TEENAGER Graham Mullin hopes the luck of the Irish will rub off on him when he
appears as Ronan Keating on Stars in Their Eyes: Kids. ... Read more here
Boyzone star Ronan plans to team up with former Westlife band member Bryan
McFadden.
Bryan, of course, quit Westlife two weeks ago to spend more time with his
family. I can reveal that Bryan and Ronan are planning to write songs together
for Ronan's next album.
This will infuriate Louis Walsh, who was fired by Ronan last year after 10
years together.
Ronan said: "I always knew that Bryan was a talented songwriter. I can think
of nothing better than teaming up with him for new material."
This is extra good news for the former Westlife stool-sitter, as his latest
song has also just been picked as the Eurovision entry for Ireland this year
as well.
Irish pop star Ronan Keating talked to Channel [V] VJ Cindy Burbridge in
Shanghai about his 10th year in show-business and his most personal album yet.
MICHAEL CHEANG sat in on the interview.
TEN years ago, a 16-year old boy from Dublin entered a competition that aimed
to recruit members for an Irish band called Take That (then Britain’s biggest
boy band). When he failed, he tried again in another competition. This time
around, he beat 300 other hopefuls with his rendition of Cat Steven’s Father &
Son. The guy, Ronan Keating, eventually became a member of Boyzone, Ireland’s
biggest boy band ever.
Today, Keating is no longer the fresh-faced teenager he was then. Happily
married and father of a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter, he is
a lot more mature and experienced now. He has also been a chart-topping solo
artiste for three years following his exit from Boyzone in 2000. He first
established himself as a solo artiste with his debut hit When You Say Nothing
at All, from the soundtrack of the hit movie, Notting Hill. More success
followed when he released Life Is a Rollercoaster, which sold 17 million
copies worldwide.
Keating credits his staying power to his love for music. “I love making
records, and I have a real passion and love for music. I love everything about
it – touring, promoting, recording – and I enjoy every minute of it,” he said.
“I am lucky to be still in the business after having left the boy band for so
long. I have seen many guys coming and going, trying to do the same thing. But
I think the hardest thing to do in this business is just to stick around.”
According to the singer, his new release, Turn it On, is the most honest album
he has made so far. “It is very personal, and there are songs about my family,
my wife and my mother. Last year was a very strange year, and I feel that the
album is a piece of me.”
Keating
got involved as much as possible in the making of the album, including the
production and filming of the videos, and penning 10 of the songs. Among them
is This Is Your Song, which Keating wrote for his mother, who died in 1998.
“It is the most honest and personal song I have ever written. It took a while
before I was prepared to play it in public,” he said.
Keating cited his experiences while travelling, meeting people and lost love
as inspiration for his songs. He added that the best songs usually came when
he least expected it.
“I wrote The Best of Me in 25 minutes together with Paul Barry! We had half an
hour's break, and we banged it out just like that. Some of the best songs
often come out that way.”
The album also features cover versions of Kenny Rogers’s She Believes in Me,
and Terence Trent D’Arby’s old hit Let Her Down Easy. “I met Terence one day,
and played the song for him. He gave us his seal of approval which, to me, is
a great feeling,” Keating said.
He also collaborated with his idol Leann Rimes on the song Last Thing on My
Mind. “I feel that working with other singers adds a whole new dimension to my
work. I like to work with someone who is completely different from myself,
may-be R&B stars like Mary J. Blige.”
Although he would like to reach out to as many people as possible, Keating
said that his music does not contain any strong messages. “It’s all feel-good
pop music that everyone can relate to it. I want people to feel good when
listening to my songs, and just roll down the window and sing along.”
Besides his music, Keating is also making his acting debut in Guns Money and
Homecooking. Filming started last month.
Keating reckoned that one cannot be oneself too seriously in this business.
“You have to be able to take the mickey out of yourself, or you’ll lose the
plot,” he said. “Stars like The Darkness and Robbie Williams know how to laugh
at themselves, and to take things with a pinch of salt.”
While success has been sweet, Keating’s family is still his main focus. “The
birth of my kids was the most magical thing that happened to me,” said
Keating. “I work hard all day and my schedule can be very busy, but I try to
get home as much as I can to be with them.”
Catch VJ Cindy Burbridge with Ronan Keating in Shanghai, on The Inter[V]iew
which airs on Channel [V] on March 30 (10pm) with repeats on March 31 (6am and
11am), April 3 (4am and 1.30pm) and April 4 (9.30am).
Leann Rimes shot her new music video in Nashville on
Thursday with the help of Irishman Ronan Keating. Part of the video takes
place in an "old-timey" radio studio (Clear Channel is everywhere, ain't it?).
Ronan, by the way, is the ex-frontman for the European boyband Boyzone.
The video is for "Last Thing On My Mind" which appears on Ronan's third solo
album, Turn It On, and is likely to appear on Leann's next CD, too.
As Ireland's punters return home from Cheltenham this weekend, the betting
is now on as to who is going to win the award for the most stylish woman in
Ireland! Yes, girls, the competition is hotting up among the 18 finalists in
this year's Peter Mark VIP Style Awards 2004.
The panel of judges, which includes titleholder RTE's Mary Kennedy and former
model Jackie Lavin, had a tough job this year but managed to whittle it down to
18 ultra-stylish well-known personalities.
So who are the bookies' favourites? Will the ever-stylish Noleen McCreevy or
rock chick Samantha Mumba win out? Other hotly-tipped contenders include Off The
Rails fashionistas Pamela Flood and Caroline Morohan, Miss World Rosanna
Davison, Grainne Seoige, the stunning new presenter for Sky News Ireland, TV3's
Lorraine Keane and Yvonne Keating.
The winner will be announced at a lunch in the Four Seasons on Wednesday, March
31.
Vote for Ronan as 'Favourite International Solo Artist
- Male' in the 95.8 Capital FM Awards for Help a London Child - Click here to go to our Support
Ronan page where you will find the voting link.
ZUCCHERO and very special guests... Solomon Burke, Ronan Keating, Cheb mami,
Paul Young Mousse T, Luciano Pavarotti, Dolores O'Riordan of the cranberries
Adelmo Fornaciari, better known to the world as ZUCCHERO, has announced
details of a unique one-night concert event at the Royal Albert Hall on
Thursday 6th May 2004.
ZUCCHERO has been an established and respected worldwide figure since
recording his first album in 1983. Throughout his career, collaborations with
other artists have brought him to a wider audience with each recording and
performance: 'Senza Una Donna' with Paul Young which topped the charts around
the world; “Wonderful World” a unique duet with Eric Clapton; the Italian
adaptation on Sting's 'The Soul Cages' album of 'Muoio Per Te' ('Mad About
You') where ZUCCHERO wrote the lyrics and sang; a magical duet with Luciano
Pavarotti of “Miserere” a song written by ZUCCHERO and now performed by many
artists on the world stage. Unforgettable music made with a wide range of
friends and peers.
From being the first rock artist to perform at The Kremlin in Moscow;
performing in Germany with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; being the only
European artist to appear at the second Woodstock Festival; appearing with
Bono (who wrote the lyrics for ZUCCHERO's song Blue), Queen and Beyonce as
part of the 46664 Nelson Mandela concert in South Africa on 29th November
2003. ZUCCHERO is truly an international performer.
The Royal Albert Hall show will celebrate the release of ZUCCHERO's new album
of duets, which again shows that ZUCCHERO’s music has no boundaries. The album
Features duets with artists as diverse as B. B. King, Luciano Pavarotti and
Andrea Bocelli, Eric Clapton, Sting, Macy Gray and Jeff Beck, John Lee Hooker,
Ronan Keating, Brian May, Mousse T, Tom Jones, Sheryl Crow, and many more.
Artists so far confirmed to appear include, Luciano Pavarotti, Solomon Burke,
Ronan Keating, Cheb Mami, Mousse T, Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries and
Paul Young. ZUCCHERO has many friends in the world of music and film and more
will be added to this very special evening.
Ronan Keating’s wife Yvonne spent €20,000 on a surprise birthday present for
the singer only to find out that the former Boyzone star had already splashed
out over €200,000 on a present for himself.
A jet-lagged Ronan flew home to Ireland this morning after a wild weekend in
New York where he was celebrating his 27th birthday in style since Friday.
The €20,000 first class trip for the singer plus his three brothers and two
best friends was paid for in full by his wife, as a surprise present for his
big day.
And only weeks ago Ronan held a massive surprise birthday party in the
Guinness Store house for Yvonne’s 30th birthday.
Charity
However, Ronan also flew home to a second surprise this morning as over the
weekend his brand new €200,000 Bentley arrived at his northside mansion.
The custom-made luxury car is fitted with blackened out windows and all the
extras the car can handle.
In a funny twist of fate the car is exactly the same make and model that
Ronan’s former manager Louis Walsh bought himself last year.
Speaking exclusively to the diary over the weekend, Ronan’s wife Yvonne said,
“We only flew in from Dubai on Thursday night where Ronan was playing golf.
“We had to pop into Cruzzos restaurant in Malahide to visit a fashion event
being held for Ronan’s charity the Marie Keating foundation,” she added.
“I gave him his present, which meant he only got to bed after the Dubai flight
and was off the next morning to New York for his birthday with the lads.
“He was wrecked but his brothers, who are with him used to live in New York so
I’m sure they will show him a good relaxing time as they know all the
hotspots.”
Luxury
But it was Ronan’s present to himself that got his closest friends talking.
Celebrity solicitor Gerald Kean, who has also just bought one of the special
€200,000 Bentleys told the diary:
“Ronan just got a Bentley the same as mine and he is over the moon with it.
“It’s a beautiful car and worth every penny. It’s pure luxury,” he added.
What a jetset kinda guy! Irish superstar Ronan Keating flew out to Dubai for a
round of golf with Tiger Woods last week and then back to Dublin for dinner in
Cruzzo's Restaurant...
ShowBiz Ireland takes its hat off to Ronan Keating's omnipresence last week.
Just as we were getting pictures from his fans in Dubai with reports of Ronan
doing an impromptu gig in a restaurant called Wafi City the crafty singer
turned up at Sans Souci Fashion Show and Dinner in Cruzzo's restaurant on
Malahide Marina!
So that leads us to think there must be more than one Ronan Keating - perhaps
his record company have cloned the Dubliner to keep his fans happy
worldwide?
Whatever his secret is we say still say FAIRPLAY to the energetic singer.
March 6th - The filming of the video for Ronan's forthcoming single
"Last Thing On My Mind" featuring LeAnn Rimes begins next week, release
details coming soon, stay tuned!
RONAN KEATING was amongst the celebrities competing in
yesterday's Dubai Desert Classic Pro Am.
The former Boyzone star took to the Majlis Course
alongside the Dubai Duty Free team of Colm McLoughlin, Brendan O'Shea and
former Desert Classic champion David Howell.
Barry Lane led his team of Roger John, Richard Alexander,
Francisco Giles to victory with a score of 55, three shots ahead of Thomas
Bjorn's Emirates' team of Khuram Hussein and sporting legends Frankie
Dettori and Franz Beckenbauer. Third was the chairman's team of Tiger Woods,
Rashid Alabbar, Faris Al Mazroui and Abdullah Almosharrekh, also on 58.
March 3rd - Ronan competing in the Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am Golf
Tournament today - Click here for larger photos
"World number one Tiger Woods today (March 3) joined forces with three of the
brightest young talents in Arab golf in the 2004 Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am,
sponsored by Emaar. Woods teamed up with UAE junior golfers Rashid Alabbar,
Faris Al Mazroui and Abdullah Almosharrekh to play in the Pro-Am at the Majlis
Course just 24 hours before taking on the best of the PGA European Tour in the
Desert Classic. Also competing in the Pro-Am were German football legend Franz
Beckenbauer, Dubai World Cup winner jockey Frankie Dettori and pop superstar
Ronan Keating."
As well as sporting stars Beckenbauer and Dettori, former F1 star Nigel
Mansell showed his prowess on the golf course playing off a handicap of just
one in the CNN team, while former Boyzone singer Ronan Keating celebrated
his 27th birthday by taking to the Majlis Course alongside the Dubai Duty
Free team of Colm McLoughlin, Brendan O’Shea and former Desert Classic
champion David Howell. - Click here
Keating
got involved as much as possible in the making of the album, including the
production and filming of the videos, and penning 10 of the songs. Among them
is This Is Your Song, which Keating wrote for his mother, who died in 1998.
