Brian McFadden
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| Brian McFadden | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Brian Nicholas McFadden |
| Also known as | Bryan McFadden |
| Born | April 12, 1980 |
| Origin | Artane, Dublin, Ireland |
| Genre(s) | Pop, Soft rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, piano |
| Years active | 1998-present |
| Label(s) | Sony BMG 2004– 2005
BMF 2006 – Present Island Records 2007 - Present |
| Associated acts | Westlife, Cartel, Delta Goodrem |
| Website | brianmcfadden.com.au |
Brian Nicholas McFadden (born 12 April 1980 in Artane, Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish singer and songwriter. He is the brother of Grease is the Word actress Susan McFadden.
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[edit] Early years
He worked as a security guard in McDonald's and as a bingo caller before finding fame with Westlife. McFadden's main interests have always been singing, dancing and football. Together with his sister he attended "Billie Barry Stage School'" in Dublin and performed as an actor onstage all major theatres in Ireland. He also had a role in the Irish TV show "Finbar's Class", a comedy about a group of teenagers set in a school.
In 1998 he started a pop and R&B-influenced group called Cartel with two other boys named Tim and Darragh. Together they performed live in many of Dublin's pubs.
[edit] Relationships
During 1998/1999, Brian dated Aqua singer, Lene Nystrøm Rasted. He also briefly dated S Club 7 singer Hannah Spearritt
McFadden married Kerry Katona on 5 January 2002 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Rathfeigh, County Meath. Their honeymoon was in Mauritius. They have two daughters: Molly Marie McFadden (born August 31, 2001, Dublin, Ireland), and Lilly-Sue McFadden (born February 3, 2003, Dublin, Ireland) who were both born at Dublin's Mount Carmel Hospital. Bryan was voted Celebrity Dad of the Year in 2002, and Kerry was crowned Best Celebrity Mum in 2002 and 2004. Katona and McFadden announced their separation in September 2004 and their divorce was finalized in December 2006.
McFadden is now engaged to Australian singer and actress Delta Goodrem, with whom he collaborated on the duet "Almost Here". Initially, the couple denied being romantically linked. After breaking up with Kerry, he claimed Delta was 'helping him' get over the pain, and the two shared many long phone calls.[1] until McFadden admitted the relationship.[2] The couple underwent weeks of tabloid scrutiny, focusing particularly on the fallout of McFadden's marriage with Kerry Katona. Press speculation suggested that the pair had embarked on their affair before McFadden had separated with Katona. This was denied by both Goodrem[3] and McFadden.[4] According to both parties, Goodrem began dating McFadden in 2004, after the breakdown of Brian's relationship with Kerry, with Goodrem relocating from Australia to the U.K to live with the Irish star. The couple's relationship faced further scrutiny in May 2006 when a newspaper claimed that Goodrem's mother had advised her to end her relationship with McFadden.[5]
However, on November 29 2007, Brian announced his engagement to Goodrem. The couple confirmed their engagement on Friday, amidst false reports Goodrem had turned down the proposal insisting she was “too young” to settle down. Delta’s management issued a statement, saying, “The couple were hoping to keep the news private however they feel it is important to now confirm their exciting news.” It is revealed in the Christmas Eve issue of OK Magazine Australia that Brian pre-planned the proposal for months. He wrote a book recounting their moments from when they first met until the final page when he asked Delta "Remember the day when I proposed to you in Bali?", and Brian did propose to her on a trip to Bali.
[edit] Westlife
Westlife are an Irish pop music group, formed in July 1998. They are signed by Simon Cowell and managed by Louis Walsh. The group is popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and much of Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Brian, whose name was spelled Bryan in the band, departed from Westlife after the release of the album Turnaround.
With Westlife, McFadden sold more than 30 million albums and 7 million singles, had 12 #1 singles in the UK chart and sold out arenas all over the world.
Some of Westlife's songs were co-written by McFadden, such as Fragile Heart (from the album "Coast to Coast"), Bop Bop Baby, I Wanna Grow Old With You and Love Crime (from the album "World of Our Own").
Brian is on the following Westlife albums:
[edit] Solo career
He gained a reputation as quite the comedian. On the eve of the Turnaround tour, McFadden left Westlife on 9 March 2004[6] to spend more time with his family and work on solo projects. His final public performance as part of Westlife was at Newcastle Upon Tyne's Powerhouse nightclub on 27 February 2004.
Before launching his solo career he co-wrote the song "If My World Stopped Turning" which was sung by Ireland's entry Chris Doran in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.
In July 2004 McFadden was signed to the major record company Sony BMG and to begin his solo career Brian resumed the original spelling of his name. In September he released his debut single "Real to Me", which went straight to #1 on the UK charts.[7]
His first album Irish Son charted in the Top 30 of the UK charts. Most of the songs were co-written with Guy Chambers, best known for his successful collaboration with Robbie Williams and INXS. "Ultimately, the best you can say about McFadden is that he’s unexceptionally inoffensive and probably of equal talent to the other thousand buskers who populate the streets of Dublin. " Yahoo Music
His second single, "Irish Son", released in November 2004 went to #6 on the UK charts. The music video for Irish Son caused serious controversy as it showed a Christian Brothers school in Sutton, whilst the lyrics falsely implied that McFadden had been physically abused at that school.
After the school's protests, the label decided to withdraw the video.[8] In fact, McFadden attended a different CBS school, in Artane. The song for the most part criticised the alleged negative hold that the Roman Catholic Church held on Irish society in the past, while McFadden claimed in the song that "it was leaving that saved me."
The third single, "Almost Here", a duet with Australian singer Delta Goodrem, peaked at #3 on the UK charts and reached #1 in Australia in 2005. McFadden and Goodrem have collaborated on several songs which appeared in her album Delta.
The fourth and final single from the album, "Demons", reached #28 on the UK Charts in May 2005. McFadden's career stalled at this point due to the intense media backlash he suffered due to his personal life. The music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh, and was later remade into a different version featuring scenes from the popular TV show Lost by the American network ABC in order to promote the show.
McFadden continued writing songs for artists as diverse as Il Divo and Girls Aloud, as well as co-writing the theme "Together We Are One" for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
That same year McFadden also duetted with American singer LeAnn Rimes, the song called "Everybody's Someone" featured on her album Whatever We Wanna. The single reached #48 on the UK charts.
In 2005 McFadden wanted to tour with girlfriend Delta Goodrem. He hinted he may open shows for the 20 year-old former Neighbours' star when she begins her first ever tour this summer.
In 2006 McFadden stated that he was disillusioned with life in pop's fastlane and want to follow in the footsteps of country music legends Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks. He revealed: "Country music is great. It's not hick and it's not frowned upon any more. "In country music songs are not just about love but everything. "Every song tells a story. I've already been working with some amazing country songwriters."
On 22 March 2007 McFadden was reportedly dropped by Sony BMG due to disappointing album sales and the failure of recent single "Demons" .[9] McFadden later stated that they had simpley parted ways as he wanted to have creative control over his music. There has been recent press reports to that Westlife would not welcome him back to the group again. Brian also stated he did not want to rejoin the group although he still has great admiration for them.
[edit] 2007 Onwards
McFadden's latest single “Like Only A Woman Can” was released in Ireland on April 20, 2007 and reached the Number 1 position on the Irish Singles Chart. It reveals a grown up, more mature McFadden. The self-penned song is the first track from his yet untitled second solo album, McFadden describes it as being about his relationship with Delta Goodrem and he also said the song was about his mother and sister and women in general, and admitting mistakes in the past whilst looking forward to the future.[10] It was released on his own label, BMF.
In August 2007 McFadden launched his new song, "Jones", live on Ireland Television's 'You're A Star' talent programme.
[edit] Set In Stone
McFadden revealed that his second album "Set In Stone" will be making its way over to the UK and Europe in the summer and in Australia and New Zealand in April, 19 2008. His first single in Australia and New Zealand will be a new version of 'Like Only A Woman Can'. His first single in UK and Europe is set to be 'Room to Breathe'. The album went straight in at No. 5 in Australia in its first week of release. His second single to be released in Australia is called 'Twisted'.
[edit] Solo discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | AUS | |||
| 2004 | Irish Son | 24 | 6 | 54 | Sony BMG |
| 2008 | Set in Stone | - | - | 5 | Universal Music |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | AUS | ||||
| 2004 | "Real to Me" | 1 | 1 | 54 | Irish Son | Sony BMG |
| "Irish Son" | 6 | 2 | - | |||
| 2005 | "Almost Here" (with Delta Goodrem) | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||
| "Demons" | 28 | 18 | - | |||
| 2006 | "Everybody's Someone" (with LeAnn Rimes) | 48 | 27 | - | Whatever We Wanna | Asylum-Curb |
| 2007/2008 | "Like Only a Woman Can" | - | 1 | 13 | Set in Stone | Universal Music |
| 2008 | "Room To Breathe" | - | - | - | ||
| "Twisted" | - | - | - | |||
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- McFadden performed with Westlife as Bryan because it made signing autographs easier for him.
- He owns a recording studio in Dublin called the Vocal Lab.
- He has 5 tattoos, 4 on his back which are two chineese symbols saying "love" and "truth" which are either side of a Peace sign and above that reads the name "Kerry" after his ex wife. His fith is on in his inner left arm reads "Sometimes life breaks in mysterious ways", a line from his song Sorry Love Daddy which he dedicated to his daughters.
- Brian is a keen footballer and is a fan of Coventry City.
- He is currently managing South African rock band Franklin, as well as Irish group Melt Hair And The Love Rats who have covered his hit single Real To Me.
- His sister Susan McFadden,also a singer and an actress won Grease Is the Word and will be performing in the West-End Theatre.
- Susan McFadden asked him NOT to turn up and support her in TV talent show Grease Is The Word - for HIS own sake. Susan asked Brian not to come along as she feared he might be upset by the attention he would get. She said: "I could just see them putting the camera on him in the audience all the time, and that would be annoying for him and maybe a bit distracting for me.
- He is a passionate Collingwood Magpies supporter in the AFL, and said "I know I might risk sales by saying this in Australia, but I am a passionate Collingwood supporter and, yes, surprisingly I still have all my teeth."
- He plays for an Australian Rules side in Sydney's Castle Hill
[edit] References
- ^ The Mirror "Kerry on regardless", January 3, 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2006.
- ^ The Mirror "Kerry's ex admits to new lover" by Cameron Robertson, January 10, 2005. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
- ^ The Mirror "Delt's a goody", January 21, 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2006.
- ^ The Mirror "McFadden's at war", January 19, 2005 Retrieved November 29, 2006.
- ^ The Mirror "Delta's mum: ditch loser Brian" by Kiki King, Eva Simpson and Caroline Hedley, May 30, 2006. Retrieved November 29, 2006.
- ^ Westlife Announce The Departure Of Bryan McFadden
- ^ Ex-Westlife star storms to No 1
- ^ Label withdraws McFadden's video
- ^ Brian McFadden dropped by record label
- ^ "Like Only A Woman Can" press release
[edit] External links
- Brian McFadden Official site
- Brian McFadden Official Ireland site (MySpace)
- Brian McFadden MySpace site
- Brian McFadden Last.fm site
- Brian McFadden at the Internet Movie Database
- 'Brian McFadden - Set In Stone' on iTunes
- Brian McFadden podcast interview]
- Cartel Official site
- Billie Barry Stage School
- Brian McFadden Chats About Westlife, Delta Goodrem & New Album "Set In Stone"
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