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Rick Astley
Composer, Actor, Writer, Additional CreditsBorn February 6, 1966 (59 years)
Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, radio DJ and podcaster. He gained fame through his association with the production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, releasing the 1987 album Whenever You Need Somebody, which sold 15 million copies worldwide and was certified Platinum by both the BPI and the RIAA. His debut single "Never Gonna Give You Up" was a No. 1 hit in more than 25 countries, winning the 1988 Brit Award for Best British Single. The song also stayed at the top of the UK chart for five weeks in 1987 and was the best-selling single of that year. His 1988 single "Together Forever" also topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and was one of his eight songs to reach the UK Singles Chart Top 10.
In 1988, Astley followed up his debut album with Hold Me in Your Arms which achieved Platinum and Gold certifications internationally. The lead single "She Wants to Dance with Me" became a worldwide Top 10 hit. In 1991, he left Stock Aitken Waterman and moved his musical direction towards soul, which he explored on his other albums. His 1991 single "Cry for Help" was his last single to reach the Top 10 in either the US or UK. In 1993, he retired from music to focus on spending time with his partner and daughter. He returned to the music industry in 2000 and released 50 to celebrate his 50th birthday in 2016, with the album debuting in the UK at No. 1. His most recent studio album Are We There Yet? was released in 2023.
Astley has sold approximately 40 million records worldwide and was nominated in 1989 for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist but lost to Tracy Chapman. During the period between his debut release and his fifth single, Astley outsold every other artist in the world. In the United Kingdom, Astley was also in the Top 40 every week for the first six months of his career. He became an internet phenomenon in 2007 following the emergence of the Rickrolling meme, which utilizes the music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up", and his career was revitalised by the meme's popularity. A year after the Rickrolling meme began, he was voted "Best Act Ever" at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008. On 28 July 2021, "Never Gonna Give You Up" became the fourth 1980s song to reach one billion views on YouTube.
Richard Paul Astley was born on 6 February 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, the fourth child of Horace and Cynthia Astley. His parents divorced when he was 5 and Astley was brought up by his father who was "really, really pissed off a lot of the time... but he was great as well, he was really loving". Rick remained in very close contact with his mother, who lived a few streets away. Describing his childhood, Astley stated "There was definitely an element of 'There's something very wrong in this family.' I can't even say I've got these exact memories of it, I just know it was a bit odd." ...
Source: Article "Rick Astley" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
In 1988, Astley followed up his debut album with Hold Me in Your Arms which achieved Platinum and Gold certifications internationally. The lead single "She Wants to Dance with Me" became a worldwide Top 10 hit. In 1991, he left Stock Aitken Waterman and moved his musical direction towards soul, which he explored on his other albums. His 1991 single "Cry for Help" was his last single to reach the Top 10 in either the US or UK. In 1993, he retired from music to focus on spending time with his partner and daughter. He returned to the music industry in 2000 and released 50 to celebrate his 50th birthday in 2016, with the album debuting in the UK at No. 1. His most recent studio album Are We There Yet? was released in 2023.
Astley has sold approximately 40 million records worldwide and was nominated in 1989 for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist but lost to Tracy Chapman. During the period between his debut release and his fifth single, Astley outsold every other artist in the world. In the United Kingdom, Astley was also in the Top 40 every week for the first six months of his career. He became an internet phenomenon in 2007 following the emergence of the Rickrolling meme, which utilizes the music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up", and his career was revitalised by the meme's popularity. A year after the Rickrolling meme began, he was voted "Best Act Ever" at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008. On 28 July 2021, "Never Gonna Give You Up" became the fourth 1980s song to reach one billion views on YouTube.
Richard Paul Astley was born on 6 February 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, the fourth child of Horace and Cynthia Astley. His parents divorced when he was 5 and Astley was brought up by his father who was "really, really pissed off a lot of the time... but he was great as well, he was really loving". Rick remained in very close contact with his mother, who lived a few streets away. Describing his childhood, Astley stated "There was definitely an element of 'There's something very wrong in this family.' I can't even say I've got these exact memories of it, I just know it was a bit odd." ...
Source: Article "Rick Astley" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Rick Astley Filmography
| 2023 | The Royal Variety Performance 2023 · as Self |
| 2023 | Stock Aitken Waterman: Legends of Pop (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2021 | МУЗ КЛИПЫ 80х · as Self - Singer (archive Footage) |
| 2021 | MTV 80s - Top 50 Legends of the 80s! · as Rick Astley |
| 2021 | MTV 80s - Top 50 Super 80s Pop Hits! · as Rick Astley |
| 2021 | MTV 80s - Top 50 Global No. 1s of the 80s! · as Rick Astley |
| 2020 | МУЗ КЛИПЫ 80х · as Self - Singer (archive Footage) |
| 2020 | MTV 80s - Top 50 Unforgettable 80s Music Videos! · as Rick Astley |
| 2020 | MTV 80s - Top 50 Best 80s Debuts! · as Rick Astley |
| 2020 | MTV 80s - Top 50 Feelgood 80s Anthems! · as Rick Astley |
| 2020 | MTV 80s - Top 50 Boys vs Girls of the 80s! · as Rick Astley |
| 2020 | MTV 80s - Top 50 80s Classics That Made MTV! · as Rick Astley |
| 2020 | Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2020 | Reasons To Be Cheerful with Matt Lucas (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2019 | The Kelly Clarkson Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2019 | Mary Berry's Quick Cooking (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2019 | The Last 24 Hours: Prince · as Self |
| 2019 | |
| 2018 | Kylie Minogue Live at Hyde Park · as Self |
| 2018 | Stand Up To Cancer · as Self |
| 2017 | James Martin's Saturday Morning (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2017 | The Keith and Paddy Picture Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2017 | The Project (NZ) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2016 | The Big Fat Quiz of the Year · as Self |
| 2016 | Late Motiv (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2015 | Michael McIntyre's Big Show (TV Series) · as Self - Performer |
| 2014 | Roblox: The Movie · as Rick Astley |
| 2014 | Mohammed · as Rick Astley |
| 2014 | Good Morning Britain (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2013 | RTL Late Night (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2012 | Larry King Now (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2012 | Sunday Brunch (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2012 | CBS Mornings (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2011 | Berlin Live (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2010 | Pointless Celebrities (TV Series) · as Self - Performer |
| 2010 | The Talk (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 2009 | Live from Studio Five (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2009 | The Project (2009) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2008 | The Big Fat Quiz of the Year · as Self |
| 2008 | Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade · as Self |
| 2008 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2008 | Richard and Judy's New Position (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2008 | Celebrity Juice (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2008 | Markus Lanz (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | The Graham Norton Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | El Hormiguero 3.0 (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2006 | The ONE Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | CBeebies Bedtime Stories (TV Series) · as Self - Storyteller |
| 2004 | Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 2004 | The Insider (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | Tout le monde en parle (QC) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | The Xtra Factor (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | Strictly Come Dancing (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 2004 | 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs... Ever · as Self |
| 2002 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (TV Series) · as Self - Performer |
| 2001 | Stars 2001 - Die Aids-Gala · as Self |
| 2001 | Lorraine (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2001 | Football Focus (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2001 | Saturday Kitchen (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2000 | BBC Breakfast (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2000 | The Wright Stuff (TV Series) · as Self - Guest Panelist |
| 2000 | Sunrise (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | Loose Women (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | Volle Kanne (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1997 | Leute heute (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1997 | The Dome (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | Go' morgen Danmark (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | SMAP×SMAP (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1995 | Harald Schmidt Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1994 | WGN Morning News (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1993 | GMTV (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1992 | ARD-Morgenmagazin (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1991 | Amnesty International's Big 30 · as Self |
| 1990 | Söndagsöppet (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1989 | Kelly (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1989 | The Arsenio Hall Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | Flitterabend (TV Series) · as Self - Singer |
| 1988 | This Morning (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | LIVE with Kelly and Mark (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | Motormouth (1988) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | Going Live! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1982 | Countdown (TV Series) · as Self - Dictionary Corner |
| 1982 | Wogan (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1981 | Entertainment Tonight (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1980 | Granada Reports (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1980 | America's Top 10 (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1979 | Allsang pa Skansen (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Good Morning America (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 1964 | Top of the Pops (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1963 | Festival de Viña del Mar (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 1962 | The Late Late Show (IE) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1961 | Songs of Praise (TV Series) · as Self - Judge |
| 1952 | Today (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |