Baby-faced singer Rick Astley had a string of hits during the '80s and early '90s ( including Never Gonna Give You Up, Together Forever and Cry for Help ) . Now—thanks to the Internet—Astley's booming voice is reaching old ( er ) fans and has made converts of those who hadn't heard him before.
While vacationing in the French Alps, Astley was kind enough to answer a few questions Windy City Times e-mailed to him.
Windy City Times: By the mid-'90s, most people thought that you had entirely disappeared from the music scene. Is that true and, if so, why?
Rick Astley: Having had enough of the music business [ and ] the traveling that kept me away from my family, I retired in the early/mid-'90s.
WCT: I know fans love to hear your hits, but are there any songs you're tired of performing? ( Madonna once said that she would never perform Material Girl again. )
RA: It has been so long that I have done any long touring that it's now fun to sing all my old hits ( although it's tough to remember the words now ) .
WCT: What would you say is the biggest change in the music industry between the late '80s/early '90s and now?
RA: The Internet has changed the music biz forever. I don't know if it's better for everyone, but I think it's a good thing.
WCT: What was your reaction to being named "Best Act Ever" at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards?
RA: I am so glad that Sir Paul McCartney and Bono were at the awards to hear my name read out for best act ever !!!!!! ( Still, that's the Internet for you—great, isn't it? )
WCT: I understand that, very recently, your MySpace account was hacked into and deleted. What's the latest on that—and do you have any reason why someone would do that?
RA: I don't know anything about any MySpace account. I try not to bother with stuff like that.
WCT: In 2005, you released an album of covers called Portrait—but you were reportedly not pleased with it. If that's true, what contributed to your dissatisfaction?
RA: I loved making the Portrait record, but I don't think it was what we ( some people at the label and myself ) wanted to make. We wanted to make it more swing.
WCT: What is your favorite song that you've recorded ( original or cover ) ?
RA: The favorite song I have ever recorded is a new song from a musical ( for film ) that I am working on.
WCT: I have to ask about this Web phenomenon of "rickrolling," in which Internet users were sometimes directed to your "Never Gonna Give You Up" video. When did you first hear about it, and what did you think about this concept?
RA: I first heard about Rickrolling in 2007. I think it's a funny concept; it's just a bit weird when it's your video!!!!!
WCT: If you could collaborate with any singer ( living or dead ) , who would it be and why?
RA: Frank Sinatra, because I think he had the coolest parties.
WCT: What's the biggest difference between European and U.S audiences?
RA: Wherever I have played, I feel that I approach it the same way. People are people and that is how it feels to me on stage.
WCT: You're slated to perform in Canada in April. Is there any chance of you touring the United States?
RA: I would love to do some gigs in the States, and I think that may happen sometime in 2009 or 2010.