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The History of Harry Styles looks at the popular singer, songwriter and actor’s career. The former boy bander has launched into a successful solo career. He proved that you could be in a popular group and make it on your own. He is one of the few people who was able to have a successful solo career after being in a successful group. There are artists who can’t sustain successful careers outside of their groups and end up going back. Harry Styles branched out and hasn’t looked back. Do you know a lot about the popular artist? If you do, you can take a stroll down memory lane with us. If you don’t know about his history, you will learn about Harry Styles’ humble beginnings to the star we know today. Our article on the History of Harry Styles will tell you what you need to know about Harry Styles.
Early Life
Harry Edward Styles was born on February 4, 1994. He was born in Redditch Worchestershire, England. The family moved to Holmes Chapel in Cheshire, England. His mother’s name is Anne Twist and his father’s name is Desmond “Des” Styles. The singer has a sister named Gemma. Harry Styles knew he wanted to be a singer early in life. He started singing cover songs on his karaoke machine that his grandfather gave him. The “Watermelon Sugar” singer was the lead singer in his band in high school. The White Eskimos won a battle of the bands competition while they were together. The White Eskimos disbanded, and he went on to pursue his musical career.
On the Road to Stardom & One Direction Is Formed
In 2010, his mother gave him advice that would help change his life forever. She convinced him to audition for the reality show The X-Factor. He auditioned for the show as a solo artist. He auditioned by singing Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister.” Simon Cowell didn’t think the song was right for him. He suggested that he sing Stevie Wonder’s hit song “Isn’t She Lovely.” The song helped get the “Adore You” singer to the boot camp stage of the show. Unfortunately, he didn’t move any further than that. As luck would have it, four other contestants that were around his age were eliminated from the show. They were put together to form a group. In July 2010, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles performed in the group category.
Harry Styles was the one who named the group One Direction. The group was popular in the UK. They finished in third place on the show. For some acts, that might have been an obstacle since their goal was to win. One Direction didn’t let that setback stop them. They signed a record deal with Syco Records and released four successful albums together. They sold over 79 million albums worldwide. They were riding high until the ride was cut short. The “As It Was” singer suggested the group take a hiatus so they wouldn’t suffer from exhaustion. He didn’t want them to burnout. One Direction’s fans were devasted by the news of their hiatus. The hiatus paved the way for the “Carolina” singer to have a solo career.
Debut Album & Acting Career Begins
Harry Styles signed a record deal with Columbia Records in 2016. During the same year, the singer started his own record label called Erskine Records. In April 2017, he released his first single “Sign of the Times.” The track peaked at number one on the UK charts and number four on the Hot 100 charts. Harry Styles appeared on SNL as the musical guest, and he appeared on the UK show The Graham Norton Show to promote his music. In May 2017, the singer released his debut album. The self-titled album debuted at number one in seven countries. The music on the album was inspired by 70s soft rock and pop music. His style was similar to One Direction’s style. His eponymous album received great reviews from the critics.
“Two Ghosts” and “Kiwi” were released after the album dropped. “Two Ghosts” peaked at number 32 on the Adult Top 40 charts and number 18 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts. “Kiwi” peaked at number 40 on the Mainstream Top 40 charts. Both singles sold over one million copies. Harry Styles’ debut album sold over one million copies. In May 2017, he released Harry Styles: Behind the Album. It was a documentary about what went on behind the scenes when he recorded his debut album. Harry Styles tried his hand at acting. Like most singers, he was bit by the acting bug. He appeared in the movie Dunkirk in July 2017. He won the role over thousands of men who auditioned.
Director Christopher Nolan wasn’t aware of how famous Harry Styles was when he cast him in the role. He gave him the part because he fit the role. Harry Styles was praised for his work in the movie. The “Golden” singer embarked on a tour to promote his album from September 2017 – July 2018. Tickets for the Harry Styles: Love On Tour show sold out in seconds. He performed in small venues so his fans would have an intimate experience. He performed 89 shows. The tour made over $63 million. His show raised over one million dollars for charity. He helped 62 charities with the proceeds.
Modeling Career, Fine Line LP, Love On Tour, Eternals & Business Man
In 2018, Harry Styles added a new job to his resume. He decided to become a model. He became a mode for Gucci. He appeared in several campaigns for the fashion line. Harry Styles was riding high from the success of his eponymous album when he began working on his next project. The singer, songwriter and actor released “Lights Out” in October 2019. The single peaked at number three on the UK singles charts. It peaked at number 17 on the Hot 100 charts. He was the host and musical guest on SNL in November 2019. He released “Adore You” in December 2019. The song peaked at number seven in the UK and number six on the Hot 100 charts. The singer was a guest host on the Late Late Show with James Corden in December 2019.
Harry Styles released Fine Line in December 2019. The album broke records. The album was the biggest debut from an English male artist since albums were tracked in 1991. The album peaked at number one on the UK charts and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 charts. The album sold over 478,000 copies in the first week. He released five other singles from the album. He released “Falling,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “Golden,” “Treat People with Kindness” and “Fine Line.” “Watermelon Sugar” was his first number one single in the US. Harry Styles was supposed to go on tour to promote the album, but the pandemic put a stop to that.
The ”Lights Up” singer narrated for the story Dream with Me for a relaxation app called Calm in July 2020. In September 2021, Harry Styles went on the Love On tour to promote the Fine Line album. The tour made over $95 million. In November 2021, the singer landed a role in another movie. The ”Sign of the Times” singer appeared in the movie Eternals. He made a cameo appearance in the movie. He was busy during the month of November. In addition to touring and acting, he launched a skin and nail care line called Pleasing. The skin and nail care line is gender neutral.
Harry’s House & More Acting
The “Two Ghosts” singer was busy in 2022. In April 2022, Harry Styles released “As It Was.” The song topped the UK and US charts. The song is his second number one single. The song was the fourth longest running number one single in history. The single was number one in US for 15 weeks. Harry’s House dropped in May 2022. The album debuted at number one in the UK and US. When the album came out it was number one with his single. Four of his singles peaked in the Top 10 on the Hot 100 charts. “As It Was,” “Late Night Talking,” “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” and “Matilida” peaked in the Top 10 on the Hot 100 charts. Harry Styles became the first British artist to accomplish this goal.
Harry Styles auditioned for the role of Elvis Presley for the biopic on his life. He was turned down for the role because he was already an icon. The director was looking for someone who wasn’t as famous has he is. In 2022, he landed the role in the movie Don’t Worry Darling. The movie came out in September 2022. The movie received mixed reviews. The movie had some backstage drama because of the stars of the movie. He also appeared in the movie “My Policeman” in 2022. The movie takes place in England in the 50s. He played the role of a homosexual police officer.
Philanthropy
Harry Styles likes to give back to the public. He started being charitable while he was with One Direction. He continued that philanthropy as a solo artist. In 2018, Harry Styles’ store sold T-shirts with the slogan “Treat People with Kindness” on them. The shirts celebrated Pride month. The proceeds from the sales went to GLSEN. During the same year, he supported the March for Our Lives movement. He tweeted in support of the petition. The singer cut his hair and donated it to the Little Princess Trust Organization. The organization provides wigs for children suffering from hair loss. He donated his hair while he was filming Dunkirk.
The singer supported Black Lives Matter and End Gun Violence by putting the stickers on his guitar. He wrote “Sign of the Times” because of Brexit and Black Lives Matter. He thought we were in troubling times and the issues couldn’t be ignored. After George Floyd was murdered, he supported Black Lives Matter. He wanted fans to support the movement. He donated the bail money to people who were arrested for protesting for Black Lives Matter. He was in a protest for the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Harry Styles endorsed Joe Biden for president. In 2022, the singer donated the money he made from Apple’s AirPods Audio Campaign to the International Rescue Committee. Harry Styles pledged a million dollars in donations for a gun safety organization called Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.
Personal Life
Harry Styles has been linked to a lot of women. When Harry Styles was 17 he dated a television presenter named Caroline Flack. People were shocked when they dated each other because they had an age difference between them. She was 14 years older than him. They turned heads because he wasn’t 18 when they dated. They dated for about two months.
The “Falling” singer dated actress Emily Atack. He dated the British actress in 2012. They kept their relationship quiet from the press. She revealed that they dated two years after they ended things. They were having fun with each other before they broke up.
He was linked to singer Nicole Scherzinger in 2013. He was 19 and she was 35 at the time they were together. Neither of them has admitted to this relationship, but they did have people talking about them.
One of Harry Styles’ most publicized relationships would come later. He dated singer, songwriter and actress Taylor Swift in 2012. They dated for a little while before they broke up in 2013. People were wondering if the singers wrote songs about each other. Taylor Swift is known for writing about her personal life so fans were curious about whether her songs were about Harry Styles.
The world was surprised when he was linked to model, socialite and reality star Kendall Jenner. The two dated from 2013 – 2014.
In 2014, Harry Styles was rumored to be dating writer and performer Erin Foster. She is the daughter of legendary music producer David Foster.
The singer was linked to model Nadine Leopold. They dated from 2014 – 2015.
Harry Styles and Kendall Jenner reunited. They got back together in 2015.The relationship didn’t last long because they broke up again almost a year later.
He dated a Victoria’s Secret model named Sara Sampaio in 2015. They dated for a short period of time.
In 2015, the singer and actor dated another model. He was linked to Victoria’s Secret model Georgia Fowler.
The “Fine Line” singer dated model Camille Rowe from 2017 – 2018. She was the inspiration for his Fine Line album. They had a friendly breakup, and they are on good terms with each other.
In 2021, Harry Styles was involved with actress Olivia Wilde. He met her on the set of their movie Don’t Worry Darling. They began dating shortly after that. They stayed together for almost two years. The couple wanted to take a break from each other so they called it quits.
Harry Styles Trivia
Harry Styles has been nominated for 193 awards. He won 64 out of the 193 nominations.
Some of Harry Styles’ influences are David Bowie, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Shania Twain, Van Morrison, Etta James and Joni Mitchell.
Harry Styles is 5’10 inches tall and has hazel green eyes.
The singer knows how to juggle and play the kazoo.
He has a hamster.
The singer and actor has a fear of snakes.
Harry Styles considers himself clumsy. That’s something considering he’s in the music business.
Harry Styles doesn’t like AutoTune. He thinks it does nothing for his voice.
His dream duet would be with singer Chris Martin.
Harry Styles has over 40 tattoos.
Harry Styles has written songs for Ariana Grande and Meghan Trainor.
He was the first man to appear alone on the cover of “Vogue.”
Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran have similar tattoos.
HARRY STYLES ARTICLES
Top 10 Harry Styles Songs
Complete List Of Harry Styles Albums And Discography
Real Meanings Behind The Songs On Harry Styles Debut Album
Real Meanings Behind The Songs On Harry Styles Fine Line Album
Harry Style’s ‘Harrys’ House’ Album Song Meanings
Top 10 One Direction Songs
Complete List Of One Direction Albums And Discography
Ultimate Harry Styles Page article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
