Ronan
Yvonne Keating
Golden Couple
Jack Keating
Marie Keating
Boyzone
The Band
1977
- Little Ro
Ronan Patrick John Keating was born in Dublin on the 3rd March 1977 to Gerry
and Marie Keating. The last child of five and all gangly legs and messy
blond hair, Ronan became known as 'Little Ro' by his three brothers, Ciaran,
Gerard and Gary, and his sister Linda. Being the youngest in a large family
had its advantages: his brothers and sisters would say he was spoilt; he was
certainly always his "mam's little baby" but being the youngest of five also
meant vying for attention and trying hard to keep up with his older brothers
and sister.
1984 - Family Values
Although his family had little money, Ronan never remembers wanting for
anything. His father had many different jobs, including lorry driver and
barman, and his mother worked as a hairdresser to supplement the family
income but both had high hopes for the Keating family. His mam in particular
was a very proud lady and the Keating household was always a beautiful
home.
1989 - No "Star Pupil"
Ronan certainly was no "star pupil" and much preferred to mess about and
listen to music than study. He did like drama - he once got the chance to
direct a play and he also played the starring role as a donkey in the
Nativity! But his laziness in the classroom was not mirrored on the sports
field. Ronan loved sport, excelling in Gaelic football and athletics where
winning was everything. Gradually, the commitment Ronan felt towards sport
was taken over by his passion for music.
1990 - Rebel Days
Like most teenage boys, Ronan was a bit of a rebel. He had his first proper
drink and his first experience of a nightclub 13, and drove his first car
without anybody knowing at 14.
1991 - Stepping Out
At 14, Ronan got a part-time job in a Dublin shoe store. It taught him a lot
about how to deal with people from all walks of life and also fuelled his
fetish for fashion, taking full advantage of the staff discount he got on
the merchandise. It was here that he got a taste of being an object of
adoration - he did a free modeling assignment and the pictures appeared in
Ireland's national newspapers.
1993 - Limelight Beckoned
Ronan was in a number of bands including one during his teens with a group
of school pals called Nameste. He always enjoyed being in the limelight
whether on the pitch, at family gatherings or on the stage. It was one day
while working in a Dublin shoe store that Ronan's friend Niall presented him
with a newspaper advert - auditions for 'Ireland's answer to Take That'. It
seemed a long shot but what the heck, he decided to go for it.
1993
- Boyzone - Foundations
Ronan was one of 300 boys that turned up for the audition for Boyzone. He
performed his party piece - the classic Cat Steven's song 'Father & Son'. He
was then asked to dance. He felt clumsy at first but after a while he forgot
about looking ridiculous and began to relax it as if he were prancing around
his front room at home. It worked - he was called back for a second
audition. This time he sung a song by one of Ronan's idols - George
Michael's 'Careless Whisper' and got together his dance routine. Again he
made it through, this time there were just 10 of them left. At the final
audition he boasted "Oh, I can sing anything" but as the decision came close
the bravado waned and tension took hold. The announcement was made - Ronan
was in.
1993 - Boyzone - The Path To Fame
It was 1993 and Ronan and his new found friends were about to take their
first step on the path to worldwide fame. Their first appearance was just
one day after the audition. They were booked onto Ireland's biggest TV chat
show, The Late Late Show. They'd had no time to prepare let alone get to
know each other. Needless to say, they were terrible. The critics had slated
them, but they didn't let this get them down. The band were excited about
the future and were above all determined to succeed.
Little did they know that they were about to become one of the biggest boy
bands ever. Five lads: Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, Keith
Duffy and Shane Lynch - one band: Boyzone. Back then, they could never have
known that six years down the line that they would have sixteen top three
singles, six of which were number ones, four number one albums (selling more
than 12 million copies worldwide), dozens of sell-out UK tours and millions
of fans the world over.
1993 - Boyzone - Crucial Moments
A crucial time for the band. They had their first single out - the old disco
classic by an American group called the Detroit Spinners called 'Working My
Way Back to You' on the A-side and Ronan's favorite party piece 'Father &
Son' on the B-side. But they still had a lot of work to do - they had to
make people like them. They traveled the length and breadth of Ireland to
some of the most remote areas of the country, playing hundreds of shows. It
was seriously hard and they often had to play to pretty hostile crowds but
for Ronan, it was one of the most enjoyable times in his career - a time of
excitement and togetherness for the band.
Eventually the hard work began to pay off. The fans were growing in numbers,
the press were showing interest and a group of girls were to be found
congregating outside Ronan's house. Although he though it was strange at
first, he began to start to like it - it helped him believe in himself.
1994 - Boyzone - Making The Mark
The first Boyzone single was a success. It had 'Working My Way Back To You'
on the A-side and 'Father & Son' on the B-side. In March 1994 it entered the
Irish charts at No. 3.
1994 - Boyzone - A Dream Come True
After the success in Ireland of 'Working My Way Back To You', Polygram
signed the band up for an album. It was the break they were hoping for and
they were determined not to let anybody down. They teamed up with producer
Ray Hedges and recorded the song that was to be their next release, the
Osmonds classic 'Love Me For a Reason'. It was decided that Ronan should
sing lead vocals - he was thrilled.
Boyzone's first break into the UK market came when they were asked to tour
with the Smash Hits Roadshow in the autumn of 1994. The band knew it was
their big chance to get maximum exposure performing to crowds of 10,000 to
25,000 people every night. After winning Best New Comers at the Smash Hits
Poll Winners Party in the summer the pop industry had to take notice. They
were 16, they were Boyzone, they were pop stars.
'Love Me For A Reason' reached No. 2 in the UK Christmas charts and the band
made their first appearance on Top of The Pops which for Ronan, was a dream
come true.
1995 - Boyzone - Said And Done
The New Year of 1995 brought in continued hard work, the album Said and Done
was put together with Ronan singing lead vocals on half of the tracks and a
whole heap of song writing credits.
1995 - Boyzone - Bringing It On
The summer of 1995 saw the band embark on the biggest nation-wide tour of
Ireland there had ever been - they performed in over 32 counties, doing 36
shows in just 30 days. It was a demanding schedule and Ronan found it hard
to deal with the separation from his family and friends but with constant
phone calls home somehow he coped.
1996 - Boyzone - Rollercoaster Times
Boyzone had a string of hits in 1995/1996: 'Key To My Life' reached No. 3 in
May; 'So Good' with Ronan singing lead vocal reached No. 4 in July; the
album Said and Done picked the No. 1 slot in the UK and Irish album charts;
'Father & Son got to No. 2 in November; and, 'Coming Home Now' peaked No. 3
in early 1996. For Boyzone, success had come by the bucket load.
Boyzone mania travelled the world: the band toured the far East; completed a
massive UK tour in the summer of 1996 including 4 shows at Wembley Arena in
July, each one attended by 15,000 fans; their second album A Different Beat
was released in October 1996; more tours of South East Asia, the Middle East
and India came in 1997; and, the Boyzone version of Tracey Chapman's 'Baby
Can I hold You' came out in November of that year.
Boyzone's celebrity status was massive: Ronan had hosted Top of The Pops
with Steven and Ronan co-hosted the Eurovision Song contest. Boyzone also
performed the interval act with 'Let The Message Run Free' - the show was
viewed by millions. For Ronan it felt like most of his life was spent
travelling on planes, in cars, or hanging around airports, in venues, or in
TV studios. It was a rollercoaster time and Ronan's feet barely touched the
ground - his only link to the real world were his daily phone calls home to
his mam.
1998
- Loss
During the dizzy heights of autumn 1996, with a sell-out Boyzone UK tour and
a second album destined for No. 1 under their belts Ronan's world came
crashing down around him. It was September 26th 1996 when Ronan took the
phone call from his brother Ciarran - his mam had breast cancer. It was
difficult for Ronan to accept and being on tour with Boyzone helped him
block the reality out.
Ronan's mother Marie Keating had struggled with the illness of breast cancer
for some time but on the 2nd of February 1998 she passed away. Having to
cope with such a loss made Ronan realise how much cancer can completely
devastate a family and it was as a result of this that he and his family set
up a charity to help people deal with the loss of a loved one through cancer
- the Marie Keating Cancer Awareness Fund. The fund gave Ronan the
opportunity to use his fame for something very worthwhile, he was helping to
bring breast cancer into the public arena. Ronan and his mother had a very
special bond, they were best of friends. No matter where in the world Ronan
was he called his mam every day. For Ronan, his mother "will always be a
beautiful memory".
1998 - Boyzone - Success Confirmed
The 3rd of March 1998 saw in Ronan's 21st birthday. Boyzone had had a second
Number One hit album with A Different Beat, five hit singles including two
No. 1's for 'Words' and the title track from the album.
1998 - Boyzone - All Go
A 3rd album Where We Belong was being put together and a new Boyzone single
'All That I Need' on which Ronan sung lead vocals was due for release on 20
April. Ronan and Steven Gately were due to head out to Tokyo to promote the
Mr Bean movie - Boyzone had recorded 'Picture Of You' for the soundtrack,
producing a No. 2 hit in the UK charts back in July 1997. The schedule for
Boyzone was once again as hectic as it had ever been.
The problem was, Ronan had barely stopped to breath and the pain of the
bereavement for the loss of his mother wouldn't go away.
It was the evening before an appearance on Top Of The Pops and Ronan had
just had enough - he desparately needed a break. He could no longer face the
constant press bombardments asking him about his mother's death - he was
tired of the gruelling schedule. He needed to take stock and ease his
emotional state. He took a break from Boyzone. Amid much press speculation
of breakdowns and illness, all completely unfounded, Ronan took a
well-deserved holiday with his then girlfriend Yvonne to the tiny Caribbean
island of Nevis.
It was on the April 30th 1998 Ronan and Yvonne were married. Their
relationship been a whirlwhind romance and as he stood there during the
ceremony on the paradise island of Nevis he felt there was no doubt that
this was right.
1998 - Boyzone - Full On Again
In November 1998 the Boyzone schedule became one of the busiest periods the
band had known. They were promoting their latest album that was in the shops
Where We Belong as well as the know single 'I Love The Way You Love Me' and
Ronan also presented Miss World.
1999
- The Gift
On 15th March 1999 baby Jack was born. For Ronan this was "the ultimate
gift" and though Jack can have anything he wants, Ronan is determined that
he will never be spoilt. His mother taught him to have manners and treat
people respectfully, values he intends to pass onto his son. And just as his
mother did with him, Ronan will teach his son what matters more than
anything - that if you give love, you will get it back in return.
1999 - Westlife Was Born
Boyzone had become Ireland's most successful pop export of all time paving
the way for other Irish acts such as The Corrs and B*Witched. A week after
his son Jack was born in March 1999, Ronan's next baby was introduced to the
world - Ireland's newest boy band, Westlife. Boyzone had reached the
pinnacle of success and Ronan wanted to experience the thrill of starting
out again. Ronan's experiences with Boyzone stood him in good stead to take
on the role of co-manager with the Boyzone manager Louis Walsh. He's been
down that road before and can offer the band much in the way of advise and
assistance.
Westlife, have taken the UK charts by storm achieving a succession of No. 1
hits.
1999 - Going Solo
As an artist, Ronan had already received virtually every accolade known to
man: from numerous Smash Hits Awards for 'Most Fanciable Male' and MTV
Awards for "Best Pop Band" to a coveted Ivor Novello Award for 'Picture Of
You' - the song he wrote for the Mr Bean movie - joining the ranks of pop
superstars George Michael and Sir Elton John.
In the summer of 1999 Ronan Keating released his first solo single, 'When
You Say Nothing At All', taken from the Brit Award winning 'Notting Hill'
film soundtrack. Ronan's first solo offering naturally crashed into the
charts at No. 1 and 'When You Say Nothing At All' became one of the love
songs of the year selling in excess of half a million copies.
By mid-1999 the band were struggling to be individuals, and it was no
surprise when Boyzone announced that they were going to take a year out to
work on solo projects, after the release of their The Greatest Hits album By
Request.
2000 - Hello LA
Ronan flew out to Los Angeles in January, to write and record his debut solo
album. Ronan's reputation as an artist of the highest calibre has lead to
him working with some of the world's best songwriters and producers, from
Steve Lipson, Pat Leonard (Madonna) and Barry Gibb (The Bee Gees) to Bryan
Adams and Gregg Alexander (The New Radicals).
2000 - A Solo Hit
The first single from the album was the upbeat and summery 'Life Is A
Rollercoaster', which was released to the world on 10th July. Needless to
say, Ronan scored his second No. 1 hit as a solo artist.
Ronan himself describes the album as "… a real mix of pop, rock and
traditional music. I'm proud of every single track. Each song sounds and
feels very special. I was really nervous at first about going in to the
studio on my own without the other lads, but it was exciting to create my
own stuff and to write with new people. I'm really happy with the result."
"With tracks such as the poppy 'Life Is A Rollercoaster', the rocky 'If You
Love Me' and the Bryan Adams/Phil Thornalley penned 'The Way You Make Me
Feel' the album has something for everyone. Add to that the Irish sounding
'Only For You' plus the beautiful ballads 'Once Upon A Lifetime' and 'In
This Life' - and you've covered the whole spectrum! Simply entitled Ronan -
the album was released on 31st July."
2000 - Rolling On
Ronan's autobiography Life Is a Rollercoaster was released. A heartfelt
journal of Ronan's life experiences to date, the book tells it just as it
happened. Ronan's success as a solo artist is on a roll, the rollercoaster
keeps going. Just three months after the release of Ronan's debut solo album
Ronan, the album had already sold in excess of 500,000 copies worldwide and
his presence in Europe lead to his nomination for "Best Male" at the MTV
Awards in Stockholm on the 6th November.
Following the massive acclaim of his debut solo album, and the number 1
success of "Life is a Rollercoaster", Ronan Keating released the third
single from the album, the heartfelt and passionate ballad "The Way You Make
Me Feel". Penned by Phil Thornalley and Bryan Adams, "The Way You Make Me
Feel" is a very laid back and mellow song full of passion and drive. The
single entered the UK charts at number 6.
Not to do any 'laurel resting' or to be content with just releasing a new
album, Ronan subsequently embarked on his debut solo tour of the UK and
Ireland in November 2000. His presence on stage being described as "as
polished a performance as they come" with tickets selling out on the first
day of going on sale. Ronan was also asked to join Elton John at his concert
in Madison Square Gardens in New York on the 20th October where he dueted
with Elton on the classic "Your Song".
2001
- Loving Each Day
On the 16th April Ronan Keating will release his fourth solo single, 'Lovin'
Each Day'.
Written by Gregg Alexander and Rick Knowles, the duo responsible for the
hugely successful single "Life is a Rollercoaster", this upbeat summery song
was first performed during Ronan's solo UK tour last Autumn.
The video will be shot in America, and this will be followed by his sold out
UK arena tour in May.
With the arrival of a new baby girl, Marie, in February, the release of his
fourth single "Lovin' Each Day" on the 16th April and an arena tour in May,
2001 looks like another busy year.
One thing is for sure, Ronan Keating will be around for a long time - this
is just the beginning - the next chapter in the Ronan Keating story is being
written as we speak…
