Coordinates: 51°29′01″N 0°16′55″E / 51.4836°N 0.2820°E / 51.4836; 0.2820

West Thurrock
St Clements Church
West Thurrock  West Thurrock shown within Essex
Population	7,795 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	TQ585785
Unitary authority	Thurrock
Ceremonial county	Essex
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GRAYS
Postcode district	RM20
Dialling code	01708
Police	Essex
Fire	Essex
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	Thurrock
List of places: UK • England • Essex

West Thurrock is a traditional Church of England parish and town in Thurrock, Essex, England, located 17.5 miles (28.1 km) east south-east of Charing Cross, London.

Location[link]

West Thurrock is part of the unitary authority of Thurrock located on the north bank of the River Thames about 17 miles (27 km) from Charing Cross, London.

Nearest places:

• Aveley
• Chafford Hundred
• Grays
• South Ockendon

Nearest stations:

• Chafford Hundred railway station
• Grays railway station
• Purfleet railway station

Industry[link]

Industry along the Thames includes a Unilever chilled distribution centre for all its chilled food products (Flora, Bertolli, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Stork, Peperami and AdeZ) and a Procter and Gamble (originally Hedley's) plant manufacturing detergents and soaps.^[1] The large coal-burning West Thurrock Power Station closed in 1993, and was replaced by a plant making industrial chemicals, particularly the raw materials for detergent manufacture. The 190 metre tall electricity pylons of 380kV Thames Crossing, the tallest electricity pylons in UK, remain. Just upstream of the pylons the tunnel of High Speed 1 passes under the Thames.

Buildings[link]

West Thurrock is the location of the Lakeside Shopping Centre.

The parish church (now redundant) was used for the funeral in the film "Four Weddings and a Funeral".

Belmont Castle, England, a neo-Gothic mansion, was built in West Thurrock in 1795^[2] but was demolished in 1943 to make way for a chalk quarry.^[3]

Origin of the name[link]

Thurrock is a Saxon name meaning "the bottom of a ship".^[4] West Thurrock is one of three "Thurrocks", the others being Little Thurrock and Grays Thurrock.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Photo of St Clement's church and Procter & Gamble on flickr

Borough of Thurrock
Lakeside Shopping Centre
Shown within Essex
Coordinates: 51°30′00″N 0°25′00″E / 51.5°N 0.4166667°E / 51.5; 0.4166667
Country	United Kingdom
Constituent Country	England
Region	East
Ceremonial County	Essex
Government
• Body	Thurrock Council
• Leadership	Leader & Cabinet
• Executive	Labour Administration, (Council NOC)
• MPs	Jackie Doyle-Price (C) Stephen Metcalfe (C)
• Leader of the Council	Cllr John Kent (L)
• Mayor of Thurrock	Cllr Anne Cheale, Thurrock Concerned Conservative
Area
• Total	163.38 km2 (63.08 sq mi)
Population
• Total	Ranked 114th 159,700
• Density	978/km2 (2,530/sq mi)
• Ethnicity[1]	91.0% White 3.3% S.Asian 3.2% Black 1.5% Mixed Race 1.0% Chinese or other
Time zone	GMT
• Summer (DST)	British Summer Time (UTC)
Twin cities
• Sopot	Poland
Grid reference
ONS code	00KG
Website	www.thurrock.gov.uk

Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council.

The borough[link]

It lies on the River Thames just to the east of London. With over 18 miles (29 km) of riverfront it covers an area of 64 square miles (166 km²), with more than half defined as Green Belt. With Greater London to the west and the river to the south, the county of Essex abuts the Borough to the north and east, and across the river lies Kent.

Politics[link]

The local authority is Thurrock Council. Elections are held 3 out of every 4 years. In the last election in 2012, Labour took control after a period in which no party had overall control.

Thurrock is covered by two parliamentary constituencies. Thurrock includes most of the borough while South Basildon and East Thurrock includes some wards in the east of the borough. Both seats were Conservative gains from Labour at the 2010 general election.

The Council is led by Cllr John Kent (Lab) who took over from Cllr Garry Hague in May 2010. This changed the administration from Conservative to Labour, the first time in 6 years. The Mayor is Cllr Charles Curtis.

Land use[link]

Thurrock has a population of 150,000^[2] people living in 90,500 homes. The Metropolitan Green Belt covers 70% of the borough. There are 494 acres (200 ha) of land available for industrial use.^[3] There are seven conservation areas, 19 scheduled ancient monuments and 239 listed buildings.

The borough contains ten sites of special scientific interest:

• Globe Pit, Grays
• Grays Chalk Pit
• Lion Pit, Grays
• Purfleet Chalk Pits
• West Thurrock Lagoon and Marshes
• Inner Thames Marshes
• Vange and Fobbing Marshes
• Basildon Meadows
• Mucking Flats and Marshes
• Hangman's Wood and Deneholes

Despite much of the borough being protected Green Belt land, Thurrock provides localised opportunities for further industrial and commercial development. The borough forms part of the Thames Gateway regeneration area, a corridor of opportunity that has been identified by central government as the area with greatest development and commercial potential in the country. A Thurrock Development Corporation was recently imposed and took over much of the borough's planning functions in 2005. Much of the population and commercial activity is centred along the riverfront. This includes many large and important industrial sites, including two large oil refineries, manufacturing industries, a container port, cruise liner terminal, distribution warehousing and one of Britain's largest refuse disposal sites at the appropriately named settlement of Mucking. Thurrock is also home to the Lakeside Shopping Centre.

Attractions[link]

There are two multiplex cinemas attached to the Lakeside Shopping Centre, and the Thameside Theatre in Grays. Live shows are held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet. Open space includes Chafford Gorges Nature Park, Langdon Hills Country Park and Grove House Wood, managed by Essex Wildlife Trust. Museums and historic buildings include Coalhouse Fort at East Tilbury, Tilbury Fort in Tilbury, Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre, High House, Purfleet, Thurrock Museum and Walton Hall Farm Museum.

Next to Lakeside Shopping Centre is Arena Essex, a motor sports complex, where speedway, banger and stock car racing takes place.

Thurrock in Bloom[link]

Thurrock in Bloom is a voluntary group that works in partnership with Thurrock Council and co-sponsors such as Sandown Nursery and Elm Horticulture to promote floral displays. It is part of a more general "in bloom" initiative organised by the Royal Horticultural Society.^[4] The Thurrock initiative includes an annual competition^[5] and sponsorship of roundabouts.^[6] Award winners include Woodside Primary School which has received silver and gold awards for its wildlife garden.

History[link]

Mammoths once grazed in the Thurrock area^[7] and archaeologists recently unearthed the remains of a jungle cat. Man has been in the area since prehistoric times^[7] and the land has been farmed by the Romans^[7] and Anglo-Saxons^[7] Thurrock has numerous archaeological sites including the major excavation at Mucking.

The Woolmarket by Ron Strutt

Horndon-on-the-Hill was the site of an 11th century mint as well as the 15th century woolmarket which gives an indication of the area's wealth in the 15th century. The narrowing of the river where Tilbury now stands meant it was important in the defence of London, and Henry VIII built three blockhouses, two on the Tilbury side and another on the Gravesend side of the river, following the end of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

Later, in 1588 Elizabeth I addressed her troops not far from the Tilbury blockhouse as the Spanish Armada sailed up the English Channel. Between 1670 and 1682, the Tilbury blockhouse was substantially rebuilt in to a much larger fortification (Tilbury Fort) and Coalhouse Fort was built further down river, close to the second blockhouse. The importance of the forts in defending the country continued through Napoleonic times and into the two world wars. The land where Tilbury Town now stands was farmland and marsh grazing until the building of the docks in the 1890s. Thurrock includes the Bata village, built for workers of the shoe company in 1933. Eight homes and the factory are listed.

Historically, the area was renowned for mineral extraction, including clay, aggregates and notably the digging of huge amounts of chalk from the West Thurrock area for use in the now defunct cement industries. When chalk extraction ceased one of the disused pits was redeveloped as Lakeside Shopping Centre. A number of former pits have been used to form the Chafford Gorges Nature Reserve, managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.^[8]

The present-day borough of Thurrock was created in 1974 from the former area of Thurrock Urban District. The Local Government Act 1972 left the boundaries mostly untouched, although part of it, in Basildon New Town, was ceded to the Basildon district and the district gained borough status.^[9]

It was given administrative independence from Essex County Council on 1 April 1998 by The Essex (Boroughs of Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock and District of Tendring) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996. It remains part of Essex for ceremonial purposes such as Lord-Lieutenancy.

Captain Kidd[link]

The body of Captain Kidd was displayed in Thurrock. He had been convicted of piracy and hanged on 23 May 1701, at 'Execution Dock', Wapping. His body was gibbeted — left to hang in an iron cage over the Thames at Tilbury Point^[10] — as a warning to future would-be pirates for twenty years. Some sources give the location that his body was exhibited as Tilbury Ness, but this may be an alternative name for the same place. There is some uncertainty as to whether his body was displayed at what is now called Coalhouse Point or at a site a few hundred yards up stream, close to the present Tilbury Docks.^[11]

1953 Floods[link]

On 31 January 1953, the low lying areas of Thurrock were innundated by the North Sea flood of 1953. The Van den Berghs and Jurgens margarine factory, which manufactured Stork margarine, was forced to stop production for many months. Since the output of this factory constituted one third of the country's ration allocation, this led to a severe strain on the supply of margarine in the UK.^[12] Most schools in Thurrock were closed, either as a direct result of the flooding or in order to use them to help the relief effort. More than 1300 people in Tilbury and other low lying areas were evacuated to schools on the higher ground.^[13] Chadwell St Mary Primary school was used as the main welfare centre for the homeless.^[14] By 15 February, most schools had returned to normal. The last to resume were the Landsdowne school in Tilbury and the newly opened Woodside Primary School - then called Tyrell Heath School.^[15] On Friday 13 February, the flooded areas were visited by the young Queen Elizabeth II^[13] Despite severe loss of life in nearby Canvey Island, only one person in Thurrock died as a result of the floods.^[16]

Heritage Plaques[link]

In 2002, a partnership between Thurrock Council, Thurrock Heritage Forum and the Thurrock Local History Society began an initiative to place heritage plaques marking the famous people, events and organisations associated with Thurrock.^[17] By March 2012 there were plaques to:

• Joseph Conrad
• Alice Diehl
• Dracula's connection to Purfleet
• The arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury on 21 June 1948.
• The training ship Exmouth
• The Kynoch factory in the Corringham marshes
• The shooting down of Zeppelin L15 at Purfleet in 1916
• Philip Vincent
• Alfred Russel Wallace and his house at the Dell
• Arthur Young
• The establishment of the town of Tilbury in 1912
• John Newton's connection with Aveley and Purfleet
• Benjamin Franklin's connection with the design of a lightning conductor for the Purfleet gunpowder magazine^[18]

Culture and film[link]

Thurrock has been the scene of several major films.^[19] St Clement's Church and street scenes at West Thurrock were used in the making of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. Thurrock can also be seen in 28 Days Later. Scenes from the films Alfie (2004), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were shot at Tilbury docks. The opening scenes from Batman Begins (2005) were shot at Coalhouse Fort in East Tilbury. Some filming also took place for the film Essex Boys in and around the Bata estate at East Tilbury. The State Cinema where Eddie met Roger in the classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit can be found in Grays.

Art Deco architecture in Thurrock[link]

The State Cinema in 2007

There are a number of examples of Art Deco architecture in Thurrock. The baggage hall at Tilbury was opened in 1930. It has an art deco interior, designed by Sir Edwin Cooper and is a grade II listed building.^[20] The State cinema is also a listed building and dates from 1938. It is one of the few surviving examples of thirties cinema architecture. It has the original cinema organ which can still be played, however, the building is disused and faces dereliction. Building of the Bata estate in East Tilbury was begun in 1933 and it is now a conservation area. Chadwell St Mary has one of the few examples of a "Sunspan" house designed by the architect Wells Coates. Although built in the 1950s the Woodside Primary school's architecture has been described as the slightly earlier "Ocean Liner Style" of Art Deco. The building features a number of bricked curves and circular windows while the wrought iron banisters on the stairs are deliberately set to lean out at an angle.

Education[link]

Schools in Thurrock include; The Ockendon Academy, Chafford Hundred Campus,Gable Hall School , Gateway Academy, Grays Convent High School, William Edwards School & Sports College, Grays School Media Arts College, Deneholm Primary, Little Thurrock Primary, Quarry Hill Infant and Junior, St Thomas Of Canterbury Catholic Primary, Stifford Clays Infant and Junior, Stifford Primary, Thameside Infant and Junior School, Tudor Court Primary School, Warren Primary School, Chafford Hundred Primary School, Woodside Primary School (which was opened in 1952 as Tyrell's Infant and Junior Schools, the names being changed to avoid confusion with the neighbouring Torell's Secondary School; the schools were later amalgamated into one primary school) and Treetops School.

The local sixth form college is Palmer's College, whilst other colleges in Thurrock include South Essex College (Thurrock Campus) and Thurrock Adult Community College, and recently the Stanford and Corringham Sixth Form Center was opened, as a joint Sixth Form College between Gable Hall School, Hassenbrook Specialist Technology College and St-Clere's School.

Partnerships[link]

The Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary Excellence Cluster.^[21] brings together Chadwell St Mary Primary School, Corringham Primary School, Grays Convent High School, Hassenbrooks Specialist Technology College, Herringham Primary School, Landsdowne Primary School, Manor Infant School, Manor Junior School, St Mary's RC Primary School, Woodside Primary School and The Gateway Academy. Senior members of the schools councils also sit on the cluster's student council.

Woodside Primary is linked with a school in Nepal, through the charity Gorkha Learning for Life, which was founded by a member of school staff.^[22]

Transport[link]

[ v t e ] National Rail in Thurrock
Legend x20px to Southend Stanford-le-Hope East Tilbury Tilbury Town Grays x20px Chafford Hundred Ockendon West Horndon M25 motorway Purfleet to London

Being both on the river and close to London, Thurrock is served with good communication links. The M25 London Orbital Motorway, the railway line between Southend and London Fenchurch Street which provides direct access to Central London and, eventually, Stratford International Station, the Port of Tilbury and the nearby London City Airport make Thurrock an important international trade centre. There is a grass airstrip south of Bulphan village. A ferry for passengers on foot connects Tilbury with Gravesend on the southern bank of the River Thames.

Rail transport in the borough is provided by c2c with stations at:

• Chafford Hundred railway station
• East Tilbury railway station
• Grays railway station
• Ockendon railway station
• Purfleet railway station
• Stanford-le-Hope railway station
• Tilbury Town railway station
• West Horndon railway station (on northern boundary)

Bus services within the Thurrock urban area are mostly provided by Ensignbus.

• Ensignbus operates routes X80 (Chafford Hundred-Bluewater)- Mon-Sat only, 20 (Lakeside-Stifford Clays)- Mon-Sat only, 22 (Grays-Aveley), 22A (Aveley-Stifford Clays)- Mon-Sat eves only, 33 (Grays-Chafford Hundred-Lakeside) - Mon Sat only, 44 (Lakeside-Grays), 66 (Lakeside-Tilbury-Chadwell St Mary) - Mon-Sat only, 73/C (Lakeside-Tilbury), 83 (Lakeside-Sockets Heath-Chadwell St Mary)- Mon-Sat only, 373 (Grays-Stanford Le Hope) - Mon-Sat only, 374 (Grays-Basildon)- Mon-Sat only. 373/4 are Thurrock Council contracted.

• Arriva has a depot at West Thurrock, but all of its work is Transport for London contracts, and its only route actually running into Thurrock is the 370 (Lakeside-Romford).

• On Sundays/public holidays, Arriva Southend depot runs routes 44 (Lakeside-Grays) and 150 (Grays-Basildon)and on Mondays-Saturdays Arriva operated the 'Basildon Direct' route 5 , from Lakeside to Southend. (5 was cut back to Basildon from 2/11).

• First operates two services, (100, 200) between Lakeside/Grays and Basildon. 200 is Mon-Sat only.

• Stagecoach (East London Bus) runs Transport for London route 372 from Lakeside to Hornchurch.

• Blue Triangle run route 575 between Epping and Lakeside via Debden , Havering Atte Bower and non-stop to Lakeside From Romford. Mon-Fri,One Return Journey.

• First London operate route 265 between Brentwood and Lakeside , Mon-Fri 4 Return Journeys (More journeys on non school days)

• Imperial Bus Company runs 269 (Grays-Brentwood). This is Mon-Sat only on Essex CC contract.

• Clintona of Brentwood operates 374 (Grays-Bulphan) - Mon-Sat only and route 11 (Aveley-Basildon) - Mon-Sat only. (Route 11 has since been replaced by Ensignbus 373/4).

• A coach service to Stansted Airport is provided by Excel Passenger Logistics. (Since withdrawn).

Economy[link]

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Thurrock at current basic prices published^[23] (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

Sport and leisure[link]

Thurrock has several Non-League football clubs in the area:

• Thurrock F.C. who play at Ship Lane.
• Aveley F.C. who play at Mill Field.
• Grays Athletic F.C. who play at Rookery Hill.
• East Thurrock United F.C. who play at Rookery Hill

List of places in the borough[link]

• Aveley
• Bulphan
• Chadwell St Mary
• Chafford Hundred
• Corringham
• Coryton Refinery
• East Tilbury
• Fobbing
• Grays
• Horndon-on-the-Hill
• Little Thurrock
• Mucking
• Orsett
• Purfleet
• Shell Haven
• South Ockendon
• Stanford-le-Hope
• Stifford
• Tilbury
• West Thurrock

Historic buildings[link]

• Coalhouse Fort
• St Clement's Church
• The State Cinema
• Tilbury Fort
• The Woolmarket, Horndon
• Palmer's College
• Orsett Hall

References[link]

External links[link]

• Thurrock Borough Council
• Thurrock Gazette
• Thurrock Local History Society
• Thurrock Rotaract Club - Social and fundraising activities for 18-30 age group in Thurrock

v t e Districts of the East of England Essex Basildon Braintree Brentwood Castle Point Chelmsford Colchester Epping Forest Harlow Maldon Rochford Southend-on-Sea Tendring Thurrock Uttlesford Hertfordshire Broxbourne Dacorum East Hertfordshire Hertsmere North Hertfordshire St Albans Stevenage Three Rivers Watford Welwyn Hatfield Bedfordshire Bedford Central Bedfordshire Luton Cambridgeshire Cambridge East Cambridgeshire Fenland Huntingdonshire Peterborough South Cambridgeshire Norfolk Breckland Broadland Great Yarmouth King's Lynn and West Norfolk North Norfolk Norwich South Norfolk Suffolk Babergh Forest Heath Ipswich Mid Suffolk St Edmundsbury Suffolk Coastal Waveney

v t e Unitary authorities of England Districts Bath and North East Somerset Bedford Borough Blackburn with Darwen Blackpool Bournemouth Bracknell Forest Brighton and Hove Bristol Central Bedfordshire Cheshire East Cheshire West and Chester Cornwall County Durham Borough of Darlington Derby East Riding of Yorkshire Borough of Halton Borough of Hartlepool Herefordshire Isle of Wight Kingston upon Hull Leicester Luton Medway Middlesbrough Borough of Milton Keynes North East Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire North Somerset Northumberland Nottingham Peterborough Plymouth Poole Portsmouth Reading Redcar and Cleveland Rutland Shropshire Slough Southampton Southend-on-Sea South Gloucestershire Borough of Stockton-on-Tees Stoke-on-Trent Borough of Swindon Telford and Wrekin Thurrock Torbay Warrington West Berkshire Wiltshire Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Wokingham Borough York Councils Bournemouth Cornwall Herefordshire Isle of Wight Kingston upon Hull Leicester Middlesbrough Northumberland Nottingham Poole Rutland Shropshire Slough Thurrock Wiltshire

Coordinates: 51°30′N 0°25′E / 51.5°N 0.417°E / 51.5; 0.417

Manafest
Background information
Birth name	Chris Greenwood
Born	(1979-07-19) July 19, 1979 (age 32)
Origin	Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Christian hip hop, hard rock, rapcore, rap metal
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, rapper
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2000-present
Labels	BEC Recordings
Associated acts	Thousand Foot Krutch
Website	www.manafest.ca

Chris Greenwood (born July 19, 1979) better known by his stage name Manafest, is a Canadian Christian rapper and rock artist from Pickering, Ontario.

After a skateboarding accident in 1998, Manafest took time to focus on rap and was noticed by Trevor McNevan of the Ontario-based band Thousand Foot Krutch. This led to his signing with an internationally distributed label, BEC Recordings under the Uprok Records label, and his debut release Epiphany. The album was made primarily of West Coast hip hop with several rapcore outings in the vein of Limp Bizkit, P.O.D. and Linkin Park. Manafest's second album, Glory, used a more purely hip hop style. On June 24, 2008 Manafest released his third official album, Citizens Activ, which went on to become his most successful album to date. The single "Avalanche" from his album, The Chase, debuted at No. 46 on the Billboard Christian Songs on May 29, 2010 being his highest and only charting song.^[1] Manafest's new album, Fighter was released April 10, 2012.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

Studio Albums[link]

• My Own Thing (2003)
• Epiphany (2005)
• Glory (2006)
• Citizens Activ (2008)
• The Chase (2010) No. 59 CAN
• Fighter (2012)

EPs[link]

• Mislead Youth (2001)
• Avalanche/No Plan B (2010) No. 65 CAN

Live Albums[link]

• Live in Concert (2011) No. 84 CAN^[2]

Songs on compilations[link]

• Hip Hope Hits 2006, "Let It Go" and "What I Got to Say" (Gotee, 2005)
• Launch: Ignition, "Let It Go" (CMC, 2005)
• Hip Hope Hits 2007, "Rodeo" (Gotee, 2006)
• Launch: Starting Line, "Style" (CMC, 2006)
• 27th Annual Covenant Hits, "Let It Go" (CMC, 2006)
• Hip Hope Hits 2008, "Bounce" (Gotee, 2007)
• Launch: Inferno, "Out of Time" (CMC, 2007) (bonus online download)
• Canada Rocks, "Impossible" (CMC, 2008)
• GMA Canada presents 30th Anniversary Collection, "Bounce" (CMC, 2008)
• Canadian Hit, "No Plan B" (CMC, 2010)

Awards and recognition[link]

GMA Canada Covenant Awards

• 2002 Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year: "Freedom"
• 2005 Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year: Epiphany
• 2005 Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year: "Let It Go" (with Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger, Aubrey Noronha and Gerard Thomas)
• 2006 nominee, Video of the Year: "Rodeo"
• 2007 Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year: Glory^[3]
• 2007 Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year: "Bounce"
• 2008 nominee, Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year: Citizens Activ
• 2008 nominee, Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year: "Good Day" (with Adam Messinger)
• 2009 Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year: "4-3-2-1" (with Adam Messinger)^[4]
• 2010 Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year: The Chase
• 2011 Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year: Live In Concert
• 2011 Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year: "Avalanche"

GMA Dove Awards

• 2007 nominee, Rap/Hip-Hip Recorded Song of the Year: "Skills"
• 2007 nominee, Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Album of the Year: Glory
• 2009 nominee, Rap/Hip-Hip Recorded Song of the Year: "So Beautiful"
• 2009 nominee, Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Album of the Year: Citizens Activ

Juno Awards

• 2007 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year: Glory
• 2011 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year: The Chase

References[link]

• Hip Hop Canada interview, accessed 26 October 2006
• Rapzilla interview, accessed November 2006

External links[link]

• Official website
• "(Bio and discography) Manafest". Tha Holy Hip Hop Database. http://www.hhhdb.com/index.php?id=470. Retrieved 2008-11-29. 
• Manafest bio at Bec Recordings. Retrieved on April 18, 2009.
• Manafest videos.
• PureVolume: Manafest. Retrieved on 26 October 2006.

Robbie Williams
Williams performing as part of the Progress Live tour in May 2011
Background information
Birth name	Robert Peter Williams
Born	(1974-02-13) 13 February 1974 (age 38) Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
Genres	Pop rock, soft rock, dance
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, vocal coach, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser, drums, piano, violin, harmonica, marimba
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Universal (2011–present) Virgin (2009–2010) Chrysalis (1996-2008)
Associated acts	Take That
Website	robbiewilliams.com

Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams^[1] (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That.

Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams left the group in 1995 to launch his solo career. On 15 July 2010, it was announced he had rejoined Take That and that the group intended to release a new album in November 2010^[2][3] which became the second fastest-selling album of all-time in UK chart history^[4] and the fastest-selling record of the century.^[5]

Williams has sold over 70 million records worldwide, which ranks him among the best-selling music artists worldwide.^[6] He is the best-selling British solo artist in the United Kingdom and the best selling non-Latino artist in Latin America. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the United Kingdom. He has also been honoured with seventeen BRIT Awards—more than any other artist—and seven ECHO Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted as the "Greatest Artist of the 1990s."

Life and career[link]

1974–89: Early life[link]

Williams was born to Peter and Janet Williams in Stoke-on-Trent on 13 February 1974. His parents ran a pub called the Red Lion in the town of Burslem, before his father became the licensee at the Port Vale F.C. Social Club - this led to Williams' lifelong affinity for the team.^[7] Williams attended Mill Hill Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent^[8] then St Margaret Ward Roman Catholic School in Tunstall,^[9] and also attended dance school UKDDF in Tunstall.^{[citation needed]} He participated in several school plays, and his biggest role was that of the Artful Dodger in a production of Oliver!.

1990–95: Take That[link]

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 on the day of his audition/interview with Nigel Martin-Smith. During the heights of the band's popularity, Williams was known as the extrovert and practical joker of the band. Although the majority of the band's material was written and performed by Gary Barlow, Williams did perform lead vocals on their first Top Ten hit "Could It Be Magic", "I Found Heaven", and "Everything Changes". However, he had conflicts with Martin-Smith over the restrictive rules for Take That members, and he began drinking more alcohol and dabbling in cocaine.

In July 1995, Williams's drug abuse had escalated to the point of his having a near drug overdose the night before the group was scheduled to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards. According to the documentary For the Record, he stated that he was unhappy with his musical ideas not being taken seriously by lead singer Barlow and Nigel Martin-Smith, because his desire to explore hip hop and rap conflicted with the band's usual ballads. Barlow explained in interviews that Williams had given up trying to offer creative input and merely did as he was told. As well as Williams's friction with the management of the band, Jason Orange had problems with his increasingly belligerent behaviour, his lack of interest in performing, and his frequent habit of missing the band's rehearsals.

Both Orange and Barlow confronted Martin-Smith about the internal conflict, because they did not want him dropping out while touring and before any possible future touring of America, which never took place. During one of the last rehearsals before the tour commenced, the group confronted Williams about his attitude and stated they wanted to do the tour without him. He agreed to quit the band and left; 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 as a four-piece band. 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 at Glastonbury Festival. 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 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 was victorious in getting released from his contract with BMG. On 27 June 1996, Williams formally announced that he had signed with Chrysalis Records.

[edit] 1996–98: Life Thru a Lens and I've Been Expecting You

After leaving Take That, Williams launched his solo career starting off in 1996 by covering George Michael's "Freedom", the single reached number two in the UK Singles Chart.^[10]

Recordings for Williams's first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March 1996. Shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers, Williams released "Old Before I Die" which would be the first single taken from his début album. The single reached number two on the UK Charts;^[10] 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 theatre in Paris, France. The album debuted at number eleven of the UK Album Charts.

Williams released what would be the fourth single taken from his album. "Angels" became Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom.^[11] The song, apart from becoming a hit around Europe and Latin America, caused sales of his album to skyrocket. The album remained inside 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.^[12] The album eventually managed to sell over three million copies in Europe.^[13]

Williams and Chambers started writing the second album in Jamaica in early 1998. The first single, "Millennium", became Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom.^[14] It also became a top twenty hit in many European countries, Latin America and Australia.^[15]

When the album I've Been Expecting You was released in late October 1998, it débuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart.^[14] 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' singer Neil Tennant and The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon.

A cover of a track from World Party's album, Egyptology, became Williams' second number one hit in the UK.^[14] Williams finished the year with a European Tour late in 1999.

The album I've Been Expecting You sold almost 3 million copies in the UK and was certified 10x Platinum by the BPI.^[16] In Europe, the album sold over 4 million copies.^[17]

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

In 1999, Williams was signed to Capitol Records in the United States, a part of EMI. He embarked on a US promotional tour and released his first U.S. and Canadian single, "Millennium". The album The Ego Has Landed was released in July 1999 in the United States and Canada.

Williams in London in 2000, gesturing to a paparazzo photographer.

In the middle of promotion and the tours in 1999, Williams began work on his third studio album. This time he had finally found his inner confidence.^[18]

The first single taken from the album was "Rock DJ", a song inspired by Williams's UNICEF mentor, the late Ian Dury. The video 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 for its graphic content and many other channels followed suit.^[19] 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, "Best Single of the Year" at the BRIT Awards and an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects.

When the album, Sing When You're Winning was released in August 2000, it topped the charts in many different countries.^[20] In the UK the album was certified 2x Platinum on its first week of release.^[21]

After the success of his third album, Williams wanted to take another musical direction. He took two weeks off from his tour to record what would be his fourth studio album, a big band album.^[22] Born from his life-long love for Frank Sinatra – combined with the success of the track "Have You Met Miss Jones?" that he recorded for the film Bridget Jones' Diary in early 2001 – the album was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

Williams took the chance to duet with his long-time friend Jonathan Wilkes, Little Voice star Jane Horrocks, Saturday Night Live star Jon Lovitz, Rupert Everett and actress Nicole Kidman. The first single released from the album was a duet with Kidman, on "Somethin' Stupid". Originally a hit for Frank and Nancy Sinatra, the song became Williams' fifth number one hit in the UK.^[23] It eventually went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2001.^[24]

When the album Swing When You're Winning (in reference to his 2000 studio album Sing When You're Winning) was released in late 2001, it became an instant hit in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.^[25]

"Beyond the Sea" was featured over the credits of the film Finding Nemo in 2003 and was also released on the film's soundtrack CD.

A DVD called 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 6x Platinum in the United Kingdom^[26] and 2x Platinum in Germany.^[27]

[edit] 2002–05: Escapology and Intensive Care

In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI.^[28] 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, a leading UK corporate finance advisory business.^[29]

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, giving an indication of his growing confidence in the studio. "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.^[29]

The album's first single, "Feel", 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.^[30] When the single was released in late 2002, it became Williams' biggest international hit, going number one in countries like The Netherlands and Italy, as well as reaching the top ten in almost every single European country.^[31]

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.

Due to the controversial video for the album's second single, "Come Undone", it was heavily censored by MTV Networks Europe for depicting a debauched (but fully clothed) Williams having three-way sex with two women. The video was about some young people having a party and it showed footage of fights, drug taking and alcohol abuse. It also showed unsettling images of insects and reptiles. The uncensored version of the video was released on DVD single in Europe and was also included on the Enhanced CD Single.^[32] BBC Radio 2 also banned the song for its explicit content.^[33] At that time, it was confirmed that Williams and Guy Chambers were to officially split up.^[32]

Escapology sold almost 2 million copies by the end of 2003 in the United Kingdom.^[34]

In October 2003, Williams released his first live album, Live at Knebworth.

In October 2004, Williams released, Greatest Hits, a retrospective of his career, and also, to reveal the new tracks he had been working on with the then-new collaborator, Stephen Duffy.^[35] "Radio", the compilation's first single, debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart^[14] (becoming Williams' sixth number-one hit). When the compilation was later released it debuted at number one in the UK^[14] and was the best selling album of the year in the UK^[36] and Europe.^[37]

Eight years after the release of "Angels", in February 2005 the British public voted it as the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the 2005 BRIT Awards.^[38]

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 album was co-written by Stephen Duffy over the course of 24 months.^[39]

The track "Ghosts" was inspired by the Human League's "Louise", about a man who breaks off a relationship with his partner and realises he still has strong feelings for her.^[39]

The album Intensive Care was launched in Berlin on 9 October. It became a smash hit around the world.

In November 2005, Williams took home the MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Male', but also, entered in The Guinness Book of World Records when he announced his World Tour for 2006, selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day.^[40] But after the success, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange, and Howard Donald had agreed to reunite in Notting Hill, west London, for a preview screening of a documentary about Take That. The documentary screened on ITV1 on 16 November 2005. Unfortunately, according to a source quoted by The Sunday Mirror, "Robbie announced he wasn't coming. The rest of the band were gutted but felt the show had to go on."^[41]

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,^[42] and after touring Latin America and Australia the numbers went up to 3 million.

[edit] 2006–09: Rudebox and Reality Killed the Video Star

Robbie Williams in concert in Hamburg, Germany in 2006

Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album, Rudebox, on 23 October 2006. It featured collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys, William Orbit, Soul Mekanik, Joey Negro, Mark Ronson, Chris Grierson, 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,^[43] but it received much weaker reviews from some of the British press.

The first single, "Rudebox", was premièred on radio by Scott Mills on his show on BBC Radio 1. The event caused some controversy, as the record label's embargo date was broken, although Williams himself later backed the presenter for doing so. More controversy followed due to the first single's radical change of direction when compared to his older releases. British newspaper The Sun named the song "The Worst Song Ever".^[44] However, Victoria Newton stated that there were sure-fire hits on the album.^[45]

Robbie Williams at a concert in Vienna, Austria in 2006.

The album sold 2x Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million making it the fastest platinum-selling album of 2006.^[46] The album finished at number eighteen in the list of 2006's best selling albums worldwide. Neil Tennant claimed the album had sold 4.5 million copies by early 2007.^[47]

To promote his album, Williams commissioned a series of short films.^[48] Goodbye to the Normals was directed by Jim Field Smith and features "Burslem Normals" by Robbie Williams.

On 4 October 2007, Williams made a guest appearance at Mark Ronson's concert in Los Angeles, performing The Charlatans' "The Only One I Know", which features on Ronson's album Version.

Rumours of a new studio album co-written with Guy Chambers surfaced in early 2007, along with known commitments required by Williams to his EMI contract. British singer-songwriter Laura Critchley commented that she had sung vocals for three songs, and said that it would not be released until 2009.^[49]

On 16 January 2008 UK tabloid The Sun announced that Williams had been working on some songs with The Blockheads member Chaz Jankel. The article went on to state that the reunion with Chambers hadn't worked out and that the material that Williams is working on with Jankel will form the basis of his next studio album.^[50] However, although it had been confirmed on the Blockheads' official site that Jankel was writing with Williams, the rumour that Chambers was no longer working with him was not official. In late August 2008, Williams' friend Callum Blue commented that he was still working on the album.^[51]

Williams performing at ARIA Music Awards of 2009 in Sydney, Australia.

In February 2009, it was confirmed that Williams had written material with Guy Chambers and Mark Ronson. 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.^[52] On his official website, Williams confirmed that he was working with producer Trevor Horn on his new album, which would eventually be titled Reality Killed the Video Star,^[53] a reference to the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by Horn's former band The Buggles. The album was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom.^[54]

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 CD is a one-off album of some of his biggest hits - including several rare live performances.^[55] That same evening, Williams made his "comeback" on The X Factor results show, performing his new single "Bodies" for the first time live.^[56]

On 20 October 2009 Williams opened the BBC Electric Proms at the London RoundHouse.^[57] It was his first live concert for 3 years^[58] and was broadcast across 200 cinemas worldwide.^[59] 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 music streaming service on 6 November 2009, and official released on 9 November.^[60] In a high profile chart battle, Williams' album was pitted against X Factor 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 traveled to Australia to perform at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009.

[edit] 2010–2011: In and Out of Consciousness and reunion with Take That

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.^[61] A single, "Shame", was also released, which was written and sung by Williams and Barlow.^[61]

On 15 July 2010, Williams announced he was returning to Take That. A joint statement between Williams and the group said "The rumours are true... Take That: the original lineup, have written and recorded a new album, to be called, Progress for release later this year," read the band's statement. "Following months of speculation Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams confirmed they have been recording a new studio album as a five-piece, which they will release in November."^[62]

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.^[63]

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.^[64]

In October, Media Control 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 for 38 weeks since 2000. He also reached that chart's Top Ten 135 times.^[65]

2011-present: Move to Universal and ninth studio album[link]

In June 2011 Robbie Williams revealed that he has been working with Gary Barlow on a new solo album, that will be produced by Barlow.^[66] Williams confirmed on his official site that he will be doing a new duet.^{[67][citation needed]}

Williams launched a radio show titled Radio Rudebox on 6 October 2011 where he played music and interviewed Gary Barlow.^[68]

On 21 October 2011 Williams announced that he had signed with Universal Music, following his departure from his previous record label EMI in 2010. He said in a statement, "I'm really thrilled to be joining the Universal family at what I think is the most exciting time in my career." The singer's forthcoming ninth studio album is set to be released during the autumn of 2012.^[69]

Other projects[link]

Reunion of Take That[link]

Williams announced in December 2008 that he was planning to relocate to the UK prior to releasing his eighth studio album in late-2009, and a possible reunion with Take That. Photos also showed Williams with his new tattoo of the Take That logo on his right arm, in tribute to his former bandmates.^[70] Williams bought a £7 million home in the village of Compton Bassett, Wiltshire.

On 27 March 2009, Williams stated he felt ready to re-join Take That. He said: "I'm in regular contact with them, even Gaz, and it's looking more likely by the week. The lads all seem up for it and some people think it's a done deal. I think it would be fun."^[71] Williams was eager to re-join the band on their The Circus Live tour, but these plans never materialised. In September 2009, Williams was reported to be working in New York with Take That, however these rumours were never confirmed.^[72]

While it was rumoured that Williams would reunite with Take That on 12 November 2009 for a Children In Need charity concert at The Royal Albert Hall, they merely greeted each other warmly on stage between performances. 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". Williams subsequently implied in an interview that a proper reunion was still a distinct possibility. On 15 February 2010, The Sun printed an interview with Williams, stating that he and Take That had been sighted going to an Los Angeles studio together.^[73]

It was announced on 15 July that Williams had rejoined Take That. In November 2010 the Take That album Progress was released, becoming the fastest selling album since 2000 and the second fastest selling album in UK history. Williams explained that the long-standing friction between himself and Gary has been resolved, and how close they now were.^[74]

The band also announced the Progress Live tour which would travel across the UK, including a record breaking 8 nights at Wembley Stadium in London,^[75] then continue across Europe. The tour was the fastest selling in UK history with ticket hotlines and websites crashing under the demand.^[75]

Collaborations[link]

One of his most famous collaborations was on the song "Kids", a duet with Australian pop star Kylie Minogue. The single peaked at number 2 on the UK singles charts in 2000. Williams also collaborated with Australian film star Nicole Kidman on a cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid". 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 2002, Williams appeared on the track "My Culture" on the 1 Giant Leap album, alongside rapper Maxi Jazz (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", was released as a single in March 2007. On 13 August 2007, a Dean Martin duets album was released, on which Williams sings "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone". Most recently it was announced that Williams has recorded what is going to be Mexican singer Thalía's first single from her upcoming English-language album.

In 2010 he announced that he was to release "Shame", a duet with Take That lead singer songwriter Gary Barlow 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.

Video game[link]

Williams features in his own karaoke video game, We Sing Robbie Williams which was released on 12 November 2010 by Nordic Games.

Achievements[link]

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.^[76] His album sales stands at over 57 million worldwide.^[77][78][79] Williams was entered in The Guinness Book of World Records when, after he announced his World Tour for 2006, 1.6 million tickets were sold in one single day.^[80]

He has been presented many awards, including seventeen BRIT^[81] and seven ECHO awards.^[82] In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, after being voted as the Greatest artist of the 1990s.^[83]

Williams appears in the list of the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the United Kingdom six times.^[36]

In October 2009 it was announced that he would receive the Outstanding Contribution To British Music award at the 2010 BRIT Awards.^[84]

In September 2010 Williams switched on the Blackpool illuminations, stating that it was one of the greatest honours he'd ever achieved.^[85]

Personal life[link]

Since 2006, Williams has spent most of his time in Los Angeles, California.^[86] Williams moved back to the UK in 2009 when he bought an £8.5 million mansion in Compton Bassett, Wiltshire, nearby to close friend Jonathan Wilkes who lives in Swindon. Williams sold the mansion a year later to move back to Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]}

Williams has reportedly battled mental illness, obesity, self-esteem issues, alcoholism, and substance abuse throughout his life.^[87][88] He once discussed how his friend Elton John booked him into a clinic to cope with his drug use that emerged from the depression he was experiencing while still in Take That.^[88] He entered a rehabilitation centre in Tucson for his addiction to the prescription pills Xanax, Seroxat/Paxil, Vicodin, and the energy drink Lucozade in February 2007^[89] Williams used to smoke up to 60 cigarettes a day; he gave up in 2009 for his girlfriend Ayda Field.

Williams has a strong interest in UFOs and related paranormal phenomena, and has pursued this interest during his 2007–08 sabbatical.^[90] His interest in the subject led to him taking part in a documentary for BBC Radio 4 with Jon Ronson. The documentary followed them to a UFO convention in Nevada. During an interview with Joss Stone on The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2008, Williams revealed that while out of his head on dispirin he has seen UFOs three times.^[91] Williams said his first UFO sighting was when he was a child in Britain while he spotted his second in Beverly Hills, and added that the third sighting was just after he had written a song about alien contact.^[91]

On 30 November 2009, Williams' hairdresser Aaron Vickers was found dead in woodland near to Williams' then home in Wiltshire. Vickers first met Williams in Los Angeles after being introduced by their mutual friend Jonathan Wilkes. When Williams bought the £8.5 million mansion in early 2009, Vickers lived at the estate for some months but had recently moved back in with his mother who lives nearby. Vickers was last seen by his boyfriend at 1am on 30 November, and his body was found hanged in the woods the following morning.^[92][93]

Relationships[link]

Since May 2006, Williams has been in a relationship with the Turkish American actress Ayda Field.^[94] They have reportedly been together for almost five years.^[95] Despite several break up stories in the press^[96][97][98] Williams and Field have been spotted together many times.^{[99][100][101]} On 29 January 2008 they were pictured on vacation together at Mammoth Ski Resort in California, accompanied by Max Beesley.^{[102][103][104]} She was featured in a UFO documentary that Williams did for BBC Radio 4 in April^[105] and took part in a field investigation he did in Trout Lake, Washington in August 2008.^[106]

On 8 November 2008, Williams was spotted with Field at football match at the Emirates Stadium home of Arsenal, where he was also seen with Gary Barlow accompanied by his two oldest children, and Williams's longtime friend Jonathan Wilkes.^[107] The couple has been living together in a mansion in Wiltshire since the beginning of 2009 according to The Sun.^[108] In October 2009, Field appeared in the video of Williams comeback single Bodies. Williams has been referring to Field as his "wife" in recent interviews.^[109]

In November 2009, Williams announced to Jonathan Ross that he was 'in love' with Field.^[110] On 26 November 2009, Williams proposed to Ayda Field live on the Australian radio channel 2dayfm in an interview on the Kyle and Jackie O Show.^[111] However, it was later revealed by Williams' manager that it was "done as a joke following suggestions it was a stunt which was set up prior to the radio show." His spokesman confirmed: 'He did say it, but he did it in a jocular manner. They are not engaged.'^[112] A few days later Williams himself denied the engagement, using his official blog to say "Hey all. We are not engaged. Rob.".^[113][114] On 7 August 2010, Williams and Field married at his home in Los Angeles.^[115] On 30 March 2012 Williams announced that he and his wife, Ayda, would become parents for the first time.^[116]

Sexuality[link]

Williams won a libel case against MGN and Northern & Shell in December 2005 relating to articles which had reported he was a closet homosexual.^[117] In the libel action that resulted from this, Williams accepted substantial damages, and the publishers accepted that the stories were untrue. His counsel, Tom Shields QC, told the court, "Mr Williams is not, and has never been, homosexual." Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell called for any damages paid out from the libel case to be donated to gay charities, claiming Williams' legal actions had created the impression that it is "bad to be gay."^[118] Williams responded that he was not bothered about being labelled as a gay man, and he would have taken the same action had it been regarding a heterosexual relationship. In 2008, Williams's friend, actor Max Beesley, rejected claims that Williams was gay. Beesley said, "Some of the stuff written about him is enough to make me mad, the rumours about him being gay, for example. Not true. I've never met anybody less gay in my life!"^[119]

Wealth[link]

In 2009, the Sunday Times Rich List claimed he was worth over £130 million.^[120] In 2011 his wealth was estimated at £90 million.^[121]

Williams is a lifelong supporter of Port Vale, based in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent. In February 2006 he bought £240,000 worth of shares in the club, making him the majority shareholder.^[122] He also has a restaurant at Vale Park named in his honour.^[123]

Health[link]

He revealed in 2011 he had been battling a lethargy caused by a type of hormone imbalance called a Andropause for a number of years and thought at first it was a return of his depression.^[124][125]

Charity[link]

Williams warming up for the 2006 edition of Soccer Aid

Williams has set up a charity in his home town entitled Give It Sum, its goal being to "improve local conditions and strengthen community life by giving money to those who are disadvantaged."^[87][126]

Williams, with the help of friend Jonathan Wilkes, has organised charity football matches called Soccer Aid to raise money for UNICEF UK. A mixture of celebrities and professional football players have played Soccer Aid matches in 2006, 2008 and 2010 at Old Trafford in Manchester and Wembley Stadium in London.^[127]

Williams has been the Patron of the children's charity the Donna Louise Trust based in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent, for the last 8 years. The charity offers respite and palliative care to terminally ill and life-limited children who are not expected to live past the age of 16.^[128]

Awards[link]

Williams has won various awards with some of his more recognised accolades being the BRIT awards. He has won 17 BRIT awards which also include the BRITs he won with Take That making him the most successful artist in BRIT history. He has also won 8 Echo Awards from the German music industry.^[82][129]

Discography[link]

Tours[link]

• The Show Off Must Go On (October–November 1997)
• The Ego Has Landed (May–June 1998)
• One More for the Rogue Tour / For a Few Dollars More... Tour (1998–99)
• Robbie Williams North American Tours (1999)
• The Sermon on the Mount Tour (2000–01)
• Weddings, Barmitzvahs & Stadiums Tour / Sing When You're Pacific Rimming Tour (2001)
• Weekends of Mass Distraction Tour / Cock of Justice/Aussie Typo Tour (2003)
• Close Encounters Tour (2006)

References[link]