Boyzone

===Breakthrough and ''Said and Done'' (1993–1995)===

===Breakthrough and ''Said and Done'' (1993–1995)===

[[File:Louiswalsh.jpg|thumb|right|Music manager [[Louis Walsh]] wished to create an "Irish version of [[Take That]]"]]

[[File:Louiswalsh.jpg|thumb|right|Music manager [[Louis Walsh]] wished to create an "Irish version of [[Take That]]"]]

In 1993, an advertisement appeared in Irish newspapers calling for auditions to form a new Irish "boy band" group. The advertisements were sent out by theatrical manager [[Louis Walsh]] who was looking to make an "Irish [[Take That]]" following on from that band's success. The auditions were held in The Ormond Centre, in [[Dublin]], in November 1993. More than 300 people replied to the advertisement. At the auditions the applicants were asked to sing the song "[[Careless Whisper]]" by George Michael. Each audition would be taped and watched again to judge the applicant's performance. Out of the 300, 50 were selected for a second audition. For the second audition the applicants where asked to sing two songs, including one of their own choice with a backing tape. [[Mikey Graham]] sang "[[Two Out of Three Ain't Bad]]" by Meat Loaf, [[Keith Duffy]] sang "[[I'm Too Sexy]]" by Right Said Fred, [[Ronan Keating]] sang "[[Father and Son (song)|Father and Son]]" by Cat Stevens (a cover version of which the band would later release), and Stephen Gately sang "[[Hello (Lionel Richie song)|Hello]]" by Lionel Richie. Out of this 50, 10 were selected for a third audition. In the end, Keating, Gately, Duffy, Richard Rock (son of [[Dickie Rock]]), [[Shane Lynch]] and Mark Walton were chosen. This lineup of the group were mocked by both the audience and presenter [[Gay Byrne]] in an appearance on ''[[The Late Late Show (Irish talk show)|The Late Late Show]]'' in 1993, where they mimed and danced to the [[Club House (band)|Clubhouse]] hit "[[Light My Fire (Club House song)|Light My Fire]]".{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie//archives/exhibitions/1862-before-fame/470840-1st-boyzone-appearance-on-tv/|title=1st Boyzone Appearance on TV|website=RTÉ Archives|access-date=30 January 2022|archive-date=23 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123154453/https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1862-before-fame/470840-1st-boyzone-appearance-on-tv/|url-status=live}} Graham originally was rejected but later joined after Rock's departure.{{Cite web |last=Kindon |first=Frances |last2=O'Shea |first2=Cormac |date=2020-10-13 |title=Boyzone's forgotten members now - heroin battle, murderous ex and billionaire |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/what-happened-boyzones-forgotten-members-22832673 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=[[The Mirror]] |language=en}}

In 1993, an advertisement appeared in Irish newspapers calling for auditions to form a new Irish "boy band" group. The advertisements were sent out by theatrical manager [[Louis Walsh]] who was looking to make an "Irish [[Take That]]" following on from that band's success. The auditions were held in The Ormond Centre, in [[Dublin]], in November 1993. More than 300 people replied to the advertisement. At the auditions the applicants were asked to sing the song "[[Careless Whisper]]" by George Michael. Each audition would be taped and watched again to judge the applicant's performance. Out of the 300, 50 were selected for a second audition. For the second audition the applicants where asked to sing two songs, including one of their own choice with a backing tape. [[Mikey Graham]] sang "[[Two Out of Three Ain't Bad]]" by Meat Loaf, [[Keith Duffy]] sang "[[I'm Too Sexy]]" by Right Said Fred, [[Ronan Keating]] sang "[[Father and Son (song)|Father and Son]]" by Cat Stevens (a cover version of which the band would later release), and Stephen Gately sang "[[Hello (Lionel Richie song)|Hello]]" by Lionel Richie. Out of this 50, 10 were selected for a third audition. In the end, Keating, Gately, Duffy, Richard Rock (son of [[Dickie Rock]]), [[Shane Lynch]] and Mark Walton were chosen. This lineup of the group were mocked by both the audience and presenter [[Gay Byrne]] in an appearance on ''[[The Late Late Show (Irish talk show)|The Late Late Show]]'' in 1993, where they mimed and danced to the [[Club House (band)|Clubhouse]] hit "[[Light My Fire (Club House song)|Light My Fire]]".{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie//archives/exhibitions/1862-before-fame/470840-1st-boyzone-appearance-on-tv/|title=1st Boyzone Appearance on TV|website=RTÉ Archives|access-date=30 January 2022|archive-date=23 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123154453/https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1862-before-fame/470840-1st-boyzone-appearance-on-tv/|url-status=live}} Graham originally was rejected but later joined after Rock's departure.{{Cite web |last=Kindon |first=Frances |last2=O'Shea |first2=Cormac |date=2020-10-13 |title=Boyzone's forgotten members now - heroin battle, murderous ex and billionaire |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/what-happened-boyzones-forgotten-members-22832673 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=[[Daily Mirror|The Mirror]] |language=en}}

Boyzone played through 1994 in pubs and clubs all over Northern Ireland before [[PolyGram]] signed them up in 1994{{Cite web|title=Band’s road to stardom|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/bands-road-to-stardom-2840450|website=North Wales Live|date=2013-04-19|access-date=2026-02-02|language=en|first=northwales|last=Administrator}} and released the cover version of the [[The Four Seasons (group)|Four Seasons]]' hit "[[Working My Way Back to You]]", featuring Graham and Gately on lead vocals. It reached No. 3 in the Irish Charts. The release of their cover version of the classic [[Johnny Bristol]] song, "[[Love_Me_for_a_Reason#Boyzone_version|Love Me for a Reason]]", broke into the British charts. The song hit No. 2 in the UK and was included in their 1995 hit debut album, ''[[Said and Done]]''. The album reached the No. 1 spot in Ireland and the UK. In 1995, the singles "[[Key to My Life]]", "[[So Good (Boyzone song)|So Good]]" and "[[Father and Son (song)|Father and Son]]" were released, which all got the attention of new fans in Europe.

Boyzone played through 1994 in pubs and clubs all over Northern Ireland before [[PolyGram]] signed them up in 1994{{Cite web|title=Band’s road to stardom|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/bands-road-to-stardom-2840450|website=North Wales Live|date=2013-04-19|access-date=2026-02-02|language=en|first=northwales|last=Administrator}} and released the cover version of the [[The Four Seasons (group)|Four Seasons]]' hit "[[Working My Way Back to You]]", featuring Graham and Gately on lead vocals. It reached No. 3 in the Irish Charts. The release of their cover version of the classic [[Johnny Bristol]] song, "[[Love_Me_for_a_Reason#Boyzone_version|Love Me for a Reason]]", broke into the British charts. The song hit No. 2 in the UK and was included in their 1995 hit debut album, ''[[Said and Done]]''. The album reached the No. 1 spot in Ireland and the UK. In 1995, the singles "[[Key to My Life]]", "[[So Good (Boyzone song)|So Good]]" and "[[Father and Son (song)|Father and Son]]" were released, which all got the attention of new fans in Europe.