Mark Owen

Mark Owen was born on January 27, 1972, in Oldham, Lancashire, where he lived in a council house with his family. His early life included brief stints playing football, with trials for Manchester United and Rochdale, and a job at Barclays in Failsworth before he entered the music industry. In 1989, at the age of 17, Owen successfully auditioned for a new male vocal singing group being formed in Manchester by Nigel Martin-Smith. This group, initially called Kick It and later renamed Take That, saw Owen join Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, and Robbie Williams. Take That signed with RCA Records and quickly gained popularity, achieving their first number one hit with “Pray” after a series of successful singles like “A Million Love Songs” and “It Only Takes a Minute.” Owen notably sang lead vocals on the 1993 chart-topping single “Babe” from their second album, “Everything Changes,” and “The Day After Tomorrow” from “Nobody Else.”

After Take That disbanded in 1996, Owen embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut single “Child,” which reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, followed by “Clementine” also charting at number three. His first solo album, “Green Man,” was released in 1996, peaking at number 33. Following these releases and a third single “I Am What I Am,” Owen was dropped by BMG Records in late 1997. He re-entered the public eye in 2002 by winning the second series of “Celebrity Big Brother.” This led to a new record deal with Island/Universal Records and the release of his second solo album, “In Your Own Time,” in 2003, featuring the Top 5 hit “Four Minute Warning.” He later established his own record company, Sedna Records, in 2004, and released his third solo album, “How the Mighty Fall,” in 2005.

Owen reunited with Take That in 2005 for a successful stadium tour, marking a significant career renaissance for the band. He continued to be an integral part of the group, singing lead vocals on their comeback single “Shine” (2006). He participated in the recording and touring for subsequent Take That albums, including “Beautiful World” (2006), “The Circus” (2008), and “Progress” (2010), the latter marking the return of Robbie Williams to the original lineup. Owen released his fourth solo album, “The Art of Doing Nothing,” in 2013, and his fifth, “Land of Dreams,” in 2022, which debuted at number 5 on the UK Official Albums Chart. Throughout his career, Owen has maintained a consistent presence in the music industry, balancing his work with Take That and his individual artistic pursuits.