Post by Helen on Feb 23, 2005 21:37:33 GMT
The boy’s on his own
14/10/2004
Ronan Keating: Heading for Newcastle and Glasgow By Wil Marlow
RONAN Keating has got it made. Currently celebrating a decade of hits, both solo and with Boyzone, the singer goes on a huge stadium tour in December.
Gigs include Glasgow SECC (Friday December 10 and Saturday December 11), Newcastle Metroradio Arena (Sunday December 12), Manchester Evening News
Arena (Sunday December 19).
The singer seems to have achieved the impossible of combining a successful music career with a happy, stable family life.
While fellow former boyband member Brian McFadden has found it a struggle to balance these two aspects of his life, Ronan has had no such problems with his wife Yvonne and their children Jack, five, and three-year-old Marie.
“I’ve never found it hard,” says the 27-year-old. “You take one day at a time really. But I’ve never done anything else, so I don’t know what it’s like being a dad when you’re doing another job.
“Yvonne understands the job I have to do and she lets me do it. I get home as much as I can. I spend most of my time commuting between London and Dublin. I get back and I’m there in the morning for the kids. We spend a lot of time together.”
Ronan married Yvonne, a model, in 1998. Without a even a whiff of scandal surrounding the couple during their entire time together, they seem to have that rare thing in showbiz – a solid and happy marriage.
“It’s only hard if you want it to be,” says Ronan. “It’s not for me. We got married to be together and we are and it works for us. We’re very happy and very normal.
“You never know what’s around the corner but I’m very lucky to have Yvonne.
“We’re very good together, a very good match and we hope to be together for the rest of our lives.”
So close are the family in fact, that Ronan often flies them out to visit when he’s on tour.
“They’ll be joining him once again when he goes on the road in the UK in December.
“They’ll be with me as much as possible,” he says. “Jack’s in school now so it’s a bit more difficult. But when he has holidays and at weekends they join me.”
They’ll be helping Ronan celebrate as well, for this tour, as well as his forthcoming greatest hits collection, marks the singer’s 10th anniversary in the business.
The tour was postponed from September (“a big apology to everybody for that”) due to recording commitments and Ronan’s recovery from the infection that struck him down in July. He ended up in hospital after a boil on his face got out of control and caused him to collapse.
The infection was caused by the everyday bacteria staphylococcus, which everyone carries on their skin, getting in to broken pore. His face ballooned so much he lost his sight.
“I’m feeling much better now,” he says. “I’m still a little tired. I was on so many different drips and drugs and it affected me quite badly. But I’m getting over it.”
Ronan began his music career at school as part of a band who did Bryan Adams and Nirvana covers.
He saw an advert for auditions to join a boyband and joined a number of others hopeful for a place.
Under the guidance of former band manager Louis Walsh, Boyzone went on to notch up seven No 1s, and sold 15 million albums worldwide. That popularity still lingers today.
When the band’s record label released a compilation of Boyzone’s ballads last year it went in at No 6, despite having no promotion from the band members themselves.
But while the other members of Boyzone look set to get back together for a reunion tour next year, it won’t involve Ronan.
In 1999 the band took what was supposed to be a year off to do their own thing before regrouping.
In that time Ronan’s solo career took off. As well as setting Westlife on the path to greatness by briefly co-managing them with Louis, he released three successful solo albums and had three No 1 singles.
Boyzone was put on the back-burner before being forgotten about completely, much to the chagrin of the other band members.
However, earlier this year, the band kissed and made up when they all turned up to support bandmate Shane Lynch on the reality show The Games.
It sparked more talk of a reunion, but Ronan has since been reticent about the idea.
“I wish the guys the best of luck,” he says. “But I’m not ready for it so I’m not going to put pressure on myself. It’s nice that there’s still a want for them, for sure, but I’m not up for it.”
14/10/2004
Ronan Keating: Heading for Newcastle and Glasgow By Wil Marlow
RONAN Keating has got it made. Currently celebrating a decade of hits, both solo and with Boyzone, the singer goes on a huge stadium tour in December.
Gigs include Glasgow SECC (Friday December 10 and Saturday December 11), Newcastle Metroradio Arena (Sunday December 12), Manchester Evening News
Arena (Sunday December 19).
The singer seems to have achieved the impossible of combining a successful music career with a happy, stable family life.
While fellow former boyband member Brian McFadden has found it a struggle to balance these two aspects of his life, Ronan has had no such problems with his wife Yvonne and their children Jack, five, and three-year-old Marie.
“I’ve never found it hard,” says the 27-year-old. “You take one day at a time really. But I’ve never done anything else, so I don’t know what it’s like being a dad when you’re doing another job.
“Yvonne understands the job I have to do and she lets me do it. I get home as much as I can. I spend most of my time commuting between London and Dublin. I get back and I’m there in the morning for the kids. We spend a lot of time together.”
Ronan married Yvonne, a model, in 1998. Without a even a whiff of scandal surrounding the couple during their entire time together, they seem to have that rare thing in showbiz – a solid and happy marriage.
“It’s only hard if you want it to be,” says Ronan. “It’s not for me. We got married to be together and we are and it works for us. We’re very happy and very normal.
“You never know what’s around the corner but I’m very lucky to have Yvonne.
“We’re very good together, a very good match and we hope to be together for the rest of our lives.”
So close are the family in fact, that Ronan often flies them out to visit when he’s on tour.
“They’ll be joining him once again when he goes on the road in the UK in December.
“They’ll be with me as much as possible,” he says. “Jack’s in school now so it’s a bit more difficult. But when he has holidays and at weekends they join me.”
They’ll be helping Ronan celebrate as well, for this tour, as well as his forthcoming greatest hits collection, marks the singer’s 10th anniversary in the business.
The tour was postponed from September (“a big apology to everybody for that”) due to recording commitments and Ronan’s recovery from the infection that struck him down in July. He ended up in hospital after a boil on his face got out of control and caused him to collapse.
The infection was caused by the everyday bacteria staphylococcus, which everyone carries on their skin, getting in to broken pore. His face ballooned so much he lost his sight.
“I’m feeling much better now,” he says. “I’m still a little tired. I was on so many different drips and drugs and it affected me quite badly. But I’m getting over it.”
Ronan began his music career at school as part of a band who did Bryan Adams and Nirvana covers.
He saw an advert for auditions to join a boyband and joined a number of others hopeful for a place.
Under the guidance of former band manager Louis Walsh, Boyzone went on to notch up seven No 1s, and sold 15 million albums worldwide. That popularity still lingers today.
When the band’s record label released a compilation of Boyzone’s ballads last year it went in at No 6, despite having no promotion from the band members themselves.
But while the other members of Boyzone look set to get back together for a reunion tour next year, it won’t involve Ronan.
In 1999 the band took what was supposed to be a year off to do their own thing before regrouping.
In that time Ronan’s solo career took off. As well as setting Westlife on the path to greatness by briefly co-managing them with Louis, he released three successful solo albums and had three No 1 singles.
Boyzone was put on the back-burner before being forgotten about completely, much to the chagrin of the other band members.
However, earlier this year, the band kissed and made up when they all turned up to support bandmate Shane Lynch on the reality show The Games.
It sparked more talk of a reunion, but Ronan has since been reticent about the idea.
“I wish the guys the best of luck,” he says. “But I’m not ready for it so I’m not going to put pressure on myself. It’s nice that there’s still a want for them, for sure, but I’m not up for it.”
