Robbie is to play world-weary Dougal The Dog while Kylie will voice prim Florence. The animated movie, which went into production last month, will take around 18 months to bring to life and should be released in 2004.
Robbie rules - 08/10/02
Robbie Williams has signed a huge new record deal rumoured to be worth ?80million and has an An Audience With.show planned for Christmas. His new album Escapology will be out 18 November. Courtesy of Heat Magazine
The Robbie show? - 01/10/02
Robbie Williams has been approached to star in a Ted & Ralph spin-off from The Fast Show. Charlie Higson said, "We’d do a parody of Death In Venice with Robbie Williams as the young boy and Ralph as the Dirk Bogard character." Courtesy of Heat Magazine
Robbie Williams to appear in new US comedy - 23/09/02
Robbie Williams has reportedly landed a role in a new American TV comedy. He has agreed to film a cameo role in Keen Eddie for US network Fox.
The star will fly from Los Angeles to Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire to film his scenes over the next few weeks. Robbie, who is currently negotiating a new record deal, is also said to be bidding for a role in the next Star Wars movie.
The show is being billed as the next big US TV sensation.
Robbie Williams was back in the UK news this weekend after his ex girlfriend singer Nicole Appleton revealed she aborted his baby during their romance.
Robbie’s back - 19/09/02
Robbie Williams has announced he is to perform live at this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards.
He is planning a world exclusive of his new single Feel, taken from his forthcoming album Escapology.
The award ceremony takes place at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on November 14
Robbie the swinger - 11/09/02
Robbie Williams is apparently planning to record another album of swing music. Robbie’s Swing When You’re Winning was a huge hit when it was released last year and so now he wants to cash in on it by releasing the provisionally titled Swing 2.
The Robster who is now basing himself in LA is finishing his new rock album called Escapology, which is due for release on November 18. It’s thought once that’s hit the shops Robbie will start work on the swing album.
I’m domain man says Robbie - 20/08/02
Robbie wins website battle Robbie Williams has successfully won a court battle to reclaim a website bearing his name. He argued that the site, robbiewilliams.info, was used ’in bad faith’ as it directed visitors to websites of his arch rivals Oasis.
Southampton-born Howard Taylor, who ran the site, claimed that ’anyone who knew about it [the site] would see the humour’. It seems this is not the case, as the Robster, known for his cheeky wisecracks, appears to have had a sense of humour failure and set the Intellectual Property Organisation on Taylor.
It has been ruled that the site is to be transferred into Robbie’s control.
?75million man - 19/08/02
Robbie Williams is on the verge of signing the second biggest recording deal of all time, having just completed his new album Escapology.
The new album is due to be released on November 18 with Sony, BMG, Warner and Universal all reported to be battling with the singer’s old label EMI to secure him.
It is thought that offers of up to ?75 million for the three-album deal have been made - the biggest deal in the UK to date.
The company which makes the highest bid will also have a share of Robbie’s tour revenue and merchandising - something never done before.
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Robbie joined Take That when he was only 16, he had only one job previous to that, as a double glazing salesman, but apparently he wasn’t very good - he would tell customers not to buy them because they were so bad! For five years, Robbie became the joker of the band, always smiling and playing gags on people as Take That rose to record-breaking stardom. However, in July 1995 Robbie announced he was to leave the band to concentrate on a solo career...a nation of teenage girls mourned.
After a stint eating pies, doing drugs and being friends with the Gallaghers, Robbie signed to Chrysalis Records. His first ever solo single on this label would be a cover of George Michael’s Freedom . It was released on July 29th 1996 exactly one year after his departure from Take That. It reached No 2 in the UK charts. Life began to get a bit rough for Robbie during the following months, he met Jacquie Hamilton-Smith at a New Years Eve Party of 1996, moved in with her the next day and partied (in more ways that one) for exactly one year before coming to his senses. In the middle of all this he released his second single Old Before I Die on April 14th 1997 which also reached No 2 in the charts.
At the beginning of June 1997 after many bad reports in the media, Robbie checked himself into a rehab centre to receive treatment for his addiction to alcohol and drugs. After 4 weeks at the centre Rob emerged 2 stones lighter, sporting a new haircut, and hopefully feeling much better. The release of Lazy Days followed soon after on July 14th, and made it’s first appearance in the UK charts at No 8, to be followed shortly by South Of The Border.
December 1997 was the real beginning for Robbie, he released ’Angels’ as his Christmas single, never knowing quite what an impact it would have on the market. Into the new year of 1998 it was still in the charts and ’Life Thru A Lens’ shot back into the album charts and has been there ever since. Robbie truly had arrived, signing up thousands of new fans daily. Millennium and accompanying album I’ve Been Expecting You followed up on this success, making Robbie the biggest selling artist of 1998.
He began trying to win over the US in 1999 touring The Ego Has Landed. His success continued in 2000 with the release of immediate hit, Rock DJ. Sing When You’re Winning, was as popular as his accompanying collection of lounge covers, Swing When You’re winning. In 2002, Robbie signed a record breaking contract with EMI for £50m, securing his place in pop history. Escapology duly topped the charts in the UK while Robbie spent time in LA being papped with new girlfriend Rachel Hunter.
The biggest outdoor concert ever was hosted by Robbie in 2003 at Knebworth Park attracting 375,000 fans over three days. He followed up this success with two album releases, a Greatest Hits and 2005’s Intensive Care which accompanied his appearance on stage at Live8. Around this time speculation was rife that Robbie was ready to patch things up with his former bandmates and take part in a Take That reunion tour. However Robbie disappointed fans and friends by failing to turn up at an ITV organised reunion and merely recording a video part for the tour which Gary and co embarked on a UK tour without him.
But Robbie wasn’t resting on his laurels. While Take That returned to the studio Robbie did the same, releasing his tenth album, Rudebox in 2006 which brought more controversy to the singer when he failed to credit a supposed co-writer.
It never seems to stop for Robbie.
updated Oct 2006
September 2007