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mark owen - manchester's big brother
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Mark Owen
 
"I guess the show at Manchester Apollo was a highlight for me because the crowd were very mixed and the reception was fantastic and I felt I performed well that night - it was such a buzz" - Mark Owen
 
   

Mark Owen was born and bred in Oldham, Greater Manchester, where he lived for 21 years until moving into his own flat 'up t'road' in Rochdale. He has since moved to the beautiful Lake District.

As a youngster Mark had trials for Manchester United, Huddersfield Town, and Rochdale football clubs (he is actually a Liverpool fan). Unfortunately, due to an injury, he had to give up his dream of becoming a professional footballer. Instead Mark took various jobs in and around Oldham (at Zuttis boutique and Barclays Bank) before becoming a tea-boy at 10CC's Strawberry Studios in Stockport, aged 19. It was there that he met recording artist Gary Barlow for whom he provided backing vocals on raw demos as well as making his cups of tea. Mark and Gary heard about a guy called Nigel Martin-Smith who was assembling a boy band and thus travelled into Manchester city centre to the LaCage club to successfully audition.

With Gary, Robbie Williams, Jason Orange and Howard Donald, Take That was born. Not a lot happened in Mark's life for 6 years after that day (unless of course, you include Take That's 16 consecutive British hit singles which sold over 4.5 million copies, the eight Number 1's including "Babe", sang by himself, and the four smash albums, promoted by sell-out concerts World-wide amidst Take That mania!)

Mark was without doubt the most popular member of Take That thanks to his boyish good looks. He sang lead vocals on the Number 1 single "Babe", the track "The Day After Tomorrow" and the EP "Million Love Songs" as well as co-writing the Number 1 single, "Sure".

On the 13 of February, 1996, (ironically the birthday of Robbie Williams who had left the band 7 months previous), Take That announced they would split.

Although the highly critical music press only expected Gary Barlow, the main singer/songwriter of Take That, to go solo, Mark was the first ex-member to release his solo work. Changing direction from the pop-orientated love songs and ballads he was used to with Take That, Mark employed Stone Roses producer, John Leckie, and The Fall producer, Craig Leon, to give him a more indie-pop sound.

In November 1996, Mark reached Number 2 with his debut single, "Child", which heralded the arrival of his "Green Man" album (which only reached UK no.33 despite topping the charts elsewhere). His second solo single, "Clementine", was also a smash hit (it reached UK Number 3), whilst he also scored success with a remix of the album track "I Am What I Am" (UK No.29).

Following a relatively quiet period, RCA records dropped Mark from their label and left him contemplating his future.

He found work presenting a little-watched digital TV soccer series touring venues of the Euro 2000 tournament in Holland and Belgium before bouncing back in style...

In 2002, Mark regained the public's attention and admiration by taking 77% of the vote to win Celebrity Big Brother, pushing Les Dennis and Melinda Messenger into second and third place respectively. Although his ‘nice guy’ image during his ten days in the house won the support of his celebrity housemates (with all the previously evicted housemates supporting Mark at the last stage) the huge margin of the victory was a reminder of just how big a phenomenon Take That were.

Despite denying he went into the Big Brother house for a career boost, Mark had been working on new material with guitarists Adam Seymour of The Pretenders and Rob Harris of Jamiroquai, and had claimed to have written over 400 songs since Green Man.

The success he enjoyed in Celebrity Big Brother led to a new record deal with Universal-Island Records and an album is set to follow sometime in 2003.

[also see our profile of Take That]

 
..manchester music appeal
 

Manchester Music news wanted
(December 2002)
 
Pride Of Manchester

Are you a fan of Mark Owen and other Manchester musicians, or do you work for a record label? If so, can you help us compile the most up-to-date guide to Manc music on the internet. We're after news, biographies, demo's, promo disc's and updates of all the latest releases. If you can help, please contact us.

   
   
buy Mark Owen - Green Man
 
buy Mark Owen and Take That posters online
 
buy Peter Skellern & Richard Stilgoe  - A Quiet Night Out CD
 
buy The Take That 3 CD Box Set
 
buy Take That 'Hometown' concert - live at Manchester G-Mex on DVD import
 
Buy Take That's Greatest Hits on video
 
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