Rick Astley
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RickAstleyWheneverYouNeedSomebody.jpg
Richard Paul Astley (born February 6, 1966) is a British singer, songwriter and musician. He was born in Warrington, Cheshire, England.
Rick Astley was a singer with a band playing the club circuit in England, when in 1985 he was seen by the record producer Pete Waterman and persuaded to come to London to work at the PWL recording studio. Under the tutelage of Stock Aitken Waterman Astley was taught about the recording process and was groomed for his future career.
His first single was the little-known When You Gonna credited to Rick & Lisa, but his first solo outing was Never Gonna Give You Up, released in 1987. It became an immediate success, spending five weeks at the top of the British charts and becoming the year's highest-selling single.
The album Whenever You Need Somebody also reached Number One in the UK, and the hit singles continued.
By January 1988, Never Gonna Give You Up had also topped the US singles chart and was followed by a second US #1 in April with his second US single release Together Forever.
By the end of the decade Astley had parted company with Stock Aitken Waterman. He achieved one more major success with the 1991 ballad Cry For Help which reached the Top 10 in both the UK and the US.
In 1991 the RIAA certified that two million copies of Whenever You Need Somebody had been sold.
Trademark: His hair and his teeth.
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Discography
US Top data: for singles from The Billboard Hot 100, for albums from The Billboard 200; UK Top data for singles and albums is from UK Singles Chart.
Albums
- 1987 Whenever You Need Somebody (#1 UK, #10 US 1988)
- 1988 Hold Me in Your Arms (#8 UK, #19 US 1989)
- 1991 Free (#9 UK, #31 US)
- 1993 Body & Soul (#185 US)
- 2001 Keep It Turned On
Singles
- 1987 "Never Gonna Give You Up" (UK #1, US #1)
- 1987 "Whenever You Need Somebody" (UK #3)
- 1987 "When I Fall In Love"/"My Arms Keep Missing You" (UK #2)
- 1988 "Don't Say Goodbye"
- 1988 "Together Forever" (UK #2, US #2)
- 1988 "It Would Take A Strong, Strong Man" (US #9)
- 1988 "She Wants To Dance With Me" (UK #6, US # 6)
- 1988 "Take Me To Your Heart" (UK #8)
- 1989 "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"/"Put Yourself in My Place" (#89 US)
- 1989 "Hold Me In Your Arms" (UK #10)
- 1989 "Giving Up on Love" (#38 US)
- 1991 "Cry For Help (UK #7, US #7)
- 1991 "Never Knew Love"
- 1991 "Move Right Out" (US #81)
- 1993 "Hopelessly" (US #28, #33 UK)
- 1994 "The Ones You Love" (#19 US Adult Contemporary)
- 2001 "Sleeping"
Compilations
- 2001 Together Forever - Greatest Hits and more...
- 2002 Greatest Hits (#16 UK)
- ? The Best of Rick Astley - Never gonna give you up
- 2004 Love Songs
- 2004 Platinum & Gold Collection
External Links
- RickAstley.co.uk (http://www.rickastley.co.uk/) - fan site
- StockAitkenWaterman.com (http://www.stockaitkenwaterman.com/) - Stock Aitken Waterman & PWL fan site