Boyzone

Boyzone

Boyzone are an Irish boy band. The group was most successful in Ireland, the UK, Asia, Australia and New Zealand; they also had differing levels of success in parts of Europe. The group has released six #1 UK hit singles and four #1 albums, with sales 20 million records as of 2009. They made a comeback in 2007, originally with the intention of just touring but Ronan Keating confirmed in an interview that they wanted to "outdo Take That" in terms of a successful reunion.

Boyzone was put together in 1993 by Louis Walsh who is also known for managing Johnny Logan and Westlife. Before even recording any material they made a now infamous appearance on RTÉ's The Late Late Show. Their first album Said and Done was released in 1995 and the following two studio albums in 1996 and 1998. Seven compilation albums have been released, the latest being B-Sides & Rarities in October 2008. Singer Stephen Gately died on 10 October 2009 at the age of 33 of natural causes in Majorca, Spain.

Band history

Beginning

In 1993 an advertisement appeared in many Irish newspapers calling for auditions to form a new Irish "boy band" group. The advertisements were sent out by theatrical manager Louis Walsh who was looking to make an "Irish Take That" following on from their success. The auditions were held in The Ormond Center, in Dublin, in November 1993. More than 300 people replied to the advertisement. At the auditions the applicants were asked to sing the song "Careless Whisper" by George Michael. Each audition would be taped and watched again to judge the applicant's performance. Out of the 300, 50 were selected for a second audition. Richard Rock (son of Dickie Rock) was invited for a second audition. For the second audition the applicants where asked to sing two songs, including one of their own choice with a backing tape. Mikey Graham sang "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" by Meat Loaf. Keith Duffy sang "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred. Ronan Keating sang "Father and Son" by Cat Stevens (a cover version of which the band would later release). Stephen Gately's choice is currently unknown. Out of this 50, 10 were selected for a third audition. In the end, Ronan, Stephen, Keith, Richard, Shane and Mark were chosen. Mikey originally was rejected but would later join after the departure of Richard Rock. Ronan Keating initially faced a lot of opposition from his parents and teachers. He was planning to move to New York to study in college on a sports scholarship and pursue his dream to win an Olympic medal for athletics. In the end Ronan decided to give up his education and go along with Boyzone. Keith's parents were against their son's throwing away a solid and promising career and joining the band. Louis Walsh set about trying to get a deal with a good record company but it would take many rejection letters before the boys would be signed. In 1994 Shane and Keith were involved in a nearly fatal car crash, but luckily both survived without serious injuries. Louis was reportedly furious, and drew up contracts for all the boys to sign, leading to their activities being restricted.

Breakthrough

With some of the original lineup fading away and others being brought into the group, it took some time before Boyzone settled down into its most recognisable five-member line-up of Shane Lynch, Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, Keith Duffy. , Richard Rock one of the original members, left citing musical differences with Ronan Keating. They played through 1993 and in the early parts of 1994 all over Northern Ireland, mainly in pubs and clubs, before Polygram signed them up in 1994 and released the cover version of the Four Seasons' hit "Working My Way Back to You", featuring Graham and Gately on lead vocals. It reached No. 3 in the Irish Charts.

The release of their cover version of the classic Osmonds' hit, "Love Me for a Reason", broke the British charts. The song hit No. 2 in the UK and was included in their 1995 hit debut album Said and Done. The album reached the No. 1 spot in Ireland and the UK.

A Different Beat

Boyzone's second album - A Different Beat - was released in 1996 and contained its first UK number one single, a cover of the Bee Gees' hit "Words". The album also contained the hit singles "A Different Beat" and "Isn't It a Wonder". Ronan Keating - who by now had emerged as the lead singer and frontman - won the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting in 1997 for "Picture of You".

Where We Belong

Their third studio album, Where We Belong, was released in 1998 and featured Boyzone's writing abilities. It contained the hit singles "All That I Need" (which stayed for six weeks in the MTV Asia charts), "Baby Can I Hold You" (Tracy Chapman cover) and "No Matter What". Originally written for the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical Whistle Down the Wind, "No Matter What" was the group's best ever selling single and was voted Song of the Year, 1998. Since the song was also recorded by Meat Loaf, Boyzone shared stage with him to perform the song during his 1998 live concert in Dublin.

Greatest Hits

In 1999, their greatest hits compilation, By Request, was released and was followed by another tour. At this time, Stephen Gately revealed that he was gay and was in love with the ex-Caught in the Act member Eloy de Jong. It was also during this year that Ronan Keating released his first solo single, "When You Say Nothing at All", an Alison Krauss song which he had recorded for the movie Notting Hill. By this time, after six years together and amid growing tensions behind the scenes, the group members decided to take some time off from Boyzone to pursue solo projects.

Final performance

Boyzone performed together for the last time in January 2000. What initially started on that (by now infamous) appearance on The Late Late Show, they had sold more than 10 million records in total. All sixteen of their singles reached the UK top five and they became the first Irish act to have four number one hits in the United Kingdom charts. Their 1998 tour of Ireland broke all sales records when 35,000 tickets were sold out in four hours. At their height, Boyzone were one of the biggest-selling artists in music.

2000 and beyond

Boyzone opened the door for fellow Irish group, Westlife. Since Boyzone split in 2000, Ronan Keating has had a successful solo career releasing five albums, which produced several hit singles such as "When You Say Nothing at All"; Stephen Gately released a modestly successful solo album and pursued a career in stage acting and particularly West End musicals, starring in the Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Mikey Graham has also pursued solo projects and now works as a music producer; Keith Duffy has appeared in the British soap opera Coronation Street and a number of theatre productions in Ireland and Wales; Shane Lynch recently appeared on the reality TV shows, Celebrity Love Island, Dream Team and The Games. Lynch and Duffy also collaborated in 2000 releasing a version of Milli Vanilli's 1988 hit "Girl You Know It's True".

Reunion

For seven years after their split in 2000 the members of Boyzone had mixed success in their individual careers. Keating in particular remained a force in the music industry as he continued writing and managing other bands. Gately also continued his career as a solo artist, appearing in a number of West End stage musicals, and Duffy had some success as an actor (including a role in the TV soap Coronation Street).

In 2003 rumours of a Boyzone reunion began to circulate. Following the success of fellow Universal artists Take That's reunion and subsequent sell-out tour in 2006, these rumours came to a head and in early 2007 there were news reports that all five members and their manager, The X Factor judge Louis Walsh, had met in Dublin to discuss and organise a comeback tour.

In February 2007 more details of the reunion were announced. On 8 March 2007, former Boyzone manager Louis Walsh was sacked from the ITV show The X Factor (UK) (he was eventually reinstated), saying by way of explanation that "I will be having the busiest year of my career with Westlife, Shayne Ward and the re-launch of Boyzone."

On 8 April 2007, several UK newspapers widely reported that the rumored reunion was cancelled due to the lack of financial investment. The papers stated that no recording company or investors were willing to back the act to guarantee a comeback success experienced by Take That.

On 11 October 2007, Louis Walsh was interviewed on The Graham Norton Show; when asked by Graham Norton whether there was going to be a re-launch of Boyzone he replied "I think so".

Back Again... No Matter What (2007-2009)

On 5 November 2007, Ronan Keating confirmed that Boyzone would reunite for a special appearance on the BBC's annual fundraiser, Children in Need, performing a medley of hits, although had not yet commented on the possibility of a new tour or album.

On 14 November 2007, it was reported that all five members of Boyzone were to begin a UK tour in May, which would be their first in seven years. Ronan Keating, who left the Irish boy band to pursue a solo career, joined the group for the series of concerts.

On 16 November, Boyzone made a comeback appearance as part of Children In Need on BBC1 in the UK, with an Irish and UK tour announced for June 2008. The group sold 200,000 tickets for the tour within three hours and sold 20,000 tickets on the first day of them going on sale for their concert in the RDS Dublin. Ronan Keating told the Daily Star: "We've been taking it easy on the Guinness and been out for dinners and just a couple of drinks. We're taking the tour plans very seriously. We're all on diets and we've been training in the gym every day. I'm probably the fittest now that I've ever been. I think we all look better now than before. We each went to see Take That on tour at different times and started talking to each other again, but Take That were the icing on the cake that made us decide now was the time to reform. We're very aware of how good Take That are, and know we have to be on a par with them. There won't be a flat, boring stage. We're all dancing again and learning different things we've never done before to rival their pole dancing and stuff. We've been talking about getting back together for some time now. I can't wait to be back on the road and all the guys feel the same."

The 29-date tour, taking in cities such as Cardiff, Newcastle, Liverpool, London at the O2 Arena and Wembley, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Edinburgh Castle and the RDS in Dublin. The tour began on 25 May 2008 at Belfast's Odyssey arena and finished at Carlisle Bitts Park on 23 August 2008.

On 29 August 2008 Boyzone played alongside other acts such as Sandi Thom and Scouting For Girls at an event in Blackpool to switch on the Blackpool Illuminations, an annual event in the town. The event received coverage on BBC Radio 2.

On 3 September, the video for "Love You Anyway" debuted on the digital music channel The Box. It features all 5 of the original members of Boyzone with Ronan Keating taking most of the lead vocals. The single received its first play on 20 August 2008, live on Terry Wogan's Radio 2 Breakfast show. On 6 October, "Love You Anyway" entered the UK charts at number 5, making it their seventeenth consecutive top five single.

On 28 August 2009 the group joined Yvette Fielding in Edinburgh for a Ghosthunting with... show for ITV2.

Death of Stephen Gately

Main article: Stephen Gately's death

On 10 October 2009, Stephen Gately died at the age of 33 while on holiday in Majorca with his civil partner Andrew Cowles. On 13 October, 2009, AP reports that a post-mortem showed Gately, 33, died as a result of a pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs. The Balearic Islands Superior Justice Tribunal said in a statement. "The singer of the Irish group Boyzone died from natural causes, owing to an 'acute pulmonary edema'".

Though still finding it difficult to come to terms with his sudden death Shane Lynch has recently claimed that Stephen Gately died for a reason. He is reported as saying "I've got to understand that it's all for a reason. If I don't understand why then one day I'll be told - but not right now."

After Gately and New Album (2009-present)

Despite rumours of them cancelling the new album Ronan Keating has denied these allegations and revealed that Boyzone will release a new album as a tribute to Stephen Gately in 2010 which will include two new songs that were sung by Stephen Gately before his death.

One song is known to have been written by hitmaker Mika. who has also claimed that the new song he wrote for Boyzone is the last one, which will feature Stephen Gately's vocals due for release on their fourth studio album to be released on 8th March 2010.

The track written by Mika has been confirmed as the lead single from the new album and it will be titled "Gave It All Away". Boyzone loved this track and wished to release this song as their comeback single. The song recieved its first airplay on January 17. Mikey Graham has stated that Gave It All Away will be released March 1 and the album will be released a week afterwards.

In January 2010 Graham will also be a contestant on the fifth series of Dancing on Ice.

Tributes

Boyzone has been commemorated by the London's Rock Circus by inviting them to place their hand prints on the "Walls of Hands" beside the likes of Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson.

Discography

Main article: Boyzone discography

• 1995: Said and Done
• 1996: A Different Beat
• 1998: Where We Belong
• 1999: By Request
• 2008: Back Again... No Matter What
• 2010: Together & Forever

External links

• Official Boyzone web portal
• BBC Gallery: Boyzone at Blickling Hall (summer 2008)
• Boyzone Back in Germany!