TIME LINE

1977 Little Ro
1984 Family Teachings
1989 Star Pupil
1990 Teen Rebel Days
1991 Stepping Out
1993 Spotlight Beckoned
1993 Boyzone - Beginnings
1993 Boyzone - On Their Way To Fame
1993 Boyzone - Crucial Times
1994 Boyzone - Making A Mark
1994 Boyzone - Dreams Do Come True
1995 Boyzone - “Said And Done”
1995 Boyzone - Tearing It Up
1996 - 1997 Boyzone - Amazing Times
1998 Loss
1998 Boyzone - Confirmed Success
1998 Boyzone - Green Light
1998 Boyzone - Full Steam Ahead
1999 A Gift
1999 Westlife Is Born
1999 Beginning His Solo Career
2000 Welcome to LA Ronan
2000 A Solo Smash
2000 Moving On
2001 “Lovin’ Each Day”

RONAN’S BIOGRAPHY

Little Ro Ronan Patrick John Keating was born in Dublin on March 3rd 1977 to Gerry and Marie Keating. The last child of five and all gangly legs and messy blond hair, Ronan became known as 'Little Ro' by his three brothers, Ciaran, Gary and Gerard, and his sister Linda. Being the youngest in a large family had its advantages: his brothers and sisters would say he was spoiled, he was certainly always his "mam's little baby", but being the youngest of five also meant striving for attention and trying hard to keep up with his older brothers and sister.
Family Teachings Although his family had little money, Ronan never remembers wanting much.  His father had many different jobs, including barman and lorry driver, and his mother worked as a hairdresser in a family salon to supplement the family income, but both had high hopes for the Keating family. His mam in particular was a very proud lady and made the Keating household a beautiful home.
Star Pupil Ronan certainly was no "star pupil" and much preferred to fool around and listen to music rather than study. He did like drama - he once got the chance to direct a play. He also played the starring role as a donkey in the Nativity! But his laziness in the classroom was not mirrored on the sports field. Ronan loved sports, excelling in Gaelic football and other athletics where winning was everything. Gradually, the commitment Ronan felt towards sport and winning was taken over by his passion for music.
Teen Rebel Days Like most teenage boys, Ronan was a bit of a rebel. He had his first drink and his first experience of a nightclub at 13, and drove his first car without anybody knowing at 14.
Stepping Out At 14, Ronan got a part-time job in a Dublin shoe store called Korky’s.  It taught him a lot about dealing with people from all walks of life and also fueled his craze for fashion, taking full advantage of the staff discount he got on the merchandise. It was here that he got a taste of being an object of adoration - he did a free modeling job and the ads appeared in Ireland's national newspapers.
Spotlight Beckoned Ronan was in several bands including one during his teens with a group of school pals called Nameste. He always enjoyed being in the spotlight whether on the pitch, at family gatherings or on stage. One day while working in Korky’s, a Dublin shoe store, that Ronan's friend Niall presented him with a newspaper advertisement - auditions for 'Ireland's answer to Take That'. It seemed a long shot, but Ronan went for it.
Boyzone - Beginnings Ronan was one of 300 boys that turned up to try out for the audition for Boyzone. He performed his party piece - the classic Cat Steven's song “Father & Son”. He was then asked to do a dance routine. He felt clumsy and awkward at first, but after a while he forgot about looking ridiculous and feeling stupid and began to relax as if he were prancing around in his living room at home. It worked - he was called back for a second audition. This time Ronan sung a song by one of his idols, George Michael's “Careless Whisper” and nailed his dance routine. Again he made it through the audition, this time there were just 10 boys left.  At the final audition he boasted "Oh, I can sing anything", but as the decision came close the anticipation and tension took hold. The announcement was made - Ronan was in.
Boyzone - On Their Way To Fame It was 1993. Ronan and his new found friends were about to take their first step on the path to worldwide fame. The boy’s first appearance was just a day after the auditions. They were scheduled to perform on Ireland's biggest TV chat show, “The Late Late Show”. They'd had no time to prepare or even get to know each other. Needless to say, they were terrible with a capital T.  The critics began to eat them alive, but they didn't let this get them down. The group was excited about the future and were above all determined to succeed in the pop world. Little did they know that they were about to become one of the biggest boybands ever. Five lads: Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch - one group: Boyzone. Back then, they could never have known that six years down the line that they would have sixteen top three singles, six of which were number ones, four number one albums (selling more than 12 million copies worldwide), dozens of sell-out UK tours and millions of fans all over the world.
Boyzone - Crucial Times A crucial time for the group was when their first single- the old disco classic by an American group called the Detroit Spinners came out. It was called “Working My Way Back to You'”. This was featured on the A-side and Ronan's favorite party piece “Father & Son” was on the B-side. But they still had a lot of work to do - they had to make people like them. They traveled all over Ireland to some of the most remote areas of the country, playing hundreds of shows. It was seriously hard and they often had to play to pretty rowdy crowds, but for Ronan, it was one of the most enjoyable times in his career - a time of excitement and togetherness for him and the guys. Eventually the hard work began to pay off. The fans were growing in numbers, the press were showing an interest in the group and a group of girls began to congregate outside Ronan's house. Although he though it was strange at first, he began to like it - it helped him believe in himself.
Boyzone - Making A Mark The first Boyzone single was a success. In March 1994 “Working My Way Back To You” entered the Irish charts at No. 3.
Boyzone - Dreams Do Come True After the success in Ireland of 'Working My Way Back To You', Polygram Records signed the group up for an album. It was the break they were hoping for and they were determined not to let anybody down. They teamed up with producer Ray Hedges and recorded the song that was to be their next release, the Osmonds classic 'Love Me For a Reason'. It was decided that Ronan should sing lead vocals on the track- he was thrilled. Boyzone's first break into the UK market came when they were asked to tour with the Smash Hits Roadshow in the autumn of 1994. The band knew it was their big chance to get maximum exposure performing to crowds of 10,000 to 25,000 people every night. After winning Best New Comers at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party in the summer the pop industry had to take notice.  They were 16, they were Boyzone, they were pop stars. 'Love Me For A Reason' reached No. 2 in the UK Christmas charts and the band made their first appearance on the popular pop TV show Top of The Pops, which for Ronan, was a dream come true.
Boyzone - “Said And Done” The New Year of 1995 brought in continued hard work, the guy’s first album “Said and Done” was put together with Ronan singing lead vocals on half of the tracks and a whole heap of song writing credits.
Boyzone - Tearing It Up The summer of 1995 saw the band embark on the biggest nation-wide tour of Ireland there had ever been - they performed in over 32 counties, doing 36 shows in just a month. It was a demanding schedule and Ronan found it hard to deal with the separation from his family and friends, but with constant phone calls home somehow he coped.
Boyzone - Amazing Times Boyzone had a string of hits in 1995 and 1996: 'Key To My Life' reached No. 3 in May; 'So Good' with Ronan singing lead vocal reached No. 4 in July; the album Said and Done picked the No. 1 slot in the UK and Irish album charts; 'Father & Son got to No. 2 in November; and, 'Coming Home Now' peaked No. 3 in early 1996. For Boyzone, success had come by the bucket load. Boyzone mania traveled the world: the band toured the far East; completed a massive UK tour in the summer of 1996 including 4 shows at Wembley Arena in July, each one attended by 15,000 fans; their second album “A Different Beat” was released in October 1996; more tours of South East Asia, the Middle East and India came in 1997; and, the Boyzone version of Tracey Chapman's 'Baby Can I hold You' came out in November of that year. Boyzone's celebrity status was massive: Ronan had hosted Top of The Pops with Stephen and Ronan co-hosted the Eurovision Song contest. Boyzone also performed the interval act with 'Let The Message Run Free' - the show was viewed by millions. For Ronan it felt like most of his life was spent traveling on planes, in cars, or hanging around airports, in TV studios, or in venues. It was a rollercoaster time and Ronan's feet barely touched the ground - his only link to the real world were his daily phone calls home for long conversations his mam.
Loss During the dizzy heights of autumn 1996, with a sell-out Boyzone UK tour and a second album destined for No. 1 under their belts, Ronan's world came in for a crash landing. It was September 26th 1996 when Ronan took the phone call from his brother Ciarran - his mam had breast cancer. It was difficult for Ronan to accept and being on tour with Boyzone helped him block the reality out. Ronan's mother, Marie Keating, had struggled with the illness of breast cancer for some time ,but on the February 2nd 1998 she passed away. Having to cope with such a loss made Ronan realize how much cancer can completely devastate a family and it was as a result of this that he and his family set up a charity to help people deal with the loss of a loved one through cancer - the Marie Keating Cancer Awareness Fund. The fund gave Ronan the opportunity to use his fame for something very worthwhile, he was helping to bring breast cancer into the public arena. Ronan and his mother had a very special bond, they were best friends. No matter where in the world Ronan was he called his mam every day just to say hello. For Ronan, his mother "will always be a beautiful memory".
Boyzone - Confirmed Success On March 3rd 1998 Ronan celebrated his 21st birthday. Boyzone had had a second Number One hit album with “A Different Beat”, five hit singles including two No. 1's for 'Words' and the title track from the album.
Boyzone - Green Light A 3rd album “Where We Belong” was being put together and a new Boyzone single 'All That I Need' on which Ronan sung lead vocals was due for release on April 20th. Ronan and Stephen Gately were due to head out to Tokyo to promote the Mr. Bean movie - Boyzone had recorded 'Picture Of You' for the soundtrack, producing a No. 2 hit in the UK charts back in July 1997. The schedule for Boyzone was once again as hectic as it had ever been. The problem was, Ronan had barely stopped to breath and the pain of the bereavement for the loss of his mother wouldn't go away. It was the evening before an appearance on Top Of The Pops and Ronan had just had enough - he desperately needed a break. He could no longer face the constant press bombardments asking him about his mother's death and he was tired of the grueling schedule. He needed to take some time off and ease his emotional state. He took a break from Boyzone. Amid much press speculation of breakdowns and illness, all completely unfounded, Ronan took a well-deserved vacation with his then girlfriend Yvonne to the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis. It was on the April 30th 1998 when Ronan and Yvonne were married. Their relationship been a whirlwind romance and as he stood there during the ceremony on the paradise island of Nevis, he felt there was no doubt that this was right.
Boyzone - Full Steam Ahead In November 1998 the Boyzone schedule became one of the busiest periods the group had known. They were busy promoting their latest album that was in the shops “Where We Belong”, as well as, the know single “I Love The Way You Love Me" and Ronan was scheduled to present Miss World.
A Gift On March 15th 1999, baby Jack was born. For Ronan this was "the ultimate gift" and though Jack can have anything he wants, Ronan is determined that Jack will never be spoiled. His mother taught him to have manners and treat people respectfully. Ronan intends to pass these values onto his son. And just as his mother did with him, Ronan will teach his son what matters more than anything - that if you give love, you will receive love in return.
Westlife Is Born Boyzone had become Ireland's most successful pop export of all time paving the way for other Irish acts such as The Corrs and B*Witched (which 2 of the members are following in their brother’s, Shane Boyzone, footsteps). A week after his son Jack was born in March 1999, Ronan's next baby was introduced to the world - Ireland's newest boy band, Westlife. Boyzone had reached the pinnacle of success and Ronan wanted to experience the thrill of starting out again. Ronan's experiences with Boyzone put him in good position to take on the role of co-manager with the Boyzone manager Louis Walsh. He's been down that road before and can offer Westlife much in the way of advise and assistance. Westlife have taken the UK charts by storm achieving a succession of No. 1 hits and continue to take over the pop world.
Beginning His Solo Career As an artist, Ronan had already received virtually every accolade known to man: from numerous Smash Hits Awards for 'Most Fanciable Male' and MTV Awards for "Best Pop Band" to a coveted Ivor Novello Award for 'Picture Of You' - the song he wrote for the Mr. Bean movie - joining the ranks of pop superstars George Michael and Sir Elton John. In the summer of 1999 Ronan Keating released his first solo single, “When You Say Nothing At All”, taken from the Brit Award winning 'Notting Hill' film soundtrack. Ronan's first solo offering naturally crashed into the charts at No. 1 and 'When You Say Nothing At All' became one of the love songs of the year selling in excess of half a million copies. By mid-1999 Boyzone were struggling to be individuals, and it was no surprise when Boyzone announced that they were going to take a year out to work on solo projects, after the release of their The Greatest Hits album “By Request”.
Welcome to LA Ronan Ronan flew out to Los Angeles in January to write and record his debut solo album entitled “Ronan”. Ronan's reputation as an artist of the highest caliber has lead to him working with some of the world's best songwriters and producers, from Steve Lipson, Pat Leonard (Madonna) and Barry Gibb (The Bee Gees) to Bryan Adams and Gregg Alexander (The New Radicals).
A Solo Smash The first single from the album was the upbeat and summery “Life Is A Rollercoaster”, which was released to the world on July 10th. Needless to say, Ronan scored his second No. 1 hit as a solo artist. What did you expect?! Ronan himself describes the album as "… a real mix of pop, rock and traditional music. I'm proud of every single track. Each song sounds and feels very special. I was really nervous at first about going in to the studio on my own without the other lads, but it was exciting to create my own stuff and to write with new people. I'm really happy with the result." With tracks such as the poppy “Life Is A Rollercoaster”, the rocky “If You Love Me” and the Bryan Adams/Phil Thornalley penned “The Way You Make Me Feel” the album has something for everyone. Add to that the Irish sounding “Only For You” plus the beautiful ballads “Once Upon A Lifetime” which is a insight to Ronan’s life and “In This Life” - and you've covered the whole Ro experience! Simply entitled Ronan - the album was released on July 31st in the UK.
Moving On Ronan's autobiography “Life Is a Rollercoaster” was released. A heartfelt journal of Ronan's life experiences to date, the book tells it just as it happened. Ronan's success as a solo artist is on a roll, the rollercoaster keeps going. Just three months after the release of Ronan's debut solo album Ronan, the album had already sold in excess of 500,000 copies worldwide and his presence in Europe lead to his nomination for "Best Male" at the MTV Awards in Stockholm on November 6th. Following the massive acclaim of his debut solo album, and the number 1 success of "Life is a Rollercoaster", Ronan Keating released the third single from the album, the heartfelt and passionate ballad "The Way You Make Me Feel". Penned by Phil Thornalley and Bryan Adams, "The Way You Make Me Feel" is a very laid back and mellow song full of passion and drive along with Ronan’s powerful voice. The single entered the UK charts at number 6. Not to do any resting or to be content with just releasing a new album, Ronan subsequently embarked on his debut solo tour of the UK and Ireland in November 2000. His presence on stage being described as "as polished a performance as they come" with tickets selling out on the first day of going on sale within minutes. Ronan was also asked to join Elton John at his concert in Madison Square Gardens in New York on October 20th, where he dueted with Elton on the classic "Your Song". This was a very special time for Ronan being with one of his many idols.
“Lovin’ Each Day” On April 16th Ronan released his fourth solo single, “Lovin' Each Day”. Written by Gregg Alexander of “The New Radicals” and Rick Knowles, the duo responsible for the sensational single "Life is a Rollercoaster", this upbeat summery song was first performed during Ronan's solo UK tour last Autumn. The video was in America out in a desert in California and was followed by his sold out UK arena tour in May.  The arrival of a new baby girl, Marie, in February, the release of his fourth single "Lovin' Each Day" on the April 16th, and a arena tour in May, made 2001 another busy year for Ronan. One thing is for sure, Ronan Keating will be around for a long time and will only get better - this is just the beginning - the next chapter in the Ronan Keating story is being written as we speak… Ronan’s sensational single “Lovin’ Each Day” has already been released in the US. Go pick up a copy now. The long anticipated album “Ronan” will be available in the states in July.

Based on the biography provided at RonanKeating.net

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