Born Richard Paul Astley in 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, England, Rick Astley is a British pop icon whose smooth baritone voice and 1980s dance-pop hits have made him one of the most enduring — and most memed — figures in modern pop culture. Discovered as a teenager while performing in local bands around Lancashire, he was signed by the legendary British hit-making team Stock Aitken Waterman in the mid-1980s, who paired his rich, unusually mature vocal delivery with polished dance-pop production to launch his solo career.

His breakthrough came with his debut single "Never Gonna Give You Up" (1987), which reached No. 1 in 25 countries, sold more than 15 million copies, and won the BRIT Award for Best British Single in 1988. His debut album Whenever You Need Somebody (1987) also topped charts across the world and produced additional hits including "Whenever You Need Somebody," "When I Fall in Love," and "Together Forever" — the latter also reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.