Rick Astley
| Rick Astley | |
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Astley performing at the House of Blues in Dallas on 1 February 2017.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard Paul Astley |
| Born |
6 February 1966 Newton-le-Willows, England |
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| Years active | 1985–1993 2001–present |
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| Website | rickastley.co.uk |
Richard Paul "Rick" Astley (/ˈrɪk ˈæstli/; born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and radio personality. His 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up" was a No. 1 hit single in 25 countries, and won the 1988 Brit Award for Best British Single. By the time of his retirement in 1993, Astley had sold approximately 40 million records worldwide.
Astley made a comeback in 2007, becoming an Internet phenomenon when his video "Never Gonna Give You Up" became integral to the meme known as "rickrolling". Astley was voted "Best Act Ever" by Internet users at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008. His 2016 album 50 debuted in the UK at No. 1.
Astley was born on 6 February 1966 in Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, the fourth child of his family. His parents divorced when he was five, and Astley was brought up by his father. His musical career started when he was ten, singing in the local church choir. During his schooldays, Astley formed and played the drums in a number of local bands, where he met guitarist David Morris. After leaving school at sixteen, Astley was employed during the day as a driver in his father's market-gardening business and played drums on the Northern club circuit at night in bands such as Give Way – specialising in covering Beatles and Shadows songs – and FBI, which won several local talent competitions.
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