Rick Astley has left a lasting impression on pop music. Astley is a consummate professional who has impressed audiences since 1985. With 13 worldwide hit singles, he truly is a titan of the industry and a natural headliner at any concert or music festival. Astley began his music career as a drummer in the soul band FBI. A well-known local band, they gigged in pubs and clubs around the country. The band eventually split up but not before Astley was noticed by record producer Pete Waterman.
Moving to London, Astley was taken under the wing of the production team Stock Aitken Waterman and taught the ins and outs of the recording process. At the tender age of 21, Astley released the universally loved single ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. The combination of Astley baritone voice and dance-pop instrumentation made the song an instant classic. The phenomenal single spent five weeks atop the British charts becoming the year’s highest-selling single. The popularity of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ was unprecedented, topping the charts in 24 other countries.
Following this single Astley released the album Whenever You Need Somebody featuring a single of the same name. Astley again saw success in the singles charts, reaching number one in seven countries. Locally it came close reaching third in the British charts. The album was a roaring success, going quadruple platinum in the UK and Canada and double platinum in the USA. The young star had the world at his feet, selling 15.2 million copies worldwide.
From the 90s onwards Astley changed his sound to follow his true passion, soul music. Shifting genres is no easy task for an artist but Astley handled it with ease with his album Free reaching the top 10 in the UK and even featured collaborations with Elton John. Astley took a hiatus from music in the 90s to care for his family but came back strong signing a deal with record giants Polydor in the early 2000s. Since then Astley has toured the world, selling out shows with his characteristic voice and star quality guaranteed to entertain audiences - with Champions Music & Entertainment working closely with his management team, WME, to secure a variety of performances across the globe for this iconic superstar. His act is second to none and as such an unforgettable music icon is a must at any music event.
