Post by Helen on Feb 23, 2005 21:07:43 GMT
www.thisislondon.co.uk
This is London - September 29, 2004
Ronan: 'I worry all the time'
By Becky Howard, This is London
29 September 2004
It's something guaranteed to make you feel old – the fact that Ronan Keating's releasing an album commemorating his ten years in pop music. How could this be, that the fresh-faced youngster crooning his way through hit ballad after hit ballad with Irish five-piece Boyzone is now an elder statesman in today’s fickle pop market, with millions of record sales under his immaculately-styled belt? The man himself laughs at this – "I know, I can’t believe it either, although it does feel as if I’ve been doing it all my life – it’s all I know, that’s for sure. I was sixteen when I started. Boyzone feels like a lifetime ago."
Ronan Keating is a busy man right now. He released a new single this week, the familiar-sounding, country cover I Hope You Dance, which will be followed swiftly by his 10 Years of Hits album on October 11th, which covers both the Boyzone years and his successful solo career. As the 27-year-old star peruses the track listing on the album ("This is the first time I’ve seen it"), does it bring back any memories of his younger self?
"Ah yeah," he says. "Every song here has a memory attached to it – both good and bad..."
And if you could, would you say anything to your sixteen-year-old self when you were starting out? Ronan fixes me with his surprisingly large eyes and speaks in his quick, determined voice.
"I’d tell myself to enjoy myself a bit more. I did definitely have a laugh but I worried constantly. I bring it on myself – I worry all the bloody time. I always panic about everything. You know, I was the youngest in theband and I was still the ‘tour manager’ for the first year before we had amanager, booking flights and hotels – and at 16 you should be going wild,really!"
Trying to probe further results in a Ronan ‘shut-down’ ("It’s just the way Iam"), which is typical of the singer. He’s friendly, polite, co-operative, but immensely guarded. Speaking urgently, he answers questions with a chatty spiel, which halts abruptly when he’s done. Ronan expertly avoids those subjects that he’s not comfortable with, with a stern, short riposte. But it’s hardly unusual for someone who’s been in the public eye since their teens to be so controlled and savvy with the media.
One subject that the father-of-two will get animated about is his work for cancer charities. He recently took park in the Asda Tickled Pink concert, which featured performances from Geri Halliwell, Tom Jones, Jools Holland and Rachel Stevens, among others.
"That was great," he says. "To see the people come out and have so much passion and enthusiasm was fantastic to see. We want to try and make it bigger and better every year – but it was a great start.
"I’m constantly fundraising for cancer charities so I work with all of them,I won’t just work with one. We’re all trying to raise money to save people’s lives."
Of course, Ronan’s not going through the well-trod celebrity motions. His mother Marie died from breast cancer in 1998 and subsequently, his family set up the Marie Keating Foundation to provide free information about thedisease across Ireland. Ronan is passionately involved in raising awarenessand funds for the cause, and is planning to repeat his major task of last year in 2005, where he walked across the entire length of Ireland.
"Ah, that was bloody hell," he cringes. "It was just pure pain, awful. A layer of skin came off the bottom of my foot, we changed shoes five or six times, I had shin splints that I’d never witnessed before – I didn’t even know what they were before that. I’ll never forget it."
He endured a lot of pain earlier this year, too, in July, when he was rushed to hospital after becoming blinded by a rash and swelling around his eyes.
"I was working too hard and my immune system got down – I was sick as a dog and I got this viral infection that flared up," he explains, with obvious discomfort at the memory. "My face was swollen and my eye closed, I looked like I’d gone ten rounds with Tyson.
"It was really awful and I got very scared. I was in hospital for ten days and I’d never been in hospital before. It scared the sh*t out of me. It was exactly a wake-up call to slow down and that’s what I’m going to do now –take half of next year off to write the album."
So what’s next for Ronan? According to the tabloid reports last week, he’s set for a Christmas number one after re-recording Father and Son with Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam – who hit the headlines last week when he was deported from the US after being put on a terrorist ‘watch list’. Ronan is apoplectic on behalf of his friend.
"It's absolutely horrendous. He's the most peaceful, gentle man in the world. They got it wrong, I think they know that, but I don't think he's been told yet," he says.
"We were talking on the phone on Sunday about it. I mean, he can't believe it, in fact, he was laughing about it. I suppose it's the only way to look at it. Because he is the gentlest man I've ever met."
He’s remained good friends with Islam since Boyzone covered Father and Son 1995, but contrary to the fevered press speculation, claims he’s not even sure whether their collaboration will be released.
"I don’t know anything yet," he counters. "But the version is a lot more classic than the Boyzone one – it’s better, too."
And the chance of such a single reaching the Christmas Number One spot" Let's not even go there! That's dangerous territory..." he laughs.
And with that, and a firm handshake, he’s gone. A pleasant person, a family man, a successful recording artist – but you get the impression that this
driven perfectionist will never relax.
This is London - September 29, 2004
Ronan: 'I worry all the time'
By Becky Howard, This is London
29 September 2004
It's something guaranteed to make you feel old – the fact that Ronan Keating's releasing an album commemorating his ten years in pop music. How could this be, that the fresh-faced youngster crooning his way through hit ballad after hit ballad with Irish five-piece Boyzone is now an elder statesman in today’s fickle pop market, with millions of record sales under his immaculately-styled belt? The man himself laughs at this – "I know, I can’t believe it either, although it does feel as if I’ve been doing it all my life – it’s all I know, that’s for sure. I was sixteen when I started. Boyzone feels like a lifetime ago."
Ronan Keating is a busy man right now. He released a new single this week, the familiar-sounding, country cover I Hope You Dance, which will be followed swiftly by his 10 Years of Hits album on October 11th, which covers both the Boyzone years and his successful solo career. As the 27-year-old star peruses the track listing on the album ("This is the first time I’ve seen it"), does it bring back any memories of his younger self?
"Ah yeah," he says. "Every song here has a memory attached to it – both good and bad..."
And if you could, would you say anything to your sixteen-year-old self when you were starting out? Ronan fixes me with his surprisingly large eyes and speaks in his quick, determined voice.
"I’d tell myself to enjoy myself a bit more. I did definitely have a laugh but I worried constantly. I bring it on myself – I worry all the bloody time. I always panic about everything. You know, I was the youngest in theband and I was still the ‘tour manager’ for the first year before we had amanager, booking flights and hotels – and at 16 you should be going wild,really!"
Trying to probe further results in a Ronan ‘shut-down’ ("It’s just the way Iam"), which is typical of the singer. He’s friendly, polite, co-operative, but immensely guarded. Speaking urgently, he answers questions with a chatty spiel, which halts abruptly when he’s done. Ronan expertly avoids those subjects that he’s not comfortable with, with a stern, short riposte. But it’s hardly unusual for someone who’s been in the public eye since their teens to be so controlled and savvy with the media.
One subject that the father-of-two will get animated about is his work for cancer charities. He recently took park in the Asda Tickled Pink concert, which featured performances from Geri Halliwell, Tom Jones, Jools Holland and Rachel Stevens, among others.
"That was great," he says. "To see the people come out and have so much passion and enthusiasm was fantastic to see. We want to try and make it bigger and better every year – but it was a great start.
"I’m constantly fundraising for cancer charities so I work with all of them,I won’t just work with one. We’re all trying to raise money to save people’s lives."
Of course, Ronan’s not going through the well-trod celebrity motions. His mother Marie died from breast cancer in 1998 and subsequently, his family set up the Marie Keating Foundation to provide free information about thedisease across Ireland. Ronan is passionately involved in raising awarenessand funds for the cause, and is planning to repeat his major task of last year in 2005, where he walked across the entire length of Ireland.
"Ah, that was bloody hell," he cringes. "It was just pure pain, awful. A layer of skin came off the bottom of my foot, we changed shoes five or six times, I had shin splints that I’d never witnessed before – I didn’t even know what they were before that. I’ll never forget it."
He endured a lot of pain earlier this year, too, in July, when he was rushed to hospital after becoming blinded by a rash and swelling around his eyes.
"I was working too hard and my immune system got down – I was sick as a dog and I got this viral infection that flared up," he explains, with obvious discomfort at the memory. "My face was swollen and my eye closed, I looked like I’d gone ten rounds with Tyson.
"It was really awful and I got very scared. I was in hospital for ten days and I’d never been in hospital before. It scared the sh*t out of me. It was exactly a wake-up call to slow down and that’s what I’m going to do now –take half of next year off to write the album."
So what’s next for Ronan? According to the tabloid reports last week, he’s set for a Christmas number one after re-recording Father and Son with Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam – who hit the headlines last week when he was deported from the US after being put on a terrorist ‘watch list’. Ronan is apoplectic on behalf of his friend.
"It's absolutely horrendous. He's the most peaceful, gentle man in the world. They got it wrong, I think they know that, but I don't think he's been told yet," he says.
"We were talking on the phone on Sunday about it. I mean, he can't believe it, in fact, he was laughing about it. I suppose it's the only way to look at it. Because he is the gentlest man I've ever met."
He’s remained good friends with Islam since Boyzone covered Father and Son 1995, but contrary to the fevered press speculation, claims he’s not even sure whether their collaboration will be released.
"I don’t know anything yet," he counters. "But the version is a lot more classic than the Boyzone one – it’s better, too."
And the chance of such a single reaching the Christmas Number One spot" Let's not even go there! That's dangerous territory..." he laughs.
And with that, and a firm handshake, he’s gone. A pleasant person, a family man, a successful recording artist – but you get the impression that this
driven perfectionist will never relax.
