Robbie Williams: Reluctant Sex Symbol

These days, an artist has to be extraordinary and multi-talented to make their name known. One of the most remarkable contemporary musicians is Robbie Williams. His unique face, charismatic personality, and sweet but sexy music style have made him one of the highest earning UK solo musicians of all time.

As millions of fans around the world already know, Robbie Williams started his career as part of the sensational boy band Take That. In the early 1990s, the five talented members of Take That wowed the UK and the rest of the world. Robbie was set to become a giant among pop musicians even at that early stage of his career.

When Take That broke up in 1996, fans all over the globe were stunned. Fans in the UK, especially young girls, were prone to fits of crying and hysteria for weeks after the announcement. The group had been described as the biggest British music act since the Beatles, and their breakup was met with just as much shock and dismay as that of the Beatles.

Fans of Robbie Williams didn't need to fret for long, though: he launched a solo career in 1996. His first successful solo single was a cover of George Michael's "Freedom," and reached the number two spot on the UK charts.

Unfortunately, a life in show business had a similar effect on Robbie to many artists before him. He began to struggle with drug and alcohol abuse, his weight climbed, and he was referred to in the media as unstable and depressed. Eventually Robbie entered rehab to get control of his problems and get his life in order.

Substance abuse and depression were not the only factors that made his solo career start off on a rocky path. After being in a band with four other members, Robbie struggled to find his own musical voice. Not long after the release of his first album, critics wrote his career off as finished for good.

Robbie Williams went on to prove that you can't keep a good man down. Following his stay in rehab, his fortunes turned around. The release of his album's fourth single, "Angels," was met with acclaim all around the world. This song is still thought by many people to be the one that saved Robbie's career.

On the heels of his first solo album's success, Robbie released six more studio albums along with several live albums and special compilations. His popularity was and is concrete in the UK, with a fan base made up of both loyal Take That fans from the 1990s and new fans who weren't around for the first leg of Robbie's career.

This charming man is the heartthrob of many a teenage girl in the UK and Europe, but he has never found much success in the American market. Despite living in Los Angeles, Robbie's attempts to make an impression on the United States have been much less successful than he had hoped. Don't feel bad for Robbie, though: he has been quoted as saying that he enjoys the anonymity of living in LA, whereas in the UK he would never be allowed to walk down the street without being mobbed by fans.

Robbie's current life and career continue to be as tumultuous and unpredictable as his early days. In early 2007, he underwent another stay in a rehab facility, this time for an anti-depressant addiction. He has been very open about his struggles with depression and has never denied that he has been treated for the condition.

Robbie Williams may be so popular because he refuses to fit into the mold of a typical pop star. He is at once wholesome and naughty; arrogant and insecure; outspoken and demure; sweet and sexy. His music often reflects his battles with the media and his surprise at being considered a sex symbol.

There's no doubt that Robbie's status as a legendary British musician has been secured. His success has been won through a lot of hard work and perseverance. What can you expect from Robbie in the future? If his career up to this point is any indication, we all know to expect the unexpected from this dynamic performer.