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Robbie Williams. Somebody Someday
Once in while a book is produced that captures the energy and spirit of the rock world. Somebody Someday was published to massive popular and critical acclaim in September 2001. It shot straight to number one in the best-seller lists.Why? Because the book offers an intimate glimpse into the life of Britain’s greatest pop star. Robbie Williams joined Take That in 1991 and before he left, the band had eight Number One singles.He went solo and sold millions of albums, the only artist to have two albums in the Top Ten at the same time. He is a rock icon in the truest sense -- hero and entertainer -- and here he tells his story.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Robbie Williams
111 books27 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Robert Peter Williams is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, Life thru a Lens, was released in 1997, and included his best-selling single "Angels". His second album, I've Been Expecting You, featured the songs "Millennium" and "She's the One", his first number one singles. His discography includes seven UK No. 1 singles, and all but one of his 14 studio albums have reached No. 1 in the UK. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the UK, with two of them in the top 60, and he gained a Guinness World Record in 2006 for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day during his Close Encounters Tour.
Williams has received a record 18 Brit Awards, winning Best British Male Artist four times, Outstanding Contribution to Music twice, an Icon Award for his lasting impact on British culture, eight German ECHO Awards, and three MTV European Music Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted the Greatest Artist of the 1990s. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), he has been certified for 20.36 million albums and 9.2 million singles in the UK as a solo artist. Five of his albums have also topped the Australian albums chart, and has sold 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He also topped the 2000–2010 UK airplay chart. His three concerts at Knebworth in 2003 drew over 375,000 people, the UK's biggest music event to that point. In 2014, he was awarded the freedom of his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent and had a tourist trail created and streets named in his honour. Williams' latest compilation album, XXV, was released on 9 September 2022.
After 15 years, Williams rejoined Take That in 2010 to co-write and perform lead vocals on their album Progress, which became the second-fastest-selling album in UK chart history and the fastest-selling record of the century at the time. The subsequent stadium tour, which featured seven songs from Williams' solo career, became the biggest-selling concert in UK history when it sold 1.34 million tickets in less than 24 hours. In 2011, Take That frontman Gary Barlow confirmed that Williams had left the band for a second time to focus on his solo career, although he stated that the departure was amicable and that Williams was welcome to rejoin Take That in the future. Williams has since performed with Take That on three separate television appearances, and collaborated with Barlow on a number of projects such as the West End musical The Band.
Robert Peter Williams is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, Life thru a Lens, was released in 1997, and included his best-selling single "Angels". His second album, I've Been Expecting You, featured the songs "Millennium" and "She's the One", his first number one singles. His discography includes seven UK No. 1 singles, and all but one of his 14 studio albums have reached No. 1 in the UK. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the UK, with two of them in the top 60, and he gained a Guinness World Record in 2006 for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day during his Close Encounters Tour.
Williams has received a record 18 Brit Awards, winning Best British Male Artist four times, Outstanding Contribution to Music twice, an Icon Award for his lasting impact on British culture, eight German ECHO Awards, and three MTV European Music Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted the Greatest Artist of the 1990s. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), he has been certified for 20.36 million albums and 9.2 million singles in the UK as a solo artist. Five of his albums have also topped the Australian albums chart, and has sold 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He also topped the 2000–2010 UK airplay chart. His three concerts at Knebworth in 2003 drew over 375,000 people, the UK's biggest music event to that point. In 2014, he was awarded the freedom of his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent and had a tourist trail created and streets named in his honour. Williams' latest compilation album, XXV, was released on 9 September 2022.
After 15 years, Williams rejoined Take That in 2010 to co-write and perform lead vocals on their album Progress, which became the second-fastest-selling album in UK chart history and the fastest-selling record of the century at the time. The subsequent stadium tour, which featured seven songs from Williams' solo career, became the biggest-selling concert in UK history when it sold 1.34 million tickets in less than 24 hours. In 2011, Take That frontman Gary Barlow confirmed that Williams had left the band for a second time to focus on his solo career, although he stated that the departure was amicable and that Williams was welcome to rejoin Take That in the future. Williams has since performed with Take That on three separate television appearances, and collaborated with Barlow on a number of projects such as the West End musical The Band.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 19, 2022
I loved Robbie Williams as a kid, and I blame his She's The One music video for giving me utterly unrealistic ideas of what ice skating entailed, meaning even Olympic Gold Medalists tend to be a little underwhelming.
He was in Take That, a boyband that was very popular.
I only remember a few of their songs, but have been reminded of them recently due to references in Derry Girls
For a time, after he went solo, he was probably one of the biggest pop stars in Britain, and was certainly popular here in New Zealand. This book was written during that frenzied time - it ends with him dating Rachel Hunter. As a Kiwi who reads Women's Weekly in waiting rooms, I know that this relationship did not pan out. Never mind.
At times it feels like someone from Williams' record company is breathing down the authors neck, adamant that he remind the readers yet again how hot Robbie is, and how brilliant, and how talented, and how famous. It's when the writer gets away from that promotion and actually has the chance to focus on things like the low point post Take That, the depression, weight gain, drinking etc, that the book is strongest. I am pretty sure more drugs were consumed than the book implies, going off of a recent interview I read.
By the time I read this I had mostly drifted away from Robbie Williams' music, but it was fun to learn more about someone that once brought me such joy - and I did end up revisiting some of my favourite songs by him, and enjoying them.
September 3, 2018
Love Robbie.. loved this book... have read a few times... many years ago I hated take That. I’m a die hard nkotb fan. So take that wasn’t cool. As a U.K. rival band to NKOTB. Have been to some concerts and venues over the years.... saw take that perform... not by choice they were part of the concert.... but. Robbie always came across to me a born leader and I hate Gary Barlow.... he is so up himself it is untrue.... Robbie was the better lead singer for take that. I’m so glad Robbie walked away from take that.... now as a solo artist Robbie is a true performer.... so I got to reading his books.... yes love them... this book didn’t disappoint... fantastic photos A great insight into Robbie and his feeling of what he wanted to achieve... and boy did he do it.... fantastic read....
December 6, 2006
did not finish reading it due to continuous repetitions about poor Robster's fear before getting on stage and his paranoia of anyone around him spying him out or having whatever bad plans.
And he farts too much!
And he farts too much!
October 25, 2007
Hated it - love Robbie, but hated this. Soooooo sycophantic.
March 9, 2015
I cannot say I am a pop music fan as such; I am foremost a music fan with a wide range of taste and open to pretty much anything. As far as boy bands go, I have never been a fan of them, but I can appreciate that Take That in their heyday were arguably the best British boy band ever. I remember being mildly amused at the sight of hoards of young girls crying on News at Ten when Robbie Williams unexpectedly left Take That, only to briefly go off the rails, partying with The Gallagher brothers (Oasis) at Glastonbury '95 and indulging in some kind of light version of a 'sex, drugs and rock and roll' lifestyle before embarking on an adult musical solo career. In short, Robbie grew up and grew out of the boy band phase, and it was interesting to watch.
So, this memoir should be an intriguing read, yet it sadly falls short. I cannot fault the writing as such, it is just the story itself is flat and almost one-dimensional; it was written during the tour of 2001/2002, at a time when Robbie was clean from drugs and alcohol and pretty much in good shape mentally and physically, and at his peak in commercial terms. Unfortunately, there is only so many times you can read about his new regime of water, card games and taking carefree groupies back to hotel rooms before you slowly die a sad death of tedium. However clichéd the rock and roll lifestyle may appear nowadays, and obviously it was a destructive path for Robbie Williams, this autobiography needs a good shot of it to inject some much needed life and excitement to keep the reader awake. Although, I did briefly wake up on the retelling of the nutjob who invaded the stage and pushed Robbie over! Fortunately, 'Somebody Someday' is relatively short and easy to read and can be read within 24 hours, but it seems like a read targeted for the devoted Robster fans, and perhaps deliberately censored to preserve a good image of the man.
So, this memoir should be an intriguing read, yet it sadly falls short. I cannot fault the writing as such, it is just the story itself is flat and almost one-dimensional; it was written during the tour of 2001/2002, at a time when Robbie was clean from drugs and alcohol and pretty much in good shape mentally and physically, and at his peak in commercial terms. Unfortunately, there is only so many times you can read about his new regime of water, card games and taking carefree groupies back to hotel rooms before you slowly die a sad death of tedium. However clichéd the rock and roll lifestyle may appear nowadays, and obviously it was a destructive path for Robbie Williams, this autobiography needs a good shot of it to inject some much needed life and excitement to keep the reader awake. Although, I did briefly wake up on the retelling of the nutjob who invaded the stage and pushed Robbie over! Fortunately, 'Somebody Someday' is relatively short and easy to read and can be read within 24 hours, but it seems like a read targeted for the devoted Robster fans, and perhaps deliberately censored to preserve a good image of the man.
March 20, 2011
I almost wish I hadn't read this. I'm a fan of Robbie but didn't realise how much contempt he felt for his fans. Funny how Robbie Williams is listed as the author in this when I felt that it was all written by someone else (Mark McCrum) who was following Robbie around on tour & writing down his observations.
January 28, 2013
Good book, in that it's an easy read and Robbie is quite charismatic. It really is just following him around on tour, talking about what he's doing, what his bandmates are doing. Shows Rob as quite vulnerable and empathetic.
Nice but not life changing, useful to know that the confidence on the outside doesn't necessarily match what the person is feeling on the inside.
Nice but not life changing, useful to know that the confidence on the outside doesn't necessarily match what the person is feeling on the inside.
February 24, 2013
For only the most devoted Robbie Williams fans.
The level of Robbie worship is unbearable both from the author and from everyone who surrounds him.
The only thing that kept me reading and earned it one star is the backstage view of a tour which was interesting but only made up a very small portion of the book.
The level of Robbie worship is unbearable both from the author and from everyone who surrounds him.
The only thing that kept me reading and earned it one star is the backstage view of a tour which was interesting but only made up a very small portion of the book.
November 5, 2012
not a fan of robbie williams but thought I'd give it a go. robbie does not seem to have much faith in himself. during the tour that he was on gave up drink and drugs. not a person who I would associate the game uno.
Read
June 29, 2010Well liked. You've gotta be a Robbie lover to love this really. I actually won it in a Mizz magazine competition, signed and everything. Too cool.
Read
June 7, 2012self indulgent & miserable read never finished
April 27, 2014
I go sick of reading about self pity and doubt..... arrrhhhh snap out of it
January 15, 2016
No nii igav, nii igav. Tõlge vist oli ka halb (see pealkiri on ju juba imelik?) või oligi see halvasti kirjutatud - tundus selline punnitatud Google Translate lausetega jutt.
March 8, 2016
Good book about going on tour with Robbie Williams. It is an easy read and interesting to read about his process, the backstage antics, etc.
October 22, 2016
I rather like his music, but the book was rather ho-hum.
November 17, 2017
Ich habe es im Zug auf dem Weg zu einem Robbie Williams Konzert in Paris gelesen...
Interessante Einblicke, aber vielfach von den Leuten drumherum.
Ich hatte mehr noch mehr "Inside my head" erwartet, da es vom Cover her eine Autobiographie zu sein scheint.
Mir ist klar, dass die meisten Promi-Autobiographien nicht von ihnen sondern von einem Ghostwriter geschrieben werden. Aber in diesem Fall wird im Buch selbst gar nicht so getan, als habe er persönlich etwas damit zu tun. Es ist ein Bericht von jemandem, der die Tour begleitet und durch Interviews und Beobachtung einen offenbar recht guten Einblick bekommt.
Diese Amazon Rezension trifft es sehr gut.
Interessante Einblicke, aber vielfach von den Leuten drumherum.
Ich hatte mehr noch mehr "Inside my head" erwartet, da es vom Cover her eine Autobiographie zu sein scheint.
Mir ist klar, dass die meisten Promi-Autobiographien nicht von ihnen sondern von einem Ghostwriter geschrieben werden. Aber in diesem Fall wird im Buch selbst gar nicht so getan, als habe er persönlich etwas damit zu tun. Es ist ein Bericht von jemandem, der die Tour begleitet und durch Interviews und Beobachtung einen offenbar recht guten Einblick bekommt.
Diese Amazon Rezension trifft es sehr gut.
December 20, 2023
Fascinating insight into the mind of a young celebrity battling addiction. It feels like an open account of his younger days but I suspect there is a lot of underlying emotion he doesn't share with the reader. Let's face it, we all have a 'private' life and are entitled to it. I admire Robbie for his commitment to himself and getting himself well again after years of self-abuse. As it's quite an old book, I hope he's still doing well. Thank you for sharing, Robbie.
June 16, 2021
I had to give up on this. It was really really boring. I mean, if you're a diehard fan of Robbie Williams, then maybe. And I get that you can struggle with your mental health even if as a loved and adored artist. I get all that.
But this was just really bad. Really boring. And just not a good book. I gave up.
But this was just really bad. Really boring. And just not a good book. I gave up.
March 31, 2024
I started skimming and then gave up. If you are a hardcore Robbie fan, you may enjoy this play by play account of his Sermon on the Mount tour late 2000-early 2001. I enjoy his music, know very little about him, and found myself not really caring about what was written. This was not an autobiography like I thought. My bad.
June 18, 2017
so sad he isnt bigger here in the US. I love him and have since the late 90s. its very hard to find his cds and dvds here. this is a great book about a great performer.
July 31, 2017
in someway this wasn't an easy read not was it an emotive one. It's a very matter of fact autobiography , and I didn't get the feeling that I knew who Robbie Williams was after reading it.
March 2, 2020
premising that I love Robbie Williams, I read this book in one breath. Well written, I already knew a lot of information, but other information didn't. I recommend it.
April 25, 2021
A very good read some good,bad and ugly parts.
June 13, 2022
A lovely easy read but excellent too with great insight in to Robbie touring when in recovery. A misunderstood soul. A good read before Feel by Chris Heath, the seminal work on Robbie Williams
January 9, 2024
Although not as good as Chris Heath’s ‘Feel’, this book offers an interesting insight into RW’s life as well as how his band came together. Definitely worth the read for any RW fan.
April 22, 2025
just for fans! a bit of repeated content if you saw the movie but otherwise great
June 17, 2016
Es handelt sich leider nicht um die pointierte Zusammenfassung spannender Tour-Erlebnisse, sondern um eine zu detaillierte Nacherzählung, die manchmal sehr bemüht wirkt, Robbie Williams besonders beeindruckend darzustellen. Die Übersetzung ist dabei manchmal holprig, aber es scheint auch im Original sprachliche Schwierigkeiten zu geben.
Insgesamt nicht uninteressant, aber eben auch nicht wirklich gut ausgeführt.
Insgesamt nicht uninteressant, aber eben auch nicht wirklich gut ausgeführt.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews