In November 1993, a teenage boy dreamt up the idea of Ireland's first ever boy band. He got in touch with Louis Walsh (Boyzone's manager), who organized auditions to select band members. And so Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy and Mikey Graham were brought together to become the biggest pop sensations ever. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Here's the story of how five young lads went from the the anonymity of working-class Dublin to worldwide fame and fortune......
The band worked through 1993 and the early part of 1994, playing to whoever would listen.They travelled all over Ireland in a battered old transit van, playing in dingy nightclubs, praying for a record deal.
Finally, after months of hard slog, Polygram signed them up and the released a cover version of the Detroit Spinners' "Working My Way Back to You", which reached no.3 on the Irish charts. the boyz were stars overnight being mobbed by screaming girls everywhere. "Love me for a reason" followed and with it a Smash Hits Award for "Best New Group".
"Said and Done", their first album, released in 1995, reached the top slot in both, the U.K. and Ireland. London's Rock Circus acknowledged their success by inviting them to place their prints on the "Wall of Hands" alongside the likes of Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson.
Their second album , "A Different Beat" , followed suite. So popular had the lads become, that the mayor of Dublin had to close down the streets, when the boyz were in town visiting their parents.
Inspite of the millions of records sold by them, critics called them "Take That clones", just another boy band doing covers.
The band finally got the respect they deserved with the release of "Where We Belong". Ronan bagged the prestigious "Ivor Novello" award for "Picture of You". They were immortalized in wax beside U2 , in their hometown of Dublin. Their proudest moment came with the release of "No Matter What", their biggest selling single to date, which was voted "Song of the Year".
The year '99 saw them release their greatest hits compilation "By Request". With it came another sell-out tour. Stephen saw it as the right time to tell the world he was gay (and I was going to marry him , sigh!!). Steo might have worried about his fans' reaction, but they completely supported him and his boyfriend Eloy.
Boyzone has played many nights at places like Wembley arena, gone on world tours (everywhere except my home-town, that is) and broken all previous records. They feature in the "Guiness Book" for being the first artist whose first 16 singles have reached the top 3 in Britain, replacing Kylie Minogue from her record of 12.
Not content with such huge success, the boyz have all taken off on solo careers.
Let's now watch these five smashing, amazing, fantabulous lads reach even greater heights......
