Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, radio DJ and podcaster. He gained prominence through his association with the production trio Stock Aitken Waterman and the release of his debut album, "Whenever You Need Somebody", in 1987. The album sold approximately 15 million copies worldwide and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and the Recording Industry Association of America. Its lead single, "Never Gonna Give You Up", reached number one in more than 25 countries and won the 1988 Brit Award for Best British Single. The song spent five weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart and was the UK's best-selling single of 1987. His 1988 single "Together Forever" also reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was one of eight Astley songs to reach the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart.
In 1988, Astley released his second album, "Hold Me in Your Arms", which received platinum and gold certifications in several countries. Its lead single, "She Wants to Dance with Me", became an international top-10 hit. In 1991, he left Stock Aitken Waterman and shifted towards soul music, a direction he continued to explore on subsequent albums. His 1991 single "Cry for Help" was his final single to reach the top 10 in either the United Kingdom or the United States. In 1993, he retired from the music industry to spend more time with his partner and daughter. He returned to music in 2000 and released "50" in 2016 to coincide with his 50th birthday. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom. His most recent studio album, "Are We There Yet?", was released in 2023.
Astley has sold an estimated 40 million records worldwide. He was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1989, but lost to Tracy Chapman. Between his debut release and his fifth single, he reportedly outsold every other artist in the world. In the United Kingdom, he reached the top 40 every week during the first six months of his career. In 2007, he became associated with the internet meme known as Rickrolling, which uses the music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up". The renewed attention contributed to a resurgence in his public profile. In 2008, he was voted "Best Act Ever" at the MTV Europe Music Awards. On 28 July 2021, "Never Gonna Give You Up" became the fourth song from the 1980s to reach one billion views on YouTube.
Richard Paul Astley was born on 6 February 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, the fourth child of Horace and Cynthia Astley. His parents divorced when he was five, and he was raised by his father. Astley has described his childhood as difficult and recalled witnessing domestic violence between his parents. He has said that these experiences influenced his personality and contributed to his decision to pursue music and perform on stage.
At the age of 10, Astley began singing in a local church choir. During his school years, he played drums in several local bands and met guitarist David Morris. After leaving school at 16, he worked during the day as a driver in his father's market-gardening business and performed as a drummer at night on the northern club circuit. He played in bands including Give Way, which specialised in covers of songs by the Beatles and the Shadows, and FBI, which won several local talent competitions.
In 1985, Astley was performing as the drummer of FBI, with Morris on guitar. When the band's lead singer left and Morris departed to pursue a career in hairdressing, Astley became the lead vocalist. He was subsequently noticed by record producer Pete Waterman at a nightclub in Warrington. Waterman offered him the opportunity to work at the Pete Waterman Limited recording studio in London, with RCA Records releasing his recordings. Astley initially declined the offer but accepted it several months later and moved into Waterman's London flat. Stock Aitken Waterman also hired several members of FBI, including Morris as a guitarist and songwriter.
Under the guidance of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Waterman, collectively known as Stock Aitken Waterman, Astley learned about music production and worked at the recording studio as a "tea boy" and later as a tape operator. The apprenticeship lasted approximately two years and was intended in part to help him overcome his shyness.
In March 1987, Astley contributed vocals to "Let It Be", recorded by the charity supergroup Ferry Aid. The single topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks and was certified gold in the United Kingdom. It also reached number one in Norway and Switzerland. Astley's first single, "When You Gonna", was released in May 1987 as a duet with Lisa Fabien. Produced by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, it reached number 17 in the Netherlands and number 20 in Belgium, as well as number 11 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
Astley also contributed vocals to "Learning to Live (Without Your Love)", a duet with O'Chi Brown that appeared on Brown's 1986 album "O'Chi". Astley was not credited on the album and did not receive royalties. The song was subsequently released as a single in October 1987 but did not chart in the United Kingdom.
Astley's first solo single, "Never Gonna Give You Up", was recorded on New Year's Day 1987 and released on 27 July. The song was written and produced by Stock and Aitken after the producers decided that Astley's vocal abilities were better suited to an original song than a cover version. It became an international success, reaching number one in the United Kingdom and numerous other countries, including the United States, Australia and West Germany. In the United Kingdom, it spent five weeks at number one and became the country's best-selling single of 1987. The song won Best British Single at the 1988 BPI Awards, now known as the Brit Awards.
Astley's next single, "Whenever You Need Somebody", was released in October 1987. The song had originally been recorded by O'Chi Brown in 1985 and was subsequently recorded by Astley following the success of "Never Gonna Give You Up". It reached the top five in numerous countries and topped the charts in seven countries, including West Germany and Sweden. It reached number three in the United Kingdom.
The album "Whenever You Need Somebody" was released in November 1987. It reached number one in the United Kingdom and Australia and number 10 in the United States. The album was certified quadruple platinum in the United Kingdom and Canada and double platinum in the United States. It sold approximately 15 million copies worldwide and became Astley's best-selling album.
In December 1987, Astley released a cover of Nat King Cole's "When I Fall in Love". It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. A double A-side release also included "My Arms Keep Missing You", which was subsequently released as a single in Germany and reached number six there.
Astley's fourth single, "Together Forever", was released in January 1988. It reached number two in the United Kingdom, where it was kept from the top position by Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky". "Together Forever" reached number one in the United States, Canada, Ireland and Spain and reached the top 10 in several other countries. His fifth and final single from the album, "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man", was primarily released in North America. It reached number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one in Canada. Its B-side, "You Move Me", was written by Astley and featured in the film "Cocktail".
Work on Astley's second album was delayed after he rejected the proposed first single, "Nothing Can Divide Us", which was subsequently recorded by Jason Donovan. Astley was permitted to work with other writers and producers within the PWL organisation, but a fire at the PWL studios destroyed much of his new material. His second album, "Hold Me in Your Arms", was released in January 1989. It reached number eight in the United Kingdom and number 19 in the United States and received platinum and gold certifications in several countries.
"She Wants to Dance with Me", written by Astley, was the first single from the album. It reached the top 10 in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, where it reached number one. Other singles included "Take Me to Your Heart", "Hold Me in Your Arms", "Giving Up on Love" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg". Astley undertook his first world tour in 1989, visiting 15 countries. By the end of the tour, he had become dissatisfied with the negative media coverage surrounding his association with Stock Aitken Waterman and wanted to pursue a different musical direction. He subsequently left the production team, while RCA Records bought out his contract with PWL.
In 1990, Astley began moving away from dance-pop towards soul and adopted a more mature public image. His third album, "Free", was released in 1991 and included collaborations with Elton John. It reached number nine in the United Kingdom and number 31 in the United States. Its lead single, "Cry for Help", reached number seven in both the United Kingdom and the United States and number four in Canada. It also topped the Adult Contemporary charts in the United States and Canada.
The other singles from "Free", "Move Right Out" and "Never Knew Love", achieved lower chart positions. "Free" marked the end of Astley's most commercially successful period, with "Cry for Help" becoming his final single to reach the top 10 in either the United Kingdom or the United States.
Astley's next album, "Body and Soul", was released in 1993 and was primarily an adult contemporary album. It received limited promotion because Astley had decided to retire from the music industry. The album did not chart in the United Kingdom but reached number 182 on the US Billboard 200. Its singles included "The Ones You Love" and "Hopelessly". "Hopelessly" reached number four on the US Adult Contemporary chart and number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number 33 in the United Kingdom and became his final song to reach the top 40 in either country.
Astley retired from the music industry in 1993 at the age of 27, citing a desire to concentrate on his family life. His daughter, Emilie, was born in 1992. During the remainder of the 1990s and the early 2000s, he largely remained out of the public eye. He later expressed dissatisfaction with the business aspects of the music industry, describing his experience as a pop star as being more comparable to that of a travelling salesman than a musician or performer. During this period, he co-wrote "Mission Statement", a song recorded by former Marillion singer Fish for his 1999 album "Raingods with Zippos".
Astley returned to the music industry in 2000 after a seven-year absence. He signed a co-publishing agreement with Polydor and recorded the album "Keep It Turned On", which was released in 2001. The album included "Sleeping", which became a minor club hit following remixes by American house producer Todd Terry. "Keep It Turned On" was released only in continental Europe.
Astley's first compilation album, "Greatest Hits", was released in 2002 and reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. It was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. In 2003, Astley reached number 10 in the United Kingdom as a songwriter with "Shakespeare's (Way With) Words", performed by the boy band One True Voice. In 2004, he undertook his first tour in 14 years, which contributed to him securing a recording contract with Sony BMG.
In March 2005, Astley released "Portrait", an album consisting primarily of covers of standards including "Vincent", "Nature Boy" and "Close to You". The album received limited promotion but reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart. In April 2008, Sony BMG released "The Ultimate Collection: Rick Astley", which reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart.
In 2008, Astley was nominated for the MTV Europe Music Award for "Best Act Ever". Following an internet campaign by fans, he won the award in November, although he did not attend the ceremony in person. The renewed popularity of "Never Gonna Give You Up", which had become associated with the Rickrolling internet meme, also resulted in the song returning to the UK Singles Chart, where it reached number 73 during the 2008 Christmas period. Astley continued touring internationally and performed on the 2008 Here and Now Tour alongside several other artists associated with the 1980s.
In 2010, Astley appeared as a guest during Peter Kay's tour "The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour...Now On Tour". He released the single "Lights Out" on 7 June 2010, his first UK single release in 17 years. It reached number 97 on the UK Singles Chart and number 15 on the UK Airplay Chart.
During the summer of 2010, Astley began working as a radio DJ for Magic FM in London, presenting a Sunday programme. He subsequently co-hosted the "Chris Evans Breakfast Show" on BBC Radio 2 with Peter Kay in December 2010 and appeared on the BBC's Comic Relief telethon in March 2011.
In April 2016, Astley released "Keep Singing", the first single from his album "50". The album was released on 10 June 2016 by BMG and reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. In June 2017, Astley announced that "50" had been certified platinum in the United Kingdom.
Astley released the single "Dance" in September 2016. In June 2018, he announced his next album, "Beautiful Life", which was released on 13 July. It reached number six on the UK Albums Chart. Astley toured in support of the album and in 2019 served as the support act for Take That's Greatest Hits Live tour in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He has also made guest appearances with Foo Fighters and has performed with A-ha and Kylie Minogue.
Astley performed with Foo Fighters at the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan. The band invited him to perform "Never Gonna Give You Up" in the style of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Astley subsequently became friends with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and performed with the band at the California Jam rock festival.
In 2019, Astley released the compilation album "The Best of Me", which included the single "Every One of Us". The album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Independent Albums Chart. In October 2019, Astley appeared on the children's television programme "CBeebies Bedtime Stories".
In June 2020, Astley released four cover versions: "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers, "Everlong" by Foo Fighters, "Titanium" by David Guetta and "Better Now" by Post Malone. Around the same time, he joined TikTok and gained millions of views for a video of himself dancing to "Never Gonna Give You Up". In November 2020, he released the Christmas single "Love This Christmas", with proceeds from an accompanying limited-edition Christmas card donated to the Shooting Stars Children's Hospices. In April 2021, he released "Unwanted".
In September 2021, Astley released a cover of ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All". That month, he and the band Blossoms performed two concerts consisting of covers of songs by the Smiths. Astley and Blossoms performed together again at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival. Astley also performed a solo set at the festival, marking his first appearance there.
In October 2023, Astley released "Are We There Yet?", his first album of new material since "Beautiful Life". Influenced by soul music, the album reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. His autobiography, "Never: The Autobiography", was published on 10 October 2024.
In March 2025, Astley released a cover of Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club" on his YouTube channel. In July 2025, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Silver Clef Awards.
On 6 February 2026, Astley's 60th birthday, he released the single "Waiting on You". He followed it with "Raindrops" in April 2026.
Astley began the Reflection Tour on 10 April 2026 at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Astley
Studio albums
Whenever You Need Somebody (1987)
Hold Me in Your Arms (1988)
Free (1991)
Body & Soul (1993)
Keep It Turned On (2001)
Portrait (2005)
50 (2016)
Beautiful Life (2018)
Are We There Yet? (2023)
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…shrink me down again