10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Gary Barlow
Think you know Gary Barlow? You probably do.
You know the songs. You know the voice. You know the piano, the Take That years, the suits and, of course, A Million Love Songs.
But there’s rather more to Gary Barlow than standing behind a piano looking effortlessly cool while the rest of us try not to sing along too loudly.
As someone who has spent a rather ridiculous amount of my life performing Gary’s music, I thought it was about time we dug a little deeper.
So here are 10 things you might not know about Gary Barlow — and a couple of them might surprise you.
1. Gary was performing in clubs fr
om the age of 15
Before Take That, before the stadiums, before the BRIT Awards and before millions of records were sold, Gary was already getting up on stage.
According to Take That’s official timeline, Gary had been performing in clubs since the age of 15.
Think about that for a second.
Most 15-year-olds are worrying about homework, girlfriends and whether their hair looks ridiculous.
Gary was already performing.
And that early experience clearly mattered. Years of playing in clubs gave him something you simply can't learn overnight — the ability to walk onto a stage and connect with an audience.
There’s a massive difference between singing in your bedroom and standing in front of a room full of people.
The stage teaches you things.
Gary started learning those lessons very early.
2. He wrote “A Million Love Songs” when he was just 15
Now this one is pretty impressive.
One of Take That’s most recognisable songs, “A Million Love Songs,” was written by Gary when he was only 15 years old.
Fifteen!
I don't know about you, but I certainly wasn't writing songs at 15 that were eventually going to become part of British pop history.
The song was later recorded by Take That and became a Top 10 hit in the UK.
And there’s something rather lovely about that story.
A song written by a teenager ended up becoming one of those songs that generations of people associate with romance, weddings, memories and, inevitably, a few enthusiastic singalongs.
Not bad for something written at 15.
3. “Back for Good” was written by Gary
If you're going to write one song that people around the world instantly recognise, “Back for Good” isn't a bad choice.
Gary wrote the song, which was released by Take That in 1995.
It went to number one in the UK and reached number one in more than 31 countries.
That's not just a hit.
That's a proper hit.
And here's the thing about “Back for Good”: it doesn't sound like it's trying too hard.
It's simple.
It's emotional.
And the melody sticks in your head after one listen.
That's often the sign of a great pop song — you don't have to work at remembering it.
It just stays there.
Usually for the next 25 years. 😂
4. Gary wasn't just the singer in Take That — he was the songwriter
This is something that sometimes gets overlooked when people talk about Take That.
Gary wasn't simply the bloke who sang the big ballads.
He was — and remains — a seriously successful songwriter.
His writing catalogue includes songs such as:
“A Million Love Songs”
“Back for Good”
“Never Forget”
“Pray”
“Patience”
“Greatest Day”
And that's only scratching the surface.
BMG describes Gary as one of Britain's most successful songwriters and record producers, with a career spanning more than four decades.
So when you hear one of those enormous Take That songs and think, “That's a good tune,” there's a very good chance Gary had something to do with it.
5. “Pray” became Gary's first UK number-one single as a songwriter
“Pray” was released in 1993 and became Take That’s first of 11 UK number-one singles.
It stayed at number one for four weeks.
It also went on to win Best British Single and Best British Video at the 1994 BRIT Awards.
Not a bad little song, then.
And there's an interesting point here.
Take That weren't simply successful because they had five good-looking lads dancing around in matching clothes.
There were genuinely strong songs underneath all of it.
That's why the music has lasted.
Fashion changes.
Haircuts change.
Boybands come and go.
A good song survives.
6. Gary has written for other artists too
Gary's songwriting career extends well beyond Take That.
His catalogue includes work written for and with other major artists, including Elton John and Shirley Bassey, among others.
In 2026, BMG signed an exclusive global publishing deal covering Gary's entire song catalogue, past and future.
That tells you something.
This isn't simply nostalgia for the Take That years.
Gary is still regarded as a major songwriter in his own right.
7. Gary's solo career didn't all go according to plan
After Take That split in 1996, Gary launched his solo career.
His first solo album, Open Road, was released in 1997, with both “Forever Love” and “Open Road” reaching number one in the UK.
Things became more difficult with his second album, Twelve Months, Eleven Days, released in 1999.
It didn't achieve the same level of success as his debut.
Gary has spoken openly over the years about how difficult that period was.
And then came the Take That reunion.
Take That returned in 2005 without Robbie Williams, released “Patience”, and suddenly Gary was back at the centre of one of Britain's biggest bands.
It's actually one of the more interesting parts of Gary's story.
Even after achieving enormous success, things didn't always go according to plan.
Sometimes you have to take a knock, get yourself back up and carry on.
And, as it turned out, Gary still had a fair bit left to give.
8. Gary's songwriting career has now lasted more than four decades
Four decades.
That's a long time to remain relevant in music.
According to BMG, Gary's career spans more than 40 years, and his songwriting catalogue continues to be active today.
He's gone from a teenager playing clubs to one of Britain's best-known songwriters and performers.
And that's probably the bit I find most interesting.
Because longevity in entertainment is difficult.
Having one hit is difficult.
Having a successful career for five years is difficult.
Doing it for decades?
That's something else entirely.
9. Take That's story started in Manchester
Take That's official timeline tells us that manager Nigel Martin-Smith was looking to create a British male vocal group in 1989.
He was introduced to Gary, who was already performing in clubs.
Auditions were then held in Manchester, eventually bringing together Gary, Howard, Mark, Robbie and Jason.
And the rest, as they say, became history.
Although I imagine nobody involved at the time realised quite how much history they were about to make.
10. Gary is still writing and performing today
Perhaps the biggest thing people forget is that Gary Barlow isn't simply a piece of 1990s nostalgia.
He's still working.
Still writing.
Still performing.
And still creating music.
BMG's 2026 announcement confirmed that Gary is continuing his work with Take That, including their 2026 stadium touring plans and work towards the band's tenth studio album.
Which brings us nicely back to where we started.
Because when you're performing Gary Barlow's songs night after night, you realise something pretty quickly:
These songs have lasted for a reason.
They're brilliantly written.
They're emotional.
They're memorable.
And, most importantly, people still love singing them.
And that's why I love performing them
I've spent years performing Gary Barlow and Take That songs, and I can tell you something:
There are certain songs where you can feel the audience change the second you start playing them.
You see people look at each other.
Someone starts singing before you've even reached the chorus.
And then suddenly the whole room is involved.
That's the magic of great songwriting.
It's not just about the person who wrote the song.
It's about the memories people attach to it.
A first dance.
A night out.
A concert with your mates.
A wedding.
A holiday.
A particular person.
A particular time in your life.
And that's probably why, after all these years, people still want to hear Gary Barlow songs performed live.
And that's where I come in. 😉
I'm Davey Nicholls, a professional Gary Barlow tribute artist, performing the songs of one of Britain's most successful songwriters and bringing them to life for audiences across the UK and beyond.
If you're looking for Gary Barlow tribute entertainment for a wedding, party, corporate event, private function or special occasion, I'd love to hear from you.
Fancy a bit of Barlow at your next event?
The facts in this article have been checked against Take That's official website and BMG's published information about Gary Barlow.
Photo: Matt Deegan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
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