I Love Rick Astley!

I am six days into yet another crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. I had packed a few books but as I waited for my gate number to be screened I killed some time in the airport’s bookshop. Christmas isn’t far away and I’d been warned not to buy any books, but also the very same people had asked me what books I fancied and for the life of me I couldn’t see the risk in making a purchase. I had plenty of fiction in my case so I headed for the Biography section and there it was: 80’s pop star Rick Astley’s Never: The Autobiography.

I typed ‘80’s popstar’ with a smile on my face. It is a grossly unfair tag for a singer who has been around my whole adult life. A singer who can turn his massive baritone to more or less any style of music. Right now his 2005 album Portrait is playing in my ears through my new Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. Granted this is information that doesn’t enhance this blog coupled with the fact you probably couldn’t care less. But who knows how successful this blog will become? I might find myself with thousands of readers who are so influenced by my words that they dash off to buy a book I have mentioned, enjoy a coffee from a cafe I frequent or listen to an album I had recommended through headphones they bought because I told them too. 

I can dream!

And that’s what I took from Rick’s book. He was a dreamer. Your age will determine your initial reaction to reading the name Rick Astley. I first heard of him in 1987 and like all things I now enjoy that was because of my Dad. Christmas Day 1987 (bloody hell, that’s 37 years ago!) Dad bought me my first compact disc player and my very first CD and if you can’t guess whose work it was you should be ashamed.

Of course it was Rick’s debut offering Whenever You Need Somebody. Released a month before Christmas and one that still sits proudly in a box in my mum’s garage. 

Over fifteen million people bought that album but not long after Rick walked away from the showbiz world craving more. Not more fame or more success, he craved normality.

This is where I think I share some common ground with him. 

He is self effacing to a fault. Check. He over thinks the silly things. Check. Has absolutely no idea of the standing he holds among his peers. Check.

In fairness our similarities do end there. He is an internationally known recording artist with houses around the world and millions in the bank – not to mention a published best selling autobiography. Me, I have a blog that you (and quite possibly only you) are reading which I wrote after a show I performed on a cruise ship. 

I still think Rick and I would be friends.

He wandered back into show business with a new attitude. One that ensured his next foray was thoroughly enjoyed. I am not sure how much I thought about him after listening to that CD back in 1987 but the fact Dad grabbed it for me suggested that I should have paid more attention to Rick and his music. 

Around the turn of the century (I really need to stop dating myself) I worked at Capital Gold radio hosting the All Request Breakfast Show on Sunday mornings. I was also supporting The Stylistics on my fourth tour with them. We were friends so I asked Herb Murrell if he’d like to join me for a chat live on the show. He agreed but I had to check with the station’s programme director if it was OK. It was more than OK. The station had been trying to get The Stylistics on with no joy and he enquired as to how I had managed to secure this interview. “I’m their opening act. You do know what I do for a living don’t you?” Off he went shaking his head laughing. The laughing stopped when he looked me up and discovered I had opened for a lot of the station’s favourite singers. Perhaps I should have mentioned that earlier.

With Herb waiting on the end of the line I prompted him to think of a song he’d like to request for after we had chatted. When the time came Herb couldn’t think of the name but described the singer and the voice in such detail that I asked, live on air by the way, with something resembling disdain too,

“Rick Astley?!”

It was so we played Never Going To Give You Up.

Yet even after Herb’s endorsement and the fact Dad bought me his CD I never played Rick Astley’s music.

The Foo Fighters, a huge favourite of mine, once invited Rick to join them onstage at a festival in Japan. Dave walked off stage during a song, said hello to Rick who had performed earlier and was now standing in the wings enjoying their set. Next thing he knew Rick was singing the words to Never Going To Give You Up while the Foo’s played the music to Teen Spirit.

Jeez he had 80,000 people enthusiastically joining in when he performed the first set of the day at Glastonbury in 2023. And. AND then played a set celebrating The Smiths with Blossoms, a show that prompted a thrilled Morrissey to write,

‘Anything that generates interest in that tired old Smiths warhorse is testimony to the wallop it packed.’

Morrissey, Herb Murrell, Dave Grohl, Dave Grohl’s mates, Blossoms, 80,000 people and my Dad can’t be wrong! But why am I sitting here now, in December of 2024, thoroughly enjoying Are We There Yet?, Rick’s latest album? (Portrait, by the way, proved to be something of a distraction whilst writing. Too often I stopped typing to listen to the lyrics more closely. Where To Begin is my new favourite song.)

The answer is simple: Rick. Rick, his story, that book. He seamlessly sold himself to me and I urge you to look deeper into Rick Astley but this time with an open mind. I am pretty sure you’ll love him.

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