126-532: Gary Barlow OBE (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the pop group Take That . Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, having written thirteen number-one singles (ten with Take That, two solo, one with the Robbie Williams song " Candy ") and twenty-four top-ten hits . As
252-688: A Gold sales status certification and sold over 438,000 copies in the UK, won British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year at the 1994 Brit Awards , and was the finale of Take That's Beautiful World Tour 2007 . The music video for "Pray" was directed by Gregg Masuak and filmed in Mexico. The song won the Ivor Novello for Best Contemporary Song and Songwriter of the Year for band lyricist Gary Barlow in 1994. A newly arranged and recorded version
378-410: A dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition was to be given for services rendered in
504-456: A "soulful ballad". In a 2012 retrospect Pray was awarded The Guardian Music Award for Best Number 1 Single of 1993 stating "filled with euphoria, guitar riffs and the boys' echoing vocals, this was Take That at their peak, and rightly kept them at No 1 for four weeks". The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Gregg Masuak and shot in Acapulco , Mexico . The clip features
630-466: A 60-piece orchestra." On 30 September 2020, Barlow revealed that his upcoming album would be called Music Played by Humans , set to be released on 27 November 2020. Its lead single, " Elita ", featuring Michael Bublé and Sebastián Yatra , was released on the same day after it premiered on BBC Radio 2 . A tour to promote the record in 2021 has also been announced with Leona Lewis as special guest. Barlow announced in early 2021 that he would release
756-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
882-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
1008-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
1134-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
1260-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1386-470: A further top 20 single, and the winner of Sky 1's Must Be The Music , Emma's Imagination who also achieved two top 10 UK singles and a top 15 charting debut album. In 2013 Barlow's discovery A*M*E released her first single which debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Gary Barlow has since closed down the record label to focus on his own career and family commitments. On 7 May 2011, it
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#17327825786501512-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
1638-477: A judge for a third series on The X Factor , stating that he did not know "if there is room" in his diary for the programme. However, on 20 May 2013, it was confirmed by Walsh that he and Barlow would both return to continue their roles as judges on the tenth series of The X Factor , alongside Scherzinger and former judge Sharon Osbourne who replaced Tulisa. Barlow was given the Groups category in his third year on
1764-453: A judge on the panel of Syco's new talent show Walk the Line before the first episode was aired. Debuting on ITV on 12 December 2021, Barlow joined Craig David , Dawn French and Alesha Dixon on the judging panel. After twenty years within the music industry in which Barlow has achieved success around the world; coupled with his efforts to raise money and awareness for various charities he
1890-481: A mentor, he was given the Over 28s category, which featured both male and female artists over the age of 28. He became the only judge to have four acts in the finals after Christopher Maloney became the popular wildcard and the thirteenth finalist in the show. Barlow guided Maloney to the final of the show, becoming Barlow's second finalist in two consecutive years. Barlow said on 9 December 2012 that he may not return as
2016-603: A new solo record by the end of the year, which was revealed on 28 October to be The Dream of Christmas , his first Christmas album. The project features a collection of both new songs and covers of Christmas classics, including the two singles "Sleigh Ride" and "The Dream of Christmas", both released on 29 October. The album was released on 26 November. On 20 January 2022, Barlow announced a brand new one-man stage show A Different Stage . The show premiered in Runcorn at The Brindley on 10 February 2022 before then touring around
2142-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
2268-637: A re-working of his 1978 album of the same name . He portrayed the sung thoughts of the journalist and appeared in the songs “The Eve of the War”, “ Forever Autumn ”, and “Dead London (Part 2)”, replacing Justin Hayward from the original. Barlow was featured in a duet with Agnetha Fältskog (from ABBA ) on her 2013 album A , released in May 2013. Barlow co-wrote the song, " I Should've Followed You Home " with album producer Jörgen Elofsson . Early press reports tagged
2394-409: A real privilege to be involved. I'm really enjoying working with the team and I love the story; it's also great to be working with a legendary creative like Harvey Weinstein." Weinstein echoed the sentiment by expressing his admiration for Barlow, whom he described as "one of the finest songwriters in the world". On 1 March 2014, Barlow attended Bob and Harvey Weinstein 's pre- Academy Awards party at
2520-460: A six-year hiatus. Barlow returned to the spotlight in a successful TV documentary, Take That: For the Record in 2005. Following this success and renewed interest, Take That experienced a career renaissance in 2005 when the post-Williams line-up reformed for a sell-out arena/stadium tour. The band released their comeback single "Patience" which went to number one for four weeks while also topping
2646-522: A solo artist Barlow returned to his first love of writing music. He soon signed a songwriting publishing deal with Sony and went to the US on a six-month songwriting project, residing in Nashville , Los Angeles and New York with his wife, Dawn, and first child. Upon his return, he set up True North Productions with Eliot Kennedy and Tim Woodcock. In his autobiography My Take Barlow partly blames his fall as
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#17327825786502772-538: A solo artist has been certified for 1.1 million albums and 1.8 million singles in the UK. Gary Barlow was born on 20 January 1971 in Frodsham, Cheshire , the second son of Colin (died 15 October 2009) and Marjorie Barlow ( née Cowan). He attended Weaver Vale Primary School, and moved on to Frodsham High School in 1982. In Barlow's autobiography, he relates that his love of music began at an early age, and calls himself "one of those kids that's forever dancing in front of
2898-514: A solo artist on his commitments to being a star in the United States. After his disappointing second album, Barlow remained out of the public eye for half a decade, choosing to continue to write and produce songs for other artists such as Shirley Bassey and Charlotte Church . In October 2007, Barlow founded San Remo Live Publishings as an independently run management company to establish and support artists and songwriters. In 2008, Barlow
3024-426: A solo artist, he has had three number-one singles, six top-ten singles and three number-one albums, and has additionally had seventeen top-five hits, twelve number-one singles and eight number-one albums with Take That. Barlow has also served as a judge on the television talent shows The X Factor UK (2011–2013), Let It Shine (2017) and Walk the Line (2021). Barlow has received six Ivor Novello Awards from
3150-525: A successful debut as a judge on The X Factor in 2011, ITV producers opened talks with Barlow to return for a second series and offered a substantial increase on his £1.5 million salary from the previous year. On 17 April 2012, it was announced that Barlow would return to The X Factor for a second year; he was the first judge to be announced to be returning. He was later joined by returning judges Walsh and Tulisa alongside new judge Nicole Scherzinger , who replaced Rowland after one series. For his second year as
3276-517: A successful performance run in Boston , Finding Neverland opened on Broadway in spring 2015. On its first Broadway preview, the show sold out the theatre and posted a box office performance that, if it continued for a whole week of performances, would have seen the show top $ 1 million. Barlow has also co-written a musical alongside hometown friend Tim Firth , called The Girls (later retitled in 2017 as Calendar Girls The Musical ), which opened at
3402-470: Is a "fairly intricate mid-tempo workout [that] has pleasant harmonies and a glossy sheen, although the song itself is more slight than some of the group's previous efforts – none of which really matters, as it's bound for the Top Five." In a retrospective review, Pop Rescue wrote that Barlow's "soft soulful vocals make light work of this whilst the rest of the group put in some great vocal harmonies. The song
3528-511: Is a song by English boy band Take That . Written by band member Gary Barlow , the ballad was released on 5 July 1993 by RCA and BMG as the second single from the band's second studio album, Everything Changes (1993). It is the first of twelve singles by the band to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart , staying at number one for four weeks, and starting a streak of four consecutive number-one singles. The song has received
3654-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
3780-408: Is light and summery, thanks to the 90s rent-a-beat". Smash Hits gave "Pray" four out of five, praising the chorus as "a fab gospel tune with the group sharing vocals and doing those beautiful harmonies that they seem to be getting so good at these days." The magazine also declared it as "a pretty mature song" and "a definite number 1." A reviewer from Staffordshire Sentinel complimented it as
3906-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
Gary Barlow - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-621: The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors , including the award for Outstanding Services to British Music. Barlow was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) at the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to the entertainment industry and charity. He has sold over 50 million records worldwide. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Barlow as
4158-529: The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Barlow received global recognition for his "The Crooner Sessions" series which featured him performing songs online alongside other artists. Although initially starting as a way to entertain his fans during the lockdown, Barlow's videos, which debuted on Instagram before later being uploaded to his YouTube Channel, Facebook and Twitter feeds, became a hotly-anticipated event for many music lovers worldwide. Describing his inspiration for
4284-495: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
4410-530: The Phoenix Theatre , London in January 2017. In the summer of 2016, Barlow launched his own talent show Let It Shine , in the search for 5 males to star in an upcoming nationwide musical using the music of Take That. The musical will tour all over the UK, with up to 8 shows a week. Let It Shine premiered on BBC One on 7 January 2017 and the first live show was premiered on 11 February 2017. During
4536-549: The Queen to write the official single for her Diamond Jubilee , which saw Barlow collaborate with Andrew Lloyd Webber . Barlow has written 14 number-one singles in the UK and 2 Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in the United States including "Back for Good" which went to number one in 31 countries around the world. At the beginning of May 2010, it was reported that the Queen had asked Barlow to organise her 86th birthday party and her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012. This
4662-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
4788-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
4914-443: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
5040-531: The Diamond Jubilee concert was held outside Buckingham Palace with it acting as a backdrop to a stage built upon the Victoria Memorial featuring various worldwide artists. The concert included music stemming from the 1950s to the 2000s with each decade of her reign reflected in the music performed. Barlow himself appeared alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber and his own Commonwealth Band to perform
5166-534: The LP, titled " Let Me Go ", released worldwide on 17 November 2013. He also announced that he would be touring the album in April 2014, playing some of the biggest arenas in the UK. "Let Me Go" entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 3 with 72,423 copies sold in its first week on sale, giving Barlow his 21st top 3 UK single. The following week it rose to No. 2 selling a further 60,422 copies. One month after release, "Let Me Go"
Gary Barlow - Misplaced Pages Continue
5292-551: The Love Tonight " from The Lion King . Take That's third album Nobody Else , again based on Barlow's own material, went straight to number one and was to be their last studio album of the 1990s. The album had three number-one singles, including Barlow's " Back for Good " which peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was brought forward an unprecedented six weeks before its official release such
5418-776: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
5544-589: The Montage in Beverly Hills to perform a selection of songs from the musical score he had written for Finding Neverland . He played the lead role of Peter Pan author J. M. Barrie and sang a duet with British musical actress Laura Michelle Kelly along with four backup artists featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary 20 Feet from Stardom . Barlow's performance was well received, and after
5670-515: The Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or
5796-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
5922-456: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
6048-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
6174-584: The TV looking at [his] reflection". He was heavily influenced by late 1970s and 1980s pop music. At age 10, after watching Depeche Mode perform on Top of the Pops , Barlow acquired his first keyboard; he practiced constantly thereafter. Barlow has also cited Trevor Horn , and future collaborators Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), as important early influences. He has credited Elton John with inspiring him to play
6300-481: The UK Albums Chart and spawned four number-one singles, as well as " Why Can't I Wake Up with You " and " Love Ain't Here Anymore " hitting numbers two and three respectively. Barlow received an Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song in 1994 for the number-one hit song " Pray " included on the album. In 1994, alongside Rick Astley , Barlow did backing vocals for Elton John 's version of " Can You Feel
6426-546: The UK alone as of 2012. It was re-released as a tour edition with hit single " Rule the World " in 2007 and peaked again at number one. In 2008, the band were nominated for four Brit Awards (Best British Group, Best British Album, Best British Single and Best British Live Act). They won Best British Single and Best British Live Act. After great success in 2006, Take That released the single " Greatest Day " which went straight to number one and became their eleventh number-one single in
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#17327825786506552-485: The UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
6678-745: The UK. The show also played two runs in London's West End at the Duke of York's Theatre and Savoy Theatre . In November 2024, Barlow announced a solo tour for 2025, returning to his roots with performances across the UK. The tour, called the Songbook Tour , will begin in April 2025 with two shows on the Isle of Man and included 41 shows in total. Key stops will include Liverpool, Blackpool, Manchester, and Delamere Forest in June 2025. After leaving his career as
6804-441: The UK. The week after they released their second album since their reunion in 2006, The Circus . The Circus album was also a great success for Take That going straight to the top of the UK album chart and selling over 2.2 million copies in the country, going multi-platinum within four days of its release. In June and July 2009, Take That performed a record-breaking tour named Take That Present: The Circus Live throughout
6930-577: The US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. He then achieved another top-ten hit in the UK with " Open Road " peaking at number seven. After the success of his first solo album, Barlow released his second LP Twelve Months, Eleven Days in 1999. Barlow released " Stronger " as the lead single preceding the album. The single peaked at number 16. The album's second single, " For All That You Want ", also received minimal radio play and peaked at number 24; however, it nearly reached
7056-472: The United Kingdom and it sold over one million tickets in just five hours. Barlow's first solo release since 1999 was a duet with reconciled Take That bandmate Robbie Williams on a single entitled " Shame ". The single was written by both Barlow and Williams after they began to work together in Los Angeles on new material for a new Take That album following Williams' return to the band. On the first day of
7182-432: The United Kingdom, becoming the band's seventh number-one album. By the end of its first week on sale the album sold over 520,000, making it the second fastest-selling album of all-time in UK chart history. To date Progress has sold 2.4 million copies in the UK and has achieved similar chart success across Europe. In June 2011, Take That released their first extended play collection entitled Progressed which returned
7308-463: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
7434-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
7560-401: The airing of Gary Barlow's documentary Gary Barlow: On Her Majesty's Service which told the story of how Sing was written; the single climbed up to number one in the iTunes chart. The following week Sing rose to number one in the UK Singles Chart selling 142,000 copies and becoming among the highest selling singles of 2012. The album of the same name remained at number one, making Barlow
7686-440: The band members in the exotic location singing and dancing. The band members are paired with a goddess of the four elements, taking on a different form with each – Air (Mark Owen), Fire (Jason Orange), Earth (Robbie Williams) and Water (Howard Donald) – with the exception of Gary Barlow who is represented in a neutral black and white context. In Barlow's autobiography, he stated that after the disappointment of where " I Found Heaven "
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#17327825786507812-526: The band to number one in the UK on its first week of release as well as charting across Europe. In April 2012, Barlow recorded a cover of " Here Comes the Sun " that was used in the 2012 summer promotion advertisement for Marks and Spencer with him appearing in the advert at the end performing the song. In November 2012, Barlow appeared on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds – The New Generation ,
7938-474: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
8064-479: The charts across Europe. Patience was also voted the Record of the Year in 2006 and won a Brit Award for single of the year. This was followed with " Shine " which became the band's tenth number-one single. Take That's first album of new material in over ten years, Beautiful World was released on 24 November 2006. The album peaked at number one in the UK Album Chart selling over 2.8 million copies in
8190-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
8316-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
8442-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
8568-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
8694-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
8820-484: The first artist in 2012 to have the number-one album and number-one single in the same week. Barlow announced on 15 October 2012 that he was to embark on his first full solo tour in thirteen years around the UK and Ireland. The tickets to Barlow's solo concerts sold out "instantly" after going on sale on 19 October, with tickets selling faster than those of the Rolling Stones for their comeback dates. Demand
8946-522: The fold. The group were signed to RCA Records , and after a number of top-40 hits, eventually secured their first number-one with Barlow's " Pray ". Previous hits included " A Million Love Songs ", " It Only Takes a Minute " and " Could It Be Magic ". The debut album Take That & Party was released on 17 August 1992 and reached number two in the UK Album Chart. The following year saw the release of their second album, Everything Changes based on Barlow's own material. It went straight in at number one in
9072-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
9198-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
9324-596: The greatest British songwriter of all time in a 2009 OnePoll , who surveyed 3,000 people John Lennon and Paul McCartney , of The Beatles , were placed second and third respectively. In 2011, Barlow wrote the song " Run for Your Life " for The X Factor series 7 winner Matt Cardle 's debut album. He has also written for the likes of Robbie Williams, Westlife , Lily Allen , Blue , Elton John , Olly Murs T-Pain , Will Young N-Dubz , Lawson , Shirley Bassey , Donny Osmond , Delta Goodrem , Elaine Paige , Agnetha Fältskog and many more while also being commissioned by
9450-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
9576-586: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Pray (Take That song) " Pray "
9702-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
9828-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
9954-528: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
10080-492: The lead singer after being impressed by his self-written material, including an early demo tape of Barlow's " A Million Love Songs ", concluding that the band should be built around Barlow's vocals and songwriting skills. Barlow, who wrote the majority of the group's songs, is widely recognised as the lead singer of Take That. After selecting Barlow as the group's lead singer, Nigel Martin-Smith introduced Howard Donald , Jason Orange , Mark Owen and finally Robbie Williams to
10206-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
10332-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
10458-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
10584-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
10710-622: The music to the song; with Barlow then taking this music to musicians and singers around the Commonwealth with the aim to incorporate sounds from around the world onto the single. The song entitled " Sing " was released as the lead single from the album of the same name, Sing . It debuted in the UK Singles Chart at number 11 with the album released on the same day entering the UK Album Chart at number one, becoming Barlow's second solo number-one album and his first in 15 years. After
10836-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
10962-490: The northern club circuit, singing cover versions and his own songs. In 1989, Barlow appointed Wigan show business agent Barry Woolley to be his manager and recorded a single ("Love Is in the Air") under the name Kurtis Rush. Barlow was eventually put in touch with casting agent Nigel Martin-Smith , by celebrity photographer Doc Braham, who took Barlow's first professional head-shots. Martin-Smith eventually decided to use Barlow as
11088-485: The number one spot in his home country. "Forever Love" was also used as the soundtrack to the film The Leading Man . His debut album Open Road reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and went on to sell 2 million copies worldwide. Barlow's first single to be released in the United States as a solo artist was " So Help Me Girl ", which reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number one on
11214-454: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
11340-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
11466-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
11592-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
11718-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
11844-525: The piano. The first CD he bought was by the Pet Shop Boys , who later supported Take That on the Progress Live tour in 2011. In 1986, when Barlow was 15 years old, he entered a BBC Pebble Mill at One Christmas song competition with "Let's Pray for Christmas". After reaching the semi-finals, he was invited to London's West Heath Studios to record his song. This inspired him to perform on
11970-603: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
12096-536: The self-written official jubilee single " Sing " while also dueting with Girls Aloud 's Cheryl Cole on the night which won praise from critics who called "the performance as [two of] the best of Britain [who] proved their pop credentials with a dazzling duet." In 2009 Barlow began work on his own record label Future Records , a branch from Universal Music and signed his first artist, classical singer Camilla Kerslake . Since then Barlow has also signed UK rapper Aggro Santos to his label who scored two top 10 UK hits and
12222-513: The series, Barlow explained "we can't go on stages or into theaters. Maybe this is our new stage". On 5 January 2021, Barlow announced on his social media accounts that the Crooner Sessions would be returning for a second series through the 2021 UK lockdown. The first episode of the renewed series premiered on 11 January 2021. After being replaced as a judge on The X Factor by a returning Simon Cowell, Barlow ended up replacing Cowell as
12348-402: The show. Barlow chose Kingsland Road, Miss Dynamix and Rough Copy as his final three. After losing two of his final acts, he guided Rough Copy to the semi-final. During Rough Copy's performance on the first live show of The X Factor 2013, Barlow revealed that this would be his last series on the show, due to his solo tour commitments and the upcoming release of a new Take That album . Barlow
12474-529: The song "boasted a fantastic chorus". Another Melody Maker editor, David Bennun , named it "one of Nineties pop's most exalted moments, and the only song so far to justify the talk about Gary Barlow's writing talent." A reviewer from Music & Media commented, "The five messiahs have found a juvenile congregation in the UK willing to lend its ear. Now they're praying for continental attention for their matchless bubble gum soul ." Alan Jones from Music Week gave "Pray" three out of five. He found that it
12600-557: The song as a likely single with strong chart potential leading to Universal Music scheduling it to be released as the third single from the album in November 2013. The single became a top 5 hit in Sweden on the week of its release as well as charting in the UK. It was announced in January 2012 that Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber would be working together to write the official Diamond Jubilee single. Barlow and Lord Lloyd Webber composed
12726-496: The song being released to the radio and the media, "Shame" received an unprecedented 694 plays on the radio and 153 plays on TV. The single peaked at number 2 in the UK, selling 224,000 copies and being certified as Silver by the BPI, while also charting in 21 countries worldwide. It was announced that Barlow was in the process of writing Take That's much-anticipated sixth studio album, set for release in late 2010. The album, Progress ,
12852-468: The song. He said that "at this point he was still the group's secret weapon – canny and professional enough to bring the hooks but with a streak of desperate earnestness. So the classic Take That song – "Pray" isn't their best, but it very much sets a template – wanders like a lost puppy on the verses then pulls itself together for a monster chorus ." Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian viewed it as "rather fine". Chris Roberts from Melody Maker felt
12978-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
13104-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
13230-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
13356-474: The top 5 of the UK Album Charts , becoming Barlow's most successful solo album in the UK to date. On 12 October 2017, whilst appearing on BBC Radio 2, Barlow announced that he would be embarking on a solo tour again around the UK and Ireland to celebrate the release of his new book, A Better Me . The tour was to visit smaller and more intimate venues rather than the huge arenas and stadiums that Barlow
13482-592: The top five in Finland. Twelve Months, Eleven Days received little promotion and peaked at number 35, which led to Sony recalling the album's scheduled third single, " Lie to Me ". This decision resulted in Barlow and BMG parting company. In late 1999, Barlow quit his career as a singer, with his final single remaining unreleased. From 2000 to 2004, he was a producer for other artists, including bandmate Mark Owen's solo projects. In 2005, he resumed his singing career after
13608-468: The top spot, whilst also selling more copies in his first week than his Take That bandmate Robbie Williams, whose album Swings Both Ways sold 109,000 copies the previous week to claim the top spot. The album was certified Platinum by the BPI less than a month after being released, becoming Barlow's second solo album to reach Platinum certification. The album went 2× Platinum a month later, spending 11 weeks in
13734-457: The tour would then commence throughout Europe with an estimated 1.75 million people expected to attend the shows. The lead single from Progress was announced as " The Flood ". The single debuted at number two, selling over 500,000 copies. On the first day of the release of Progress , the album sold over 235,000 copies across the UK, making it the fastest-selling record of the century. On 21 November 2010, Progress debuted at number one in
13860-462: Was announced that Barlow was in advanced talks to replace Simon Cowell as a judge on The X Factor . He was officially confirmed as a judge on 30 May, alongside returning judge Louis Walsh and fellow new judges Tulisa and Kelly Rowland , who collectively replaced Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue . Barlow was given the "Boys" category for the live shows and mentored Marcus Collins to the final of The X Factor , where he became runner up. After
13986-473: Was certified Silver by the BPI for selling over 200,000 copies in the UK. In early 2014, Let Me Go surpassed 400,000 sales in the UK and was certified Gold. The week after the release of Let Me Go , the album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart , behind One Direction 's third album Midnight Memories . The album sold 116,000 copies, becoming the fastest selling album of 2013 to miss out on
14112-537: Was confirmed in February 2012 with Barlow being named as the organiser of a concert that took place outside Buckingham Palace and featuring a variety of famous artists. Barlow said: " The Diamond Jubilee Concert will celebrate the 60 years of the Queen's reign with an amazing line-up of world-class artists coming together to play at one of the biggest and most exciting live music shows in recent years." On 4 June 2012,
14238-455: Was filmed, the band were a lot happier about the location for this video. Reflecting on the video in 2005 for Take That: For the Record , Donald remarked: "We was doing all the sexual thing and stuff. ... Even then it felt a little bit uncomfortable. But girls like it. Girls like this kind of thing." David Bennun from Melody Maker praised "the gorgeous, sinister, young Aryan cod-arcadia of "Pray", Leni Riefenstahl on MTV ." The video
14364-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
14490-473: Was heavily involved in providing the score of ITV 's Britannia High . The 9-episode series focused on the lives of a group of teenagers and their mentors at a fictional London theatre school. Guy Chambers , Steve Mac , Andy Hill , Mark Owen , James Bourne and Eliot Kennedy also contributed to the musical component of the show. It was axed after one series. In 2010, Barlow signed a new 5-year songwriting publishing deal with Sony Music. He has been voted as
14616-538: Was honoured in the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours . He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen on 16 June 2012, which he was awarded on 21 November for "services to the Entertainment Industry and to Charity". In a statement, Barlow said: "I'm absolutely thrilled and feel very privileged to be in the company of so many brilliant people who I know have received an OBE. My family are very proud." Officer of
14742-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
14868-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
14994-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
15120-403: Was released on 21 September 2018 as the first single of their greatest hits album Odyssey . The album was released on 23 November 2018 followed by a Greatest Hits tour marking the band's 30th anniversary in 2019. AllMusic editor Peter Fawthrop described "Pray" as a "quality ballad " in his review of Everything Changes . Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger complimented Barlow 's songwriting on
15246-401: Was replaced by Cowell, who returned to the show after a three-year absence. On 25 June 2013, it was announced that Barlow had been signed up to work on a new musical version of Finding Neverland and will co-write the score for the theatre project, which is being developed by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein . Barlow said of the project: "This is something I've always wanted to do so it's
15372-460: Was reported that a record breaking one million tickets were sold on the first day of sale, resulting in Take That beating the previous box office record of tickets sold which was set in 2008 by Take That Present: The Circus Live . Due to unprecedented demand Take That added more dates to their tour, finishing in the UK with a record breaking eight consecutive nights at Wembley Stadium after which
15498-470: Was so familiar with playing, be it solo or alongside his Take That bandmates. On 14 August 2019, Barlow announced that he had been working on a new solo record due for release in autumn 2020, stating that "[he has] never recorded with an orchestra" and wanted to create "original songs with big contemporary orchestral arrangements." In July 2020, Barlow confirmed that the album will release in November, adding that "[the album is] very positive and [composed] with
15624-564: Was so high for tickets that Barlow added more dates, which also sold out instantly. It was also revealed by ticket marketplace SeatWave, that Barlow's solo shows had sold six times more tickets than Robbie Williams' solo concerts, despite being on sale for a week less. In September 2013, Barlow announced via his Twitter account that he would be releasing his first full-length solo album in 14 years, on 25 November 2013. On 4 October 2013, Barlow revealed his new album would be called Since I Saw You Last , and would be preceded by his first single from
15750-591: Was the demand for the single. A Greatest Hits collection followed again reaching number one. The album featured the band's eighth number-one single " How Deep Is Your Love ". This was to be the first single released by Take That as a four-piece (without Robbie Williams) and it was their last single until they reformed in 2005. Barlow's solo career was predicted to be very successful, being described as "the next George Michael ". His first two solo singles, " Forever Love " (released July 1996) and " Love Won't Wait " (composed by Madonna and Shep Pettibone ), both leapt to
15876-403: Was the first to feature the original line-up since their 1995 album, Nobody Else . The band also announced a stadium tour entitled Progress Live which took place in 2011. The tickets for the tour went on sale on 29 October 2010. Due to unprecedented high public demand for tickets, Ticketmaster websites across the UK and Ireland crashed and all initial tour dates sold out in under 15 minutes. It
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