Robert Peter Maximillion Williams (born 13 February 1974 in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) is an English pop singer.Williams' early pop career started with the hit boy band Take That. The band was formed in 1990 and proved to be highly successful, with 8 UK Number 1 singles to their credit. Their popularity led to a succession of similar bands in the UK. However, it has since been suggested that Williams' 'roguish' qualities meant that he didn't fit into the band, and he frequently battled with his fellow band members and his management. He left the band in 1995. After leaving the band, the final Take That album 'Nobody Else' was re-issued in some markets excluding songs where Robbie Williams' was the lead vocalist. The final Take That single 'How Deep is Your Love' is the only one that didn't feature Robbie.In November 2005, ITV1 screened a documentary on Take That, including the reasons behind Williams' departure, including interviews with Williams and his former fellow band members. Robbie Williams declined the offer to reunite with the band but spoke to them via a pre recorded video message.Solo careerAfter leaving Take That, Williams immersed himself in the pop lifestyle. This included an affected swagger and an infamous appearance during Oasis's headlining set at Glastonbury in 1995. This led to a highly publicised battle with drug and alcohol addiction, during which he put on nearly 40 pounds (18 kg) and was often seen in public poorly dressed, dirty and unshaven. After a well-publicised fallout with Oasis, Noel Gallagher famously refused to recognise him as anything but "that fat dancer from Take That".At the time, British media speculated that the badly-behaved Williams would not be a success as a standalone musician.Life Thru A LensBy 1996 Williams was ready to launch his solo career proper. His first single, "Freedom '90" (a cover of the popular 1990 George Michael tune) was released in August 1996. After a period in a drug rehabilitation clinic, this was followed up by "Old Before I Die" in 1997. Both singles reached number 2 in the UK charts and were considered successful. This led to his first solo album, Life Thru A Lens, later that year.[edit]AngelsThe next single from Life Thru A Lens was "Angels", released in December 1997. The song's popularity propelled the album to number 1 on the album charts, 28 weeks after the album was first released. The 'ballad'-style song is credited with single-handedly rescuing Williams' career, and has proved to be his most popular to date, although it never reached the top of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 4."Angels" was voted best song of the last 25 years by BBC Radio 2 listeners, and received a special award at the 25th Brit Awards ceremony, held at Earls Court, London, in February 2005.Williams quickly became a celebrity in the UK with a number of other top ten singles, which would typically gather only minor interest in the USA. "Millennium", built around a sample of the James Bond theme "You Only Live Twice", was a UK #1 hit in late 1998, but only peaked at #72 in America.[edit]I've Been Expecting YouHis second album, I've Been Expecting You, continued in the James Bond/spy theme and topped the UK charts in October 1998. In 1999 he collaborated with singer Tom Jones of the Lenny Kravitz song, "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" on the album Reload, which they also performed together at the Brit Awards.Sing When You're WinningWilliams' next album, Sing When You're Winning, was released in 2000. The album contained the controversial single "Rock DJ", which reached number 1 in the UK charts and was a minor hit in the United States.