50 facts about Ronan Keating: debuted as the lead singer of Irish group Boyzone

50 things about singer Ronan Keating.

1. Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist.

2. Ronan Keating debuted in 1994, alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the lead singer of Irish group Boyzone.

3. Ronan Keating solo career started in 1999 and has spawned nine albums.

4. Ronan Keating gained worldwide attention when his single "When You Say Nothing at All" was featured in the film Notting Hill and peaked at number one in several countries.

5. As a solo artist, he has sold over 20 million records worldwide alongside the 25 million records with Boyzone, and in Australia, he is best known as a judge on The X Factor.

6. He is active in charity work and has been a charity campaigner for the Marie Keating Foundation, which raises awareness for breast cancer and is named after his mother, who died from the disease in 1998.

7. Ronan Keating was born on 3 March 1977, the youngest of five children.

8. Ronan Keating grew up on the Northside of Dublin and County Meath.

9. His father Gerry Keating was a lorry driver and his mother Marie was a mobile hairdresser.

10. Ronan Keating has one sister: Linda, and three brothers: Ciaran, Gerard and Gary.

11. Ronan Keating was a track and field athlete and represented Ireland in several tournaments, winning the All Ireland under-13 200m title.

12. Ronan Keating also worked as an assistant in a shoe shop just as his siblings emigrated to the United States.

13. Also, Keating auditioned for Stars in Their Eyes.

14. Ronan Keating joined the band Boyzone in 1993.

15. Ronan Keating Keith Duffy, Richard Rock, Shane Lynch, Mark Walton and Stephen Gately were chosen as Boyzone members. Walton and Rock would later leave the group before being replaced by Michael Graham.

16. The group performed in various clubs and pubs before being signed by PolyGram in 1994 and released a cover version of "Working My Way Back to You" by The Four Seasons. The group also released a cover version of "Love Me for a Reason" which would peak on several charts.

17. In 1998, his mother died at the age of 51 from breast cancer,resulting in the establishment of the Marie Keating Foundation.

18. At the age of 21 years, Keating married Yvonne Connolly in April 1998 and together, the couple have three children: Jack (born 15 March 1999), Marie (born 18 February 2001) and Ali (born 7 September 2005).

19. The couple are now divorced after Keating had an affair.

20. From 1994-1999, Boyzone released 17 singles, 3 studio albums and 1 compilation album before disbanding in 2000 selling 27 million records and 3 million records from 4 singles, 1 compilation and studio album since their reformation.

21. In 1999, while still a member of Boyzone, Keating recorded a version of "When You Say Nothing at All" for the motion picture Notting Hill. The single peaked at number one in the UK charts, leading to a successful solo career.

22. He released his debut solo album, titled Ronan, in 2000, which peaked at number one in the UK Albums Chart. The album was given several negative reviews, although it sold over 750,000 copies and became one of the top selling albums of the year in the United Kingdom. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and has been certified four-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of 1.2 million copies.

23. After the successful debut album Ronan Keating continued on with his solo career and has since released four more studio albums: Destination (2002), Turn It On (2003), 10 Years of Hits (2004) and Bring You Home (2006), four of which peaked at number one in the UK Albums Chart.

24. Ronan Keating collaborated with several major stars, including Elton John, Lulu, LeAnn Rimes and the Bee Gees, for these albums.

25. Keating and Paul Brady co-wrote the 2001 hit single "The Long Goodbye",[14] one of Keating's most loved hits amongst fans and a huge hit for Brooks & Dunn in the United States.

26. In 2003, Keating was named Rear of the Year - an award given to celebrities with a notable posterior.

27. In October 2007, Keating was listed in the Guinness Book of Records for being the only artist ever to have 30 consecutive top 10 singles in the UK chart, beating the likes of Elvis Presley.

28. Ronan Keating also embarked on two world tours, won the Ivor Novello and BMI songwriting awards, released an autobiography, had a role as ambassador for Christian Aid and had sales in excess of 22 million albums worldwide.

29. In 2007 he released two fragrances, the range consists of a female fragrance, 'Hope By Ronan', which is based upon musk and amber scents and a male scent; and 'Believe by Ronan', based on Sicilian lemon, lavender and Clary sage smells. All proceeds go to the Marie Keating foundation.

30. Ronan Keating performed at the 2006 FIFA World Cup opening party at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, in front of an audience of nearly 250,000 people.

31. Ronan Keating posed nude for Cosmopolitan magazine's 10 Years of Naked Centrefolds.

32. On 9 May 2007, Keating became the first international number-one selling foreign artist to perform a concert in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

33. Ronan Keating also performed at the Olympic Stadium Indoor Arena.

34. Ronan Keating has dueted with Elton John at Madison Garden in New York.

35. Ronan Keating has sung for the Pope twice and performed for Prince Charles at the Prince's Trust 30th birthday, which took place at the Tower of London.

36. Ronan Keating performed on stage for the Swedish Royal family at Crown Princess Victoria's birthday celebrations, and at the opening ceremony of the 19th European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

37. On 5 November 2007, Keating confirmed that Boyzone would reunite for a special appearance on the BBC's annual fundraiser, Children in Need, performing a medley of hits, although had not yet commented on the possibility of a new tour or album. Soon, the Boyzone went on a 29-date tour.

38. In 2009 Keating co-wrote the song "Believe Again" sung by Niels Brinck, who won the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix and represented Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow where it qualified for the final from the second semi-final and finished in 13th place with 74 points.

39. In March 2010 the new Boyzone album "Brother" was released and went to number one in UK and Ireland selling 500,000 copies with very little promotion to add to the singles which sold 175,000 copies.

40. Ronan Keating toured Australia and New Zealand in the beginning of 2012 at the state theatre in Sydney, Brisbane convention centre, Melbourne Regent Theatre, Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Canberra Royal Theatre, Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Adelaide festival theatre and at Perth Kings Park in front of 29,000 in all making 1.6 million pounds

41. His fifth studio album named Fires was released on 3 September 2012 in the UK and 30 August in Ireland, Germany, Australia and worldwide.

42. In September 2013, Keating teamed up with X Factor judge Dannii Minogue to record a duet of Christmas classic "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" for department store chain Myer's "The Spirit of Christmas 2013" compilation.

43. Boyzone reunited in 2013 to celebrate their 20th anniversary as a group. Keating said in February 2012, "Next year Boyzone will be 20 years gone, so we'll be doing something. We have plans to get various other artists in the mix as well, I know Rizzle Kicks are interested and I have plans to get my nephew Will on a track somewhere in the album" The new album, BZ20, was released in the summer of 2013.

44. In October 2005 shortly after joining Christian Aid and the Trade Justice Campaign in 2004, Keating went to Rome where he was appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador via the Food and Agricultural Organization.

45. Ronan Keating ran in the London Marathon on 13 April 2008 to raise money for Cancer Research, with a personal best time of 3hr 59min.

46. Over the years he has won Smash Hits Best Solo Male.

47. Ronan Keating was given a tree in London's Hyde Park for performing for The Prince's Trust.

48. He also has a World Music Award for the best selling Irish artist.

49. In May 2014 Keating provided the singing voice of Postman Pat in the film Postman Pat: The Movie.

50. In November 2014 he took over the part of 'Guy' in Once from David Hunter, at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End.

Source: Wikipedia.org