Rick Astley Biography

Exploding on to the music scene in 1987, Rick Astley appeared fully developed with a rich tone and a soulful depth of delivery that belied his years. Following the release of his debut single ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, the 21 year old became a pop sensation overnight. Within 2 weeks of its release, the single reached Number 1 in the UK, and went on to hit Number 1 in 16 other countries worldwide. The following 2 years saw Rick continue to dominate the charts around the globe. In the UK, Rick was in the Top 40 every week for the first 6 months of his career, and today still holds the record of being the only male solo artist to have his first 8 singles reach the Top Ten in the UK.

It was Rick’s unique baritone voice that stood out and brought him to the attention of record producer, Pete Waterman, who was so impressed with his vocal talent and musicianship that he immediately invited him to come to London and work at PWL Studios. Training under Stock, Aitken and Waterman as a Tape Op, Rick had a natural talent and boundless enthusiasm in the studio, learning to record and produce music from some of the world’s most renowned producers and engineers. The follow up single to his incredible debut was ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ – a hit Number 1 in 7 countries. The album earned him a Grammy nomination as ‘Best New Artist’ and he has remained a true pop gem ever since.