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January News

30th January 2002

Pop Idol Single Is Westlife Cover (thesun.co.uk)

THE Westlife track Evergreen is the mystery song chosen to be the Pop Idol winner’s debut single, I can reveal.
As I disclosed yesterday, contenders WILL YOUNG, GARETH GATES and DARIUS DANESH each recorded versions of the then-secret song at West London’s Olympic studios this week.
Evergreen appeared on Westlife’s most recent album World Of Our Own, which came out in November.
It is a slushy ballad which features the lyrics: “Eyes, like a sunrise, like a rainfall down my soul. And I wonder, why you look at me like that,
“What you’re thinking, what’s behind. Don’t tell me, but it feels like love.”
And the chorus says: “I’m gonna take this moment and make it last for ever. “I’m gonna give my heart away and pray we’ll stay together
“’Cause you’re the one good reason, you’re the only girl that I need,
“’Cause you’re more beautiful than I have ever seen.
“I’m gonna take this night and make it Evergreen.”
When the original track was released, Westlife’s KIAN EGAN said of it: “Typical Westlife arms-in-the-air ballad and similar to My Love. “The beginning sounds a bit Elton John-ish thanks to the piano section.”
When the ITV1 contest’s winner is decided on February 9, their version will be packaged for release on judge SIMON COWELL’s BMG Records. A release date of February 25 has been pencilled in and a video will be swiftly shot just after the final show.
Record label bosses reckon the combination of Pop Idol and Westlife will make the single a surefire No1.
Insiders predict it will sell more than a million copies and will be the fastest-selling debut single ever.
Evergreen will be accompanied on the double A-sided single by a song specially written by Eighties star CATHY DENNIS, who penned KYLIE MINOGUE’s recent mega-hit Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.

HEAR the Westlife original of the Pop Idol single by phoning:

09063 660 455
UK calls: 60p per min
1550 927 755
ROI calls: 73 cents per min
OR click here

Posh Life

Victoria Beckham has told worldpop that Westlife will never be on a par with the Spice Girls.

Speaking to worldpop at her record company HQ, Virgin, Victoria told us: I know Westlife are a massively successful band but I don't think they could ever compare themselves with the Spice Girls. Obviously they're massive at the moment but they haven't had the same kind of success as the Spice Girls. We were a worldwide success. We had a No 1 record in America and all over the world. I don't think Westlife have reached that level yet.'

Speaking on the current state of British pop Victoria said: 'There's not many pop bands that I really like. I think Craig David is amazing and Blue are really good but it's not about music anymore. It's about media perception. I suppose the Spice Girls contributed to that in some way but although we were big personalities our songs were good. We made great records.'

28th January 2002

Childline 2002 (showbizireland.com)

Ireland became the pop capital of the world last night when ten of the world's top pop acts got together for an Irish children's charity.

A1, Westlife, S Club 7, Blue, Fifth Avenue, Reel, Sophie Ellis Bexter, Hear'say, Six, Bellfire and Omero Mumba all took to the stage for the ISPCC raising over 150,000 euro during the night.

Over 6,500 people enjoyed the concert, which was aired on Irish Television live.

ShowBizIreland.com spent the night with the stars of the show and even got some of them to model some new trendy ShowBizIreland.com baseball hats.

Boyband Blue were out to celebrate being nominated for two Brit awards while Sophie Ellis Bexter made a brief appearance to talk about her recent hit single.

The show was hosted by Kerry Katona and Westlife's Nicky Byrne which was covered live by ShowBizIreland.com's team of photographers.

15th January 2002

Hello Magazine Article (hellomagazine.co.uk)

(click to enlarge)

The Irish know how to party – especially at a wedding. And party they did, at the dazzling reception that followed Bryan McFadden and Kerry Katona's magical marriage ceremony.

In its time Slane Castle, which is an hour's drive from Dublin, has hosted its share of music business shindigs, concerts for U2, the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen among them. But rarely have guests kicked off their shoes and enjoyed themselves as the 250 friends and family did at the McFaddens' celebrations.

The castle itself had been transformed into a winter wonderland by Irish society florist James Bailie. As a barbershop quartet sang a cappella in the background, the newlyweds – unable to stop smiling – greeted their guests in front of a giant Christmas tree.

A kir royale reception kicked off the party, and it came to choosing what their guests would eat, Kerry and Bryan were adamant: “I didn’t want anyone to have to ask a waiter what anything was!” said Kerry, who remains remarkably unspoiled after her astonishing change in lifestyle from an upbringing in a Warrington council flat to fame with girl group Atomic Kitten and now, after leaving the band, a TV presenter and wife of Westlife heartthrob Bryan.

To read more and to see the stunning photos from the party, check out this week’s issue of HELLO! magazine, on sale now.

Brit Awards Nominees (thesun.co.uk)

Here are the list of nominees for this year's Brit Awards. As usual, the nominees are half good taste, half "what the hell are they thinking of?" :). How can you be up for Newcomer when you entered the music scene 3 years ago? Anyway... You can vote for Westlife at the end of the list:

BRITISH MALE SOLO ARTIST Aphex Twin Craig David Elton John Ian Brown Robbie Williams	BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST Dido Geri Halliwell P J Harvey Sade Sophie Ellis Bextor	BRITISH GROUP Gorillaz Jamiroquai Radiohead Stereophonics Travis
MASTERCARD BEST BRITISH ALBUM Craig David – Born To Do It Dido – No Angel Gorillaz – Gorillaz Radiohead – Kid A Travis – The Invisible Band	BEST BRITISH NEWCOMER Atomic Kitten Blue Dido Elbow Gorillaz Mis-Teeq So Solid Crew Starsailor Turin Brakes Zero 7	BEST BRITISH SINGLE Atomic Kitten – Whole Again Bob The Builder – Mambo No5 Daniel Bedingfield – Gotta Get Thru This DJ Pied Piper – Do You Really Like It Geri Halliwell – It’s Raining Men Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood Hear’Say – Pure And Simple Robbie Williams – Eternity/The Road To Mandalay S Club 7 – Don’t Stop Movin’ So Solid Crew – 21 Seconds
BIZARRE BEST POP ACT Blue Hear’Say Kylie Minogue S Club 7 Westlife	BEST BRITISH VIDEO Basement Jaxx – Where’s Your Head At Coldplay – Trouble Dido – Thank You Elton John – I Want Love Fatboy Slim – Weapon Of Choice Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood So Solid Crew – 21 Seconds Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue – Kids Robbie Williams – Supreme Travis – Sing	BEST BRITISH DANCE ACT Basement Jaxx Craig David Faithless Fatboy Slim Gorillaz
BEST INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST Bob Dylan Dr Dre Ryan Adams Shaggy Wyclef Jean	BEST INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST Alicia Keys Anastacia Björk Kylie Minogue Nelly Furtado	BEST INTERNATIONAL GROUP Daft Punk Destiny’s Child Limp Bizkit R.E.M. The Strokes
BEST INTERNATIONAL ALBUM Alicia Keys – Songs In A Minor Daft Punk – Discovery Destiny’s Child – Survivor Kylie Minogue – Fever The Strokes – Is This It	INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMER Anastacia The Avalanches Linkin Park Nelly Furtado The Strokes	OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION Sting

VOTE FOR WESTLIFE - Phone

09063 670 543

Calls cost no more than 10p, Ask Permission, Lines close February 19th 2002

It is also possible to vote online, at:

http://www.brittrust.co.uk/jm/brits2002/vote/vote.html

10th January 2002

Westlife Do Reservoir Dogs (thesun.co.uk)

WESTLIFE dress like gangsters ready for another raid on the charts – hoping to notch up a TENTH No1.

My exclusive snaps show the lads looking like characters from the movie Reservoir Dogs in the video for new single World Of Our Own.

In the promo they race around in a macho Hummer Jeep chased by cops. They even hired some Dobermans to complete the image – though that might have been risky, since they were all dressed like a dog’s dinner.

BRYAN McFADDEN, who married KERRY KATONA a couple of days after the shoot, told me: “It was good fun. We looked great in the suits and loved our bad-boy look.”

But the boys had better be ready for a fight when they release the track on February 18.

They will be up against KYLIE MINOGUE and her single In Your Eyes. And she really dresses to kill.

9th January 2002

More Live Dates (dotmusic.co.uk)

Westlife have announced a string of extra dates for their forthcoming UK arena tour.

The Irish boy band, who begin their 'World Of Our Own Tour' in April, have added extra dates in Glasgow, Birmingham and London.

Extra dates are as follows:

May

11 - Glasgow SECC (2pm)
24 - Birmingham NEC
31 - London Earls Court

Tickets, priced at £22.50 (£25 in London), will go on sale this Saturday, January 12.

Fairytale Wedding (hellomagazine.com)

The new year has only just begun, but the Wedding of the Year may already have taken place - last Saturday's marriage of Westlife pin-up Bryan McFadden to pop star and TV presenter Kerry Katona.
The bride's brief to the wedding experts who helped create her big day was to "think fairy tale." And fairy tale it most certainly was - a magical, intimate celebration in the tiny Church of the Immaculate Conception in Rathfeigh, County Meath, followed by the party to end all parties (this is Ireland, after all) at historic Slane Castle, which is famous for its music-world links.
"I used to come to pop concerts in the grounds of Slane and look up at the castle," reveals Bryan, "but I never, ever imagined in a million years that I'd be getting married here."
For HELLO!'s exclusive story of Bryan and Kerry's magical wedding, with photos and extensive coverage of the star-studded event, see this week's magazine, on sale now.

Click to see the pictures bigger

**Check back on Saturday (at the latest) for pictures from the magazine on this site!**

8th January 2002

Wife Of Bryan (the sun.co.uk)

THIS is the first picture of Mr and Mrs BRYAN McFADDEN, taken just two days after they tied the knot at the weekend.

The happy couple – more commonly known as Bryan from Westlife and former Atomic Kitten singer KERRY KATONA – were spotted at Dublin airport yesterday jetting off to Mauritius for their honeymoon.

And their daughter Molly wasn’t the only thing they were showing off – Bryan was sporting his diamond wedding ring for the first time.

The singer and his TV-presenter bride married in County Meath in Ireland on Saturday.

A fellow traveller at the airport said: “They looked like the perfect couple and were clearly excited to be going on their honeymoon.”

7th January 2002

McFadden & Katona Tie The Knot (dotmusic.co.uk)

Westlife star Bryan McFadden and former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona were married on Saturday, amid incredibly tight security.

The wedding, at the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Rathfeigh, Co Meath, Ireland, saw Katona arrive an hour late for the ceremony.

McFadden and his bride, wearing a £20,000 dress, were joined by a host of celebrities, including Ronan Keating, Dane Bowers and the other four members of Westlife, amongst the 250-strong invited audience.

The hordes of young fans in attendance got little more than a glimpse of their heroes, who were hidden at all times by an elaborate network of sheets.

The pair, who have a young daughter, Molly, have signed an exclusive deal with a UK magazine, securing rights to pictures from the wedding.

**I've heard that the photos will up from tomorrow on www.hellomagazine.com Of course, FWP will have them up as soon as they are published in the magazine also**

Pictures From ShowbizIreland,com

6th January 2002

Bryan & Kerry Wed (thesun.co.uk)

Westlife star Bryan McFadden has married girlfriend Kerry Katona today in a ceremony in a small Irish village amid tight security. The bride arrived more than an hour late for the ceremony.

The coupled wed at a Catholic church in Rathfeigh, Co Meath. The guest list included celebrities such as Ronan Keating, Dane Bowers and the fellow Westlife boys. A crowd of 200 screaming fans gathered outside the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Bryan and Kerry signed an exclusive deal with Hello! magazine to publish the pictures and story of the wedding and security was tight with the church lane sealed off by police and any cameras confiscated by security guards.

During the wedding, in the 150-year-old stone church, Dane Bowers sang his hit From the Heart and the service was conducted by Father JJ Mullen, McFadden's former school chaplain.

3rd January 2002

Bryan Says "I" Do (thesun.co.uk)

KERRY KATONA won’t wed Westlife’s BRYAN McFADDEN at Slane Castle after all — she is marrying plain Brian McFadden instead.

Guests to the bash in Dublin on Saturday were surprised to receive invitations for the nuptials of Atomic Kitten Kerry and Brian, assuming printers had got it wrong.

But it actually is his real name. A Westlife insider said: “He added the Y when he joined the band because he thought it looked cooler.”

Kerry Goes Shopping (thesun.co.uk)

Look out Bryan, it's the mother-in-law

HERE’S a chance for WESTLIFE’s BRYAN McFADDEN to watch his fortune dwindle – as bride-to-be KERRY KATONA goes shopping with her mum Sue.

The former ATOMIC KITTEN star has landed a job as a reporter for Channel 5 entertainment show Exclusive and her first assignment was a film on her own pre-wedding spending spree with her mum in London’s Covent Garden.

A pal said: “She’s always wanted to be a telly presenter.”

Kerry gets married to Bryan at Slane Castle near Dublin on Saturday.

The event is set to reunite Steps for the first time since their shock split on Boxing Day, as all five members have invites.