ARTICLES - GARY BARLOW Break Magazine, 23rd May 1997

GARY BARLOW IS BACK AND HOW!

Break Magazine, 23rd May 1997

Is there life after Take That? For ex-Thatter Gary Barlow there is, in any case.

After the split of the very successful group Gary has changed his life drastically. The glamour and glitter are past tense for him and maybe even his dreams of gigantic chocolate bars are vanishing.

Hords of fans, a butler, expensive cars. This was the life of Gary Barlow during his time as the singer of Take That. Gary is glad that he is freed of the hysterics that surrounded Take That.

"I couldn't even go to a movie undisturbed. When on tour I couldn't even escape from my hotel. At the entrance hysterical fans stood time after time. Of course, all the attention was nice, but sometimes you like to go shopping like a normal person or go to a discotheque. Everything was arranged for us. Now a days I have to get my coffee myself and that is wonderful."

Gary also changed a lot.

"I have fired my butler. I also sold a few of my cars. Eventually you can only drive one car at a time. I just don't like wasting money and don't have the urge anymore to be in the spotlights. In the past I was a true workaholic, but not anymore. I give all my spare time now to Dawn, my girlfriend."

Gary eyed dancer Dawn Andrews (27) while working together on the last Take That tour. In the meantime he lives with her in a delightful villa.

Gary is a real familyman. His parents and his brother live with him on his estate.

"I love to have my family around. My father runs the estate. He never lets anyone leave without a basket of eggs. Sometimes I get the feeling I'm living in a zoo. My brother Ian is raving mad about birds. Recently he came to me with a eagle. My mother keeps a donkey in her backyard. Furthermore there are peacocks and cows around here. I am very happy with this quiet, rustic life at the moment."

Besides a new life, Barlow also gained a new look. Where he was pestered by persistant fat-rolls in the past, now he has a slim-lined body with a muscular tummy. This metamorphosis wasn't easy, but Gary thinks he might been seen now:

"I think my body really looks good now, but it will always be a struggle. I do like good food. I even dreamed I slept on a gigantic chocolate bar. I woke up licking my pillow. That's pathetic ain't it?"

Where the other boys of Take That were worshipped for their bodies, Gary was worshipped for his singing qualitys.

Gary: "The photographer had to perform many tricks to make me look fat-roll-free on the pictures for the Everything Changes CD. I feld so ashamed! Over and over again they told me I was getting too fat. They even laughed at me behind my back. During photoshoots, my manager got told right away that the pictures were a failure because my double chins showed clearly again. For a long time now I have been dieting and of course I do a lot of sport. But the result is great! Now I can be proud of my body. Now I can have a laugh at anybody else."

The firing of his manager Nigel Martin-Smith, the man behind Take That, was a horrible experience for Gary.

"Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. And you can hurt people in the process. I have choosen for myself now and sometimes you have to be hard. I'd like to break the US, but Nigel didn't see anything in it. My attorneys have handled the case. I didn't have the courage to fire Nigel myself. We haven't spoken since. But Nigel is the man that made me what I am today, which I will never forget. I don't know if we'll ever get together again as friends."

As replacement to Nigel is no less then Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls. For breaking America Gary also hired Clive Davis. Not a small guy either; he is the man behind the success of the likes of Bruce Springstein and Whitney Houston.

Gary: "I searched a long time for a new manager. In my opinion I can't go wrong with Simon and Clive. They have made so many people famous....."

Now Gary is working on his solo career, he feels a lot of pressure: "Take That had 8 number 1 hits and 4 number1 albums. I have to match that and that is a very hard task to follow. People expect so much of me."

But Gary won't have to worry, because his latest single Love Won't Wait has become a number1 hit in England already and is showing well in the hitlists here (Holland) already. Love Won't Wait is written by Madonna. The singer laughs: "Madonna didn't write it especially for me. We hardly know eachother. But I've admired her for years. It's wonderful what Madonna has achieved. Love Won't Wait is another indication of her skills. Watch it. Love Won't Wait will become an absolute top-5 hit in your country!"