December 2005 News

The Story of………..Fairytale of New York - Transcript and screenshots

Baby Can I hold you

Ireland on Sunday - December 18th 2005

Ronan Keating and his wife Yvonne share their joy at the christening of bouncing little Ali:

By Jason O'Callaghan

Proud parents Ronan and Yvonne Keating partied into the small hours after celebrating the christening of baby Ali, the newest addition to their growing clan.

The former Boyzone star and his ex-model wife were joined at the ceremony in a seaside church by family and friends, and the couple's 2 other children six-year-old Jack and Marie 4.

Standing on the steps of the Seabury church in Malahide Co. Dublin the couple said they were 'overjoyed' at being able to celebrate the christening of the baby girl, who was 3lb 8oz when born in Mount Carmel hospital in September.

Speaking exclusively to Ireland on Sunday Ronan said we are going to have a great day and a wonderful Christmas. It's overjoying to have an event like this to celebrate and I know how lucky I am to be this blessed.

'We are going to have a party back in the house for all the family which I'm sure will go on well after, Ali, the guest of honour, is in bed.'

Ronan has no gigs pencilled in for the festive season as he plans to enjoy as much time as possible with Jack, Marie and their new sister. For Christmas I will be doing a small bit of work on my next album. I want to have a real family Christmas the singer said.

Following the ceremony in Malahide; the Keating clan and Yvonne's family which were both out in force, headed back to the couple's nearby 3million Euro home in the seaside town.

Ronan, who said his appearance on UTV's The Kelly show on Friday night will be his last gig before Christmas joked that he might be too busy with his 3 kids to watch the X Factor Final last night.

One of the judges is his old mentor and manager Louis Walsh; with whom he has had a frosty relationship in recent years.

'Let's just say I might be a little bit too busy to watch Louis on the TV but I wish him a Merry Christmas said Ronan.

The pair have still not met and made up since the singer dumped Louis as his manager three years ago.

There are rumours of a Boyzone reunion with Louis saying he would put the band back together without Ronan.

Louis wants 'You're a Star' finalist Brian Ormond to replace the Dublin singer.

Ronan however has said, in the past that he would be interested in a reunion, but with 11 million album sales that may still be a while off.

Guests at the christening included Ronan's dad Gerry, Ronan's brothers Gary and Gerard plus his sister Linda.

Yvonne's family were represented by her mother; Ann and her brother James.

Other guests included Ronan's best friend Terry Bradley.

With thanks to Mary for scanning this article!

Ronan’s Christmas message

www.ronankeating.com

Merry Christmas everyone!

All my very best wishes for a happy Christmas and a great New Year.  I hope it’s a fun and relaxing time for you all.

October 2005 news archive updated - Cancer ended dad feud

We would like to wish Ronan, Yvonne and family, all of our visitors and everyone who has sent us news and photos for our website, a very Merry Christmas and a happy and Healthy New Year.  Thanks for your continuing support, here's to a Ro-tastic 2006!

Ronan and Yvonne arriving at the Party to celebrate the Civil Ceremony of Elton John and David Furnish.

Photos courtesy of Sky and Yahoo

Ronan Keating and his wife take the wait in good humour.

Ronan and Yvonne attend the flamboyant party to celebrate the civil ceremony of Elton John and his partner David Furnish in Old Windsor, England.  More photos can be seen on Getty Images

Screenshots of Ronan on IMMIES 2005 - Chill Out added - Massive thanks to Jessie!

Still more to come!

Screenshots of Ronan arriving at the IMMIES 2005 added - Massive thanks to Jessie!

Lots more to come!....

Ronan featured on The Story of...A Fairy Tale of New York

BBC Three

Ronan is featured on a BBC programme called The Story of...Fairytale of New York. Which he discusses recording the song and what it means to him. You can catch the programme on BBC Three on the following dates:

Tuesday 20th December at 1.55am
Thursday 22nd December at 11.30pm
Friday 23rd December at 2.25am

Thanks to Dawn!

Ronan Keating gallery updated - 1 photo added

Official 2006 calendar photos added

Download these great Ronan desktop wallpapers from MTV India!

Ronan Keating gallery updated - 2 photos added

Please nominate Ronan at Virgin Radio's All Time Top 500 songs (Registration required)

Please nominate all 3 of Ronan's No.1 singles at Invicta FM's Top 100 singles countdown

Keating Helps Out

The Electric New Paper - December 15th 2005

CRITICS of celebrities with a cause shouldn't bother saying anything to Ronan Keating.

In an interview with The New Paper before the MTV Immies in Mumbai, he said that he didn't really care if people said he was doing this for publicity.

'If.. being a celebrity means it puts food into the mouth of a hungry child, they can say whatever they want,' said the father of two.

'For every one or two events that show up in the papers, I did 40 other things to get to that point.'

Keating was in India for the annual MTV Immies, which was turned into a fund-raising show for earthquake victims of India and Pakistan.

He also performed for the orphans of the tsunami disaster in Phuket, which was pre-recorded and shown at the MTV Asia Aid concert in Bangkok.

GIVING BACK

Said the 28-year-old singer: ' I believe in giving back because I have been lucky and I believe in using my celebrity status for that.'

The Irish singer is the United Nations goodwill ambassador for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation.

He is currently working on an album with Jamie Cullum, which he says should be ready next year.

The first single is due out in April.

'It's going be the best of big ballads,' said Keating, who promises a world tour in mid-2006 as well.

'I will definitely be coming to Singapore. I enjoy the weather and golfing there,' he said.

And in case you were wondering, with the rash of boy-band reunions like Backstreet Boys and Take That, if Boyzone might do the same, Keating nixed the idea completely.

He said firmly: 'There will be no Boyzone reunion.

'Even if the rest of the guys want to do it, I'm not.'

Thanks to Karen!

Big finish for Kelly show

UTV - December 14th 2005

This Friday (16th December) Gerry Kelly will host a grand Kelly finale in what promises to be a spectacular show on UTV at 8.30pm.

Gerry said: "We’ve had such interest from past guests wanting to be part of the last show that we’ve had to extend it into a two hour extravaganza to accommodate everyone.

"I’m delighted that guests ranging from Martin O’Neill, Brian Keenan, Ronan Keating and Eamonn Holmes to regulars like Brian Kennedy, Westlife and Phil Coulter will be joining me to perform and for a chat on my last show.

Ronan Keating, who first appeared on Kelly with Boyzone and has appeared every year since June 1994, will be singing and Westlife have juggled their schedule so as not to miss the chance to perform on the final show too.

Eamonn Holmes – who stepped in to present Kelly on two occasions when Gerry was unable to present the show – has a few surprises lined up for Gerry too!

Ronan on a roll

Mid Day - December 15th 2005

Apart from the Pakistani band Jal, who made quite a splash at the the MTV Immies post party on Friday, Ronan Keating was the man of the night, after a stunning performance for the junta at the Immies he stunned the post party-goers with his unexpectedly laid-back demeanour.

Ronan scooped out of the Rock, Bollywood and Electronica areas (sans bodyguards) at the JW Marriot and then parked himself at the poolside, where he happily signed autographs and chatted with pretty much anyone, who came along. (There’s a lesson in there for some of Mumbai’s showbiz brats, I’m sure!)

The MTV Immies Awards!

Photos courtesy of Rediff.com and Fotocorp India

Irish singer Ronan Keating, formerly the lead singer of Boyzone, gave one of the best performances of the evening.  He crooned to some of his greatest hits; I hope you dance, Life is a rollercoaster and When you say nothing at all. His performance lasted for only 15 minutes though the audience certainly wanted an encore.

View more photos of Ronan at the IMMIES 2005

Sunday 11th December 2005 - The Hindustan Times

"I'm loving every bit of life as a musician" Ronan Keating talks to HT City about music, his love for India and his filmmaking ambition.

He sang Life is a rollercoaster but he's been riding high ever since he made his debut on the international music scene. From being a member of the chart-topping boy-band Boyzone to a hit solo artist Ronan Keating has come a long way.

In India for a performance in Mumbai, Keating is ecstatic when asked about this country. "India is fantastic" he says. "I love the place, the people, the colours....there's so much of warmth here. Also, given a chance I'd love to be a part of Bollywood- it's huge. I'll return to India around next summer for shows" Ask him about Indian women & he blushes. "they're so pretty," he says, but wont name anyone because "i'll be back here and I want to stay alive"

Keating is excited about his new forthcoming album slated for a March 2006 release and jokes that the only thing missing on the international music scene is his new album. "After Turn it on that was a very personal album, my latest will also be a very different experience. I'm going back to the old-school type of music with just a touch of contemporary sounds. I have a lot of ballads & soothing tempos this time. I always wanted to be a singer and while Elvis Presley was my first major influence, the first album that I ever picked up was Queen" says Keating, who also holds Bono and Coldplay in high esteem.

He came to India seven years ago as a Boyzone member but insists he is better off as a soloist. "There's so much more you can do in terms of expressing yourself as a solo artist" he points out. "As a musician, I'm in a better situation right now."

Keating wants to work with several artists from the subcontinent.

"Strings and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan from Pakistan are some of the people who I think are doing a great job. I've also heard some Indian rock bands that are good. I was myself a part of a rock band called Namaste before Boyzone happened, and we did a lot of Bon Jovi kind of stuff. But then I realised pop music gives you a larger platform."

And as soon he finds time off, he's chase his secret ambition- directing a movie. Till then, he's happy living his dream of making music. "Life as a musician will always be my dream, and I'm loving every bit of living it" he signs off.

Thanks to Tuku!

Turn it on, Mumbai

Pop star Ronan Keating confesses he has fallen in love with the city’s hospitality

DNA India - December 10th 2005

It might have been a good seven years since he first came to India as part of the band Boyzone, but Ronan Keating clearly recalls his visit. “We were overwhelmed by Bangalore’s response then, and I am touched by the kind of welcome I have received in Mumbai this time,” says Keating. When asked about Bollywood, he says, “Indian films are really popular in the UK. But the musical, ‘Bombay Dreams’ is about as close as I have come to Bollywood!”

With four successful solo albums, Keating is undoubtedly a force to reckon in international music.

Known for championing causes he believes in, it was only natural that he should perform at the MTV Immies for the Kashmir quake relief victims. “I’m really glad and honoured to be the only international artiste invited to perform for such a noble cause,” he says. It has not been an easy transition from being a member of a supersuccessful boy band adored the world over to leading a solo career. “I think the main difference between the two is the freedom. When you go solo you make all the decisions, and to me, that is very important. However, when I look back at my Boyzone days, I do regret the way in which it all ended.”

That said, the singer does try and catch up with the band mates. “We last met some eight months back, so in that sense it’s been quite some time. But yeah, we try to meet when we can,” is all he is willing to say.

If the break-up was one of the low points of his career, he says he has still not reached a high point. My next album is due in March and that’s gonna be my best till date.”

And have things changed over the years? “Not really. I still think that there’s nothing like performing on stage; I still need that adrenaline rush to keep me going.

And my songs still spell love and hope. But yes, Meg Ryan is no longer my favourite,” Keating signs off with a grin.

The IMMIES 2005

Cybermoon - December 9th 2005

Ronan at the Immies 2005 - Ronan's speech - Transcript

Listen to Ronan's speech here

How’s it going everybody hope you’re well, just came off stage great performance; really enjoyed it great to be back in India. It took 7 years to get here but I’m back and I’m coming back next year to do some shows so stay tuned and thanks for the support over those 7 years guys; all the 10 years I’ll see you soon enjoy your night, enjoy the show on the 17th.

And don’t forget to donate; don’t forget guys that’s what tonight is all about, as much as you can God bless.

Ronan at the IMMIES

December 8th 2005

Ronan speaks at the announcement of the MTV IMMIES - Indian Music Excellence Awards in support of Quake Relief in Mumbai.

View photos at Getty Images

Ronan Keating's Classic Duets

BBC Radio 2

Ronan Keating makes a welcome return to Radio 2 this Christmas Eve when he plays two hours of Classic Duets from Midday - 2pm. The programme will feature some of the greatest collaborations of all time and will also feature the choices of some of the biggest stars of 2005 including Sugababes, Katie Melua, Lulu and many more.

Thanks to Karen!

A Different Story VIP Preview Evening

December 5th 2005

Ronan and Yvonne were among the VIP guests at George Michael's preview screening of 'A Different Story' a documentary based on the singer's life, held at the Curzon Mayfair theatre London.

See more photos at Getty Images, WENN, Wire Images and London Features

Pigsback.com interview

Real Magazine: Celebrity Bites - Thanks to Caroline!

Listen to an archive radio show with Ronan on Magic 105.4 fm - Sunday Star Selection.