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Full Name: Gary Barlow
Birth Date: 20th January 1971
Place of Birth: Frodsham (at home)
Previous Employment: Pianist
Total Singles to Date: 21 (UK)
Total Albums to Date: 5
 Gary
was born in Frodsham, Cheshire on 20th January 1971. He has an older
brother named Ian and his parents, Marge and Colin. Gary credits
his parents for getting him involved in the music business when,
at eleven years old, they gave him a choice of either a BMX bike
or a keyboard for Christmas. Gary chose the keyboard and set his
Dad out of pocket £600!
The keyboard was so large that it filled his entire bedroom, but
Gary soon exhausted its limitations. He taught himself to play and
it wasn't long before he was penning the tunes that would one day
make him famous.
The first school he attended was Weaver Vale in Frodsham, where
he played Joseph in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
in his last year. From there he attented Frodsham High School, where
his mother worked. Gary finished school by earning six O levels.
The only thing that was on Gary's mind at the time was music, not
exam results.
   
Gary began working as a musician very young in life, from the age
of eleven he was employed by the Connah's Quay Labour Club in Frodsham
being paid £18 for each Saturday night gig. He carried on doing
this for a couple years until he met up with a girl called Heather.
They began singing and performing together and carried on for two
years around the club circuit.
But, Gary was searching for greater things and landed a job at the
Halton British Legion in Widness near Runcorn - four gigs over each
weekend finishing at 2am every night. At the age of fourteen, his
mum still wasn't sure about Gary's new career, but he was earning
£140 a night and supporting people such as Ken Dodd, so she
let him carry on.
At 15 Gary Changed His Life
 At
the age of fifteen, Gary entered a national BBC Pebble Mill competition
called 'A Song For Christmas'. He wrote a ballad named 'Let's
Pray For Christmas' and let his music teacher and his mum have
the first listen.
His mum thought it was too slow and dull, but the music teacher
loved it and entered it for the competition. Weeks went passed and
Gary heard nothing. One day he was in the gym at school when Mrs
Nelson, the music teacher. walked in. He knew instantly why she
had come to see him.
Pebble Mill had invited Gary down to London's West Heath Studios
to record his song. He had never ever been in a recording studio
before and Gary was in awe, he was frightened to death. He recorded
the song with an  orchestra
and backing singers. It was then recorded by a film crew for the
competition. Despite
only reaching the semi-finals, Gary got friendly with a man called
Bob Howes, who kept in touch with him and introduced Gary to a man
named Rod Argent. During the next two years, Gary was to send him
songs for advice.
As part of the
prize for getting to the semi-finals, Gary won recording time at
Strawberry Studios in Manchester and met up with a tea-boy called
Mark Owen. Together
they formed a band called the Cutest Rush, singing cover versions
and Gary's own songs. It wasn't long before they went to seek management
from Nigel Martin-Smith. So the roller coaster ride of fame begins.
Take That were finally formed.
During
his career with Take That he was to gain public and music business
respect for his song writing, being awarded no less than four Ivor
Novello Awards, which included the Songwriter of The Year Award
in 1993.
The Future Looks Bright
For Gary
The
future for Gary looks very bright indeed. His first two solo singles
both leapt to the number one spot in his home country. His debut
 LP
Open Road followed the same route. Gary's first ever single
to be released in the States as a solo artist was So Help Me
Girl which reached No 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart
and an amazing No 1 on both the Billboard Adult Contemporary and
Radio & Record Play (R&R) Charts! His early success in the
US surely paves the way for an even more successful future.
WATCH OUT WORLD HERE HE COMES!
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Biography
