Westlife intro
The story begins a long long time ago (well,not quite,but..y'know...!) in a town named Sligo in the West of Ireland.Three guys named Kian Egan,Mark Feehily and Shane Filan had performed in the school musical Grease together,and after their success on stage,had decided to form a band,called 6 as 1,and later changing their name to I.O.YOU.
Mark,Kian and Shane in I.O.YOU (also pictured are Derek,Graham and Michael)
The group released a single "Together Girl Forever" in Ireland,and after limited success,Shane's mother,Mae,contacted the manager of Boyzone,Louis Walsh,to try and persuade him to take a look at the guys and to possibly sign them up.Although Louis was impressed he felt he didn't have the time to manage yet another band.But...luckily for us...he contacted Ronan Keating of Boyzone,who agreed to co-manage the new band with Louis.And so 'Rolo Management' was formed.
Westlife with Louis Walsh
Westlife with Ronan
The lineup of I.O.YOU was changed - 3 members (Derek,Graham and Michael) being asked to leave,and auditions were then held in Dublin to find two new members for the group.Nicky Byrne and Bryan McFadden were eventually chosen...Westlife were born!
The First UK Magazine article featuring the lads - from Boyzone Magazine September 1998...when they were still known as I.O.You...
The group (who were originally known as Westside - their name having been changed by Ronan who felt that I.O.YOU was too boyband-esque) first supported the Backstreet Boys in Dublin,and then toured the UK and Ireland with Boyzone in November 1998.They stunned audiences on the Smash Hits Tour around the UK,winning "Best New Tour Act" at the Smash Hits Awards in November 1998.
When they were known as Westside...
- click here to see the Westside leaflet given out at the Boyzone concerts
- click here to see the article on the lads from the Boyzone Concert Programme
However,the group were obliged to change their name from Westside to Westlife early in 1999 when it was discovered that a number of existing bands shared the same name.
Undeterred,Westlife went on to release their first single Swear it Again in April 1999 which went straight to the top of the British and Irish charts,becoming the biggest-selling debut single ever in Ireland.
As of November 2005,far Westlife have released eighteen singles in the UK,with a massive thirteen number ones!
Their double A-side of I Have a Dream and Seasons in the Sun became the UK Christmas number one of 1999.Their eagerly-awaited debut album was released in the UK in November 1999 and has acheived triple platinum status.Winning Record of the Year for Flying Without Wings in 1999 and My Love in the following year,as well as gaining numerous awards left right and centre,it is clear that Westlife have achieved much acclaim and enjoyed a lot of success.Already in their brief career Westlife have broken records as fast as they have set them - their second album,Coast To Coast went triple platinum in Ireland after only one day of release,and their seventh single release,My Love,gave them a place in chart history as they became the only band in UK chart history to have their first seven singles debut at number one.
2002 saw the group release their first Greatest Hits album,and Westlife's subsequent album,Turnaround,released November 2003,continued Westlife's success,going straight into the charts at number one.
March 2004 saw a new chapter begin for the group as Bryan McFadden announced his departure from the band,citing his desire to spend more time with his young family.Rumours suggested that this might be the beginning of the end for the group,however Westlife have set the critics wrong once again.
Westlife - now a four-piece in the tradition of all great pop acts - remain Ireland's most well-known and biggest selling pop export and undoubtedly one of the world's biggest pop groups.Their latest album,Face to Face,released November 2005,became their 7th number 1 album in the UK in as many years.
With soulful harmonies,angelic voices,drop-dead good looks,and the management of pop svengali Louis Walsh behind them,their much-anticipated tour in 2006 mean that Westlife look set to enjoy chart success for many years to come!