British Pop Star Robbie Williams Marks Birthday with Rehab
Mr. Williams, who was born in Newcastle, England, rose to fame with the UK's boy band Take That.
He left the band in 1995 and launched a solo career which initially received lots of criticism.
He struggled with depression, insecurity and self-loathing and became addicted to drugs and alcohol, even trying heroin which he calls "the devil's drug".
His road to sobriety started with an intervention lead by fellow Brit Sir Elton John. The legendary singer insisted that Williams seek treatment.
He cleaned up in 2000 and has not used illegal drugs or alcohol since. In a 2004 TV interview the singer said he gave up drugs and alcohol because they made him fat.
In his 2001 documentary Nobody Someday, he mocked his own public persona of "Robbie Williams Popstar" and emphasized his desire to become a credible artist.
Mr. Williams solo career has been marked by commercial success. He has sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history and his album sales worldwide have topped 50 million. He has had eight #1 albums, six #1 singles in the UK and is the best-selling, non-latino artist in Latin America.
He has contributed to movie soundtracks with "Beyond the sea" which was featured in the animated hit Finding Nemo and "Have You Met Miss Jones" for the 2001 romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Diary.
Despite his exposure and popularity worldwide, Robbie Williams has yet to receive a warm reception in the United States or Canada. His most popular US release "Angels" rose only to #41 on the U.S. Billboard music charts.
He has performed on Good Morning America and Jay Leno's The Tonight Show but has not sold more than a million records in the US.
Last year he appeared in "The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive", a documentary on bipolar disorder where he spoke of his battle with depression. He also revealed that he has been taking anti-depressants since 2001, starting 13 months after becoming sober.
His admittance to rehab comes just four months after the singer called off his Asian tour claiming stress and exhaustion. Concerts at Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Mumbai and Bangalore were deleted from the schedule which had already taken the singer through Europe and South America.
Mr. Williams, who lives in Los Angeles, entered rehab amid mixed reviews for his latest album Rudebox. His girlfriend, model Lisa D'Amato, told the UK's Independent that "he was very affected about what people thought about his music. He really took things to heart."
"Williams enters rehab on birthday" BBC News, February 13, 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6356551.stm
"Robbie Williams in rehab" The Independent, February 13, 2007 http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2265295.ece
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_williams
Published by Anna Burroughs
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3 Comments
Post a CommentWho would want to be famous. So much pressure and criticism. The demands on being the perfect role model and setting an example for the younger generation. Who would want all that crap put on them. I'm not surprised the Stars of entertainment sometimes fall in the trap of drugs. Obviously it helps them to escape the trials and tribulations they are faced with everyday. I am in full support of Robbie Wiiliams rehab treatment. He has shown that he is aware of his addictions and he is trying to overcome them. Althuogh this seems to be a common event for Robbie I do believe he is a genuine guy just wanting to live a normal life. The first stage of recovery is acceptance. Those who are in denial will never recover. Good work Robbie. Keep it up and good luck.
another one down the bipolar trail...
another one down the bipolar trail...