Robbie Williamsis the perfect choice for the very first Path to Fame book. Robert PeterWilliams did not become Robbie until, aged sixteen, he joined a bunch of boyband hopefuls who eventually made it to the very top as Take That. He was justRob, a surprisingly sensitive boy from Stoke-on-Trent, who preferred amateurdramatics to football in the park with his mates. Rob left schoolwith no qualifications and was whiling away his days smoking and selling doubleglazing when his mum Jan spotted the advertisement for an audition inManchester that would change his life. It wasn’t all plain sailing, however –he was sacked from Take That and had to battle through a descent into drink anddrugs before becoming a multi-millionaire and a record-breaking Brit awardwinner.