Biography - Page 2

His 2002 album, Destination , was recorded under the craftmanship of The New Radical’s Gregg Alexander and stormed straight to number one in numerous countries. Just like the albums that were to follow, Destination provided Ronan with a string of hit singles, which showcased his impressive talent as a solo artist. On Destination, Ronan successfully combined heart-rendering ballads, such as If Tomorrow Never Comes and The Long Goodbye, with the upbeat classics, Lovin’ Each Day and I Love It When We Do. Ronan’s innovative songwriting skills have not gone unnoticed either. His talents as a songwriter were recognised in 2003 when he was presented with a much-coveted BMI European song-writing award for The Long Goodbye, a song he wrote and recorded, which was covered by US country singers, Brooks & Dunn and reached number one in the US Billboard country chart. Later that year, Ronan received a prestigious World Music Award in Monte Carlo for the biggest selling Irish act.

November 2003 saw the release of Turn It On , an album with a distinctly mature feel. It proved that Ronan had come full circle since the Boyzone years, combining unique vocal ability with superb songwriting skills, on such tracks as Last Thing on my Mind, On My Way and Turn It On. The aforementioned Last Thing on my Mind saw Ronan duet with US country singer, Leann Rimes, resulting in a perfect vocal blend that was hugely popular with radio stations the world over. It shot straight into the British top five and left a distinctive mark on the charts of several other European countries.

In October 2004, Ronan marked his tenth anniversary in the music industry by releasing 10 Years of Hits , a collection of all his hits to that date. Countless music lovers snapped up a copy of the album in its first week of release, elevating it to number one, outselling REM by three to one and making it one of the biggest selling albums of the year. The album also gave Ronan the opportunity to re-record three of his favourite songs from the Boyzone era – Father & Son, Baby Can I Hold You and Words. His re-worked version of Father & Son, a duet with Yusuf Islam, was the UK Christmas number two in 2004, outsold only by Band Aid’s rendition of Do They Know It’s Christmas?

Bring You Home , the next in a line of chart-topping albums, was welcomed by critics and fans alike in the summer of 2006, achieving platinum and gold certification in various territories.  Its global success is illustrative of how Ronan has found a sound that is both credible and marketable. The album featured the smash hit single, All Over Again, a duet with the British folk singer, Kate Rusby, as well as the anthemic Friends in Time and the promisingly catchy So Easy Lovin’ You.