Celeb Feud Of The Week - 23.04.03
Ronan Keating’s career is
on a rollercoaster ride, now that he’s split with
manager Louis Walsh – the man who has guided his career since Boyzone.
Ronan believed Louis was bad-mouthing him, and a clash about money followed.
He also said he wanted to record and write his own material to get the
lucrative song royalties. Meanwhile, Louis has a little more time to spend
with his other acts, including Westlife, Samantha Mumba and Girls Aloud.
Perhaps Ronan should have said nothing at all?
Charity Flight - 23.04.03
Irish pilots set for historic
charity flight
Two pilots will attempt to make aviation history by becoming the first Irish
aviators to circumnavigate the world in a single engined aircraft.
Alan McMahon from Dublin and Paul Ryan from Limerick expect their 25,000-mile
trip to take them 80 days.
They are undertaking the trip to raise money for cancer charity the Marie
Keating Foundation.
The charity is named after the mother of singer Ronan Keating, who died from
breast cancer in 1998.
The pilots will leave Shannon on May 1 for Bordeaux in France.
They will fly on to northern Italy and Crete before heading for Egypt and north
east Africa. They then fly across to Yemen and into Oman before heading over
the Arabian Sea into India.
They will spend two to three days crossing India before heading to Shanghai and
Thailand and then on to Australia. Their journey will then take them to the
Philippines, Japan and on to the Aleutian islands in Alaska.
They'll fly down the western coast of the US to Seattle, across the northern
States, through Canada and then to Greenland and Iceland before returning back
to Shannon on July 19, reports the Irish Independent.
Donations can be made through the flight's website.
Stars Win Hot Bot Awards - 23.04.03
Atomic Kitten's
Natasha Hamilton and former Boyzone lead singer Ronan Keating have been named
Rears of the Year 2003.
The
win for 20-year-old Hamilton comes just eight months after she gave birth to a
baby boy, Josh.
She follows singer Charlotte
Church, who won the award last year amid some controversy at the tender age of
16.
Other former winners of the
female award include Carol Smillie, Ulrika Jonsson, and Denise van Outen.
Keating's win, on the 21st
anniversary of the contest, gives him a title once held by his current music
writing partner, former Take That member Gary Barlow.
The 26-year-old Irish heartthrob
will be unable to pick up his award at London's Carlton Tower Hotel in
Knightsbridge due to touring commitments.
Other former male winners of the
male award include Robbie Williams, Graham Norton and Frank Skinner.
Still Lovin' Each day -
22.04.03
By
Gordon Barr, The Evening Chronicle
You have to wonder if Ronan Keating ever predicted that when he began
co-managing five Irish wannabes called Westlife that they would soon be breaking
all the records he once set. As one fifth of Boyzone, Ronan set the charts
alight in the mid to late 1990s with a string of chart-toppers and top five
hits, picking up awards galore. And when he set off on his solo career he
continued to set records. Until those Westlife lads took the lead.
Earlier this year Westlife announced their 14th gig at Newcastle's Telewest
Arena, breaking Ronan's appearances there, as both a solo act and as part of
Boyzone, by one date. They've since announced a15th show there. Ronan takes it
all in good heart. "I always believed in the lads, but there was nothing else I
could do for Westlife," he smiles. "My involvement was about setting up the way
their first album looked and sounded. I also used my name to get them a deal.
But that ship is now sailing itself."
And how. But so is Ronan's ship. His last appearance at the Telewest, in June
last year, was on the back of the release of his album Destination.It's a mark
of how popular the singer is that he can return to the venue just 10 months
later, with no new album under his belt - although a new single is out at the
end of the month.
As
well as having a successful career, the amiable Irishman is making the most of
his time as a family man. He is married to former model Yvonne and they have two
children, Jack, four and Marie, two. "It's an amazing difference having a second
child," he admits. "You think it'll mean doing double what you are doing with
one, but it isn't - it's four times the amount of work. "We are happy with two
children, and we will have to wait and see if we have any more. Originally, we
thought about having four or five, but we are all fine as we are now. "Jack and
Marie are great friends, and really good company for each other. I think it's
good for kids to be around other kids."
While he has been developing his songwriting prowess, Keating can't see the day
when he swaps over to the production side of the music industry full-time. "I
may have been going for 10 years, but I'm still pretty young, and to perform
music is why I got into the business in the first place. I love doing it and
can't ever see a day when I don't want to get up on stage and perform." But if
the hits stop coming, he could always make a living as a drag act! He made
headlines last month with a spot of cross-dressing, donning drag for a brassy
blonde image which made him look like Paul O'Grady's alter ego, Lily Savage.
Ronan ditched his usual suave style for the panto dame makeover as part of a
campaign for Heineken.
*
Ronan Keating is at the Telewest Arena on Monday.
Ticket details are on (0870) 707 8000, or visit
www.telewestarena.co.uk
Hike Ahead
for Ronan - 10.04.03
By Andy Coleman, Evening Mail
After 12 months touring the
world to promote his album Destination you'd think Ronan Keating would want to
go home, put up his feet and have a nice long rest.
But the former Boyzone star is set
to attempt something just as exhausting as soon as the tour finishes next month
- a 420 mile hike across Ireland.
"I'll be walking from the Giant's
Causeway in the north to Kinsale in the south," says the 25-year-old who plays
Birmingham NEC on Wednesday 9 April and Thursday 10 April. "It should take
between two and half and three weeks. I ought to be training for it as I've
never done anything like it before, but I'm not doing a great job at the moment!
"At various stages I'll be joined by
family and friends but I'm the only one doing the complete journey."
It will be quite a feat but for
Ronan it will be worth every painful step.
"I'll be raising money for the Marie
Keating Foundation, set up in memory of my mother who died of cancer," he
explains.
The foundation has already supplied
three mobile units that travel around Ireland with information and education
about the disease. Ronan would now like to see that work extended to the rest of
the UK.
"I hope my walk will also raise
awareness that cancer can be treated," he says.
Although the Destination tour began
in the UK last year the show has evolved over 12 months on the road.
"I'd get bored doing the same stuff
so we changed it around, with some new songs off old albums and four or five
tracks from my forthcoming album which I'll be finishing after I've completed
the walk."
One country not visited during the
world tour is America, a territory Ronan is still keen to conquer.
"I've done some promo work there but
I haven't gone at it full on yet," he reveals. "It's quite slow to take off and,
as Robbie Williams has discovered, it's hard work and you have to be prepared to
spend a lot of time there.
"But I like a challenge so I'm still
hopeful."
Ironically his forthcoming single,
The Long Goodbye, has already been a hit in the States - in the country charts.
"I wrote it with Paul Brady three
years ago and gave it to a few people. Country duo Brooks and Dunn took it to
number one, although we wrote it as a pop song, not a country tune."
After so much solo success in the
rest of the world it is no surprise when Ronan says a Boyzone reunion is out of
the question.
"There's no reason for us to do it,"
he explains. "We've just drifted apart.
"I don't watch television so I
haven't even seen Keith Duffy in Coronation Street, although I hear he's very
good in it.
"I wouldn't want to work in
television myself but I'd be interested in a movie role. I love watching films
and would like to be in an action movie, like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible,
Johnny Depp or Robert de Niro.
"I wouldn't mind whether I was cast
as a goodie or a baddie - but I'd relish the challenge of being a villain."
Keating Finding His
Destination - 09.04.03
A boy
who became The Man in pop, Ronan Keating talks to PETER CARROLL on how
he has kept at the top since leaving one of the biggest bands in UK
chart history
Ronan Keating
has revealed that he might have released a Sinatra-style album of songs - had
not fellow superstar Robbie Williams got there first.
"Robbie beat me to it on that one so
I had to put it on the back-burner," the Irish crooner told the Express & Star.
But you never know, I may get round to doing something like that one day."
The future certainly remains bright
for the Boyzone mainman, who will be playing two shows at Birmingham NEC as part
of his Destination 2003 tour.
Having reached the top of both album
and singles charts with his debut solo releases - he found himself with another
chart-topping hit with his second album, Destination, on its release last year.
His tour to promote the album proved
such a hit with fans that it is back, albeit in an altered form, this year. "The
show has been reworked with new numbers, so it's completely different from the
last tour," says the 26-year-old singer.
"It helps keep it more interesting
for me as well as the fans."
Keating says he initially missed the
company of his Boyzone bandmates when he first began touring as a solo act.
"Now, I prefer being on my own - there's a lot more freedom."
As ever, his set will contain a mix
of original material and covers and it is interesting to hear his views on what
makes a good song for his audience.
Keating says he instinctively knows
if a song can be a hit for himself or Boyzone. "I look for a classic, songs that
people can relate to," is how he sums it up.
Some would like to have seen more
ambitious songs attempted - but there is no denying that Keating knows his
market. His knowledge of the business side of the music world has even extended
into management.
When Westlife showed they were ready
to step into Boyzone's shoes, one of their backers was Keating.
He says he knew they were going to
make a huge connection with people as soon as he heard them singing.
All they needed was the material -
and Keating was on hand to offer advice.
Westlife have gone on to become
superstars in their own right and Keating, who has his own career to concentrate
on, is now no longer involved in co-managing them.
But that doesn't mean to say he has
turned his back on the management side of the business.
"I'm very busy with my own career at
the moment but I'm always on the lookout for new talent."
So what advice would he give to
young acts hoping to become the next Boyzone or Westlife?
"Choose the right song - that's the
most important thing. You've also got to try and get the right people round you
too."
Then their lives might turn into a
rollercoaster - just like Keating's.
Ronan Keating plays Birmingham NEC
on April 9/10.
Express & Star
Ronan and Louis Final Cut..!
- 07.04.03
Irish crooner Ronan Keating
and boyband svengali Louis Walsh have parted company after a massive
bust up over money and artistic differences.
Many people thought the multimillion euro relationship between Ronan
Keating and Louis Walsh would never end, but according to reports the
two are far from even being on speaking terms.
Apparently it all kicked off when Ronan wanted to slash Louis'
percentage from the standard his 20% cut to 10%. During their
negotiations a heated argument broke out and Ronan stormed off.
It has long been known in the media that Ronan wants to shake off his
karaoke crooner image for a more edgy and rough new style.
But Louis has continually compared Ronan's style of music to Cliff
Richard's which deeply upset the young Dubliner who is desperate for
credibility.
It now looks like their partnership is beyond reconciliation
Ronan All Washed Up - 06.04.03
Ronan and Louis split ends megabucks pop
partnership for good
Chart topper Ronan Keating and pop svengali Louis Walsh have split after
a “heated” meeting in Dublin this week.
Walsh is said to have stormed out on the singer and out of his future
career after a meeting in Dublin’s Four Season Hotel.
Pop guru Walsh, who plucked Keating from obscurity in 1994, has ended
his long and successful partnership with the singer because of
“artistic differences” according to industry sources.
“Ronan sees himself as a credible artist or a budding ‘rock’
star” said the source.
“He thinks Louis’s management is putting him into the pigeon-hole of
a boy-band act. Basically he hates the fact that Louis has been
describing him as the new Cliff Richard.”
“So the two of them have been at odds. Louis has been saying “Cop
on. Know your limitations. Stop trying to be credible. Enjoy the success
you’re having” but Ronan is much more ambitious than that. He’s
having none of it”
Neglected
He revealed the singer was also feeling neglected in Walsh’s growing
pop stable, which includes acts such as Westlife, ~Samantha Mumba, Six
and Girls Aloud.
“In the beginning there was just Boyzone and Ronan had Louis’s full
attention,” said the source. “But then Westlife cam along and a
string of other projects from Pop Stars and Pop Rivals to Lulu,
Bellefire, Samantha and Omero Mumba. Louis was having a huge amount of
success, especially with Westlife. He couldn’t be at Ronan’s beck
and call anymore. I think Ronan felt that he wasn’t getting the
attention he deserved.”
Walsh discovered Keating when he worked in the Dublin shoe shop Korksy
aged just 16. He put Keating in his new boyband, and within a week
Boyzone made a national spectacle of themselves on the Late Late Show.
However, Walsh persisted and landed a record deal for the band. He was
even forced to wage a battle to keep Keating in the band when their UK
record producer demanded he be dropped because he believed he couldn’t
sign. Keating became the front man of Boyzone and they enjoyed eight
number one singles under the guidance of Walsh.
EndZone
- 04.04.03
Ronan and Louis split ends megabucks pop
partnership for good
Chart topper Ronan Keating and pop svengali Louis Walsh have split after
a “heated” meeting in Dublin this week.
Walsh is said to have stormed out on the singer and out of his future
career after a meeting in Dublin’s Four Season Hotel.
Pop guru Walsh, who plucked Keating from obscurity in 1994, has ended
his long and successful partnership with the singer because of
“artistic differences” according to industry sources.
“Ronan sees himself as a credible artist or a budding ‘rock’
star” said the source.
“He thinks Louis’s management is putting him into the pigeon-hole of
a boy-band act. Basically he hates the fact that Louis has been
describing him as the new Cliff Richard.”
“So the two of them have been at odds. Louis has been saying “Cop
on. Know your limitations. Stop trying to be credible. Enjoy the success
you’re having” but Ronan is much more ambitious than that. He’s
having none of it”
Neglected
He revealed the singer was also feeling neglected in Walsh’s growing
pop stable, which includes acts such as Westlife, ~Samantha Mumba, Six
and Girls Aloud.
“In the beginning there was just Boyzone and Ronan had Louis’s full
attention,” said the source. “But then Westlife cam along and a
string of other projects from Pop Stars and Pop Rivals to Lulu,
Bellefire, Samantha and Omero Mumba. Louis was having a huge amount of
success, especially with Westlife. He couldn’t be at Ronan’s beck
and call anymore. I think Ronan felt that he wasn’t getting the
attention he deserved.”
Walsh discovered Keating when he worked in the Dublin shoe shop Korksy
aged just 16. He put Keating in his new boyband, and within a week
Boyzone made a national spectacle of themselves on the Late Late Show.
However, Walsh persisted and landed a record deal for the band. He was
even forced to wage a battle to keep Keating in the band when their UK
record producer demanded he be dropped because he believed he couldn’t
sign. Keating became the front man of Boyzone and they enjoyed eight
number one singles under the guidance of Walsh.
Rescued at Rock-Bottom - 01.04.03
Rescued at
Rock-Bottom Celebrity
Saviours
They were young, rich
and famous but desperately unhappy - until they found their star
soulmates.
Can you believe that
this successful, happily married pop star is still in his mid
twenties? What makes Ronan even more unusual is that he reaped
the rewards of pop success without the rock 'n' roll living that
usually accompanies such a meteoric rise to stardom.
He admits that, as
someone who became famous at just 16 with Boyzone, he could have
wandered down a very different path in life had he not settled down
with former model Yvonne. 'If I hadn't met Yvonne, I think I
probably would have taken drugs, been an alcoholic, been one of those
wasters turning up at every party.' Thankfully his model woman
saved him.
HOPE
War Child - 01.04.03
"Hope"
album to raise cash for children in Iraq to be
released on April 21. All proceeds from the CD will
be donated to the charity War Child. Ronan Keating
with Elvis’s 1969 mega hit, In the Ghetto. Ronan's version was recorded
live at the BBC’s Top of the Pops studio earlier this month.
In association with the One
Canada Square based Daily Mirror the CD will be rush-released on Monday
April 21 with all profits donated to the War Child charity.
Travis - The Beautiful Occupation
New Order - Vietnam
Avril Lavigne - Knocking on Heaven's
Door
Bassment Jaxx feat. Yellowman - Love
is the Answer
Paul McCartney - Calico Skies
Spiritualised - Hold On
David Bowie - Loving The Alien
Charlatans - We Got to Have Peace
George Michael - The Grave
Beth Orton - Ooh Child
Ronan Keating - In The Ghetto
Tom McRae - Border Song Covers Its
Tracks
Lee Ryan(Blue) - Stand up as People
Billy Bragg - The Wolf
Beverley Knight - Love's in Need of
Love Today
Yusuf Islam - Peace Train
Moby - Nearer
HALC
Weekend 2003
- 29.03.03
Ronan, Liberty X and Mis-Teeq Live
Pop favourites Ronan Keating, Liberty X
and Mis-Teeq performed live in Capital’s Studio 7 especially
for Help a London Child. Fans have been bidding all week for a
chance to see their favourite pop acts. Tickets to see Ronan
sold like hotcakes when they were put up for auction, and fans soon
snapped up tickets to see Liberty X and Mis-Teeq
