start with Take That, the UK's answer to New Kids On the Block. Even then, Robbie was "the wild one" of the group and he was kicked out before the bubblegum boys disbanded. Robbie is unusually candid with tabloid interviews about the years of heavy drug use and alcohol abuse that followed. But he sobered up enough to record his 1997 solo debut, Life Through A Lens. To the surprise of all, the erstwhile teen idol had produced a genuine Brit pop gem, complete with jangly guitars and scathing, anti-bourgeoisie lyrics. 1999's The Ego Has Landed remains one of the best selling English records of all time. His hit ballad "Angels" frequently shows up on "best of" lists and the James Bond themed video for his "Millennium" got some MTV play. 2000's Sing When You're Winning was a dance-pop effort and featured the disco-fried club track "Rock DJ" and the Kylie Minogue duet "Kids." In 2001, Robbie Williams explored his enduring love of American popular song on Swing When You're Winning, a collection of classics like "Mack the Knife" and "Somethin' Stupid," a duet with Nicole Kidman, all recorded with Frank Sinatra's backing band