Westlife;intro The;story;begins;a;long;long;time;ago;(well,;not;quite,;but..;y'know...!);in;a;town;named;Sligo;in;the;West;of;Ireland.;Three;guys;named;Kian;Egan,;Mark;Feehily;and;Shane;Filan;had;performed;in;the;school;musical;Grease;together,;and;after;their;success;on;stage,;had;decided;to;form;a;band,;called;6;as;1,;and;later;changing;their;name;to;I.O.YOU.; Mark,;Kian;and;Shane;in;I.O.YOU;(also;pictured;are;Derek,;Graham;and;Michael) The;group;released;a;single;"Together;Girl;Forever";in;Ireland,;and;after;limited;success,;Shane's;mother,;Mae,;contacted;the;manager;of;Boyzone,;Louis;Walsh,;to;try;and;persuade;him;to;take;a;look;at;the;guys;and;to;possibly;sign;them;up.;Although;Louis;was;impressed;he;felt;he;;have;the;time;to;manage;yet;another;band.;But...luckily;for;us...;he;contacted;Ronan;Keating;of;Boyzone,;who;agreed;to;co-manage;the;new;band;with;Louis.;And;so;'Rolo;Management';was;formed.; Westlife;with;Louis;Walsh ; Westlife;with;Ronan The;lineup;of;I.O.YOU;was;changed;-;3;members;(Derek,;Graham;and;Michael);being;asked;to;leave,;and;auditions;were;then;held;in;Dublin;to;find;two;new;members;for;the;group.;Nicky;Byrne;and;Bryan;McFadden;were;eventually;chosen...Westlife;were;born!; The;First;UK;Magazine;article;featuring;the;lads;-;from;Boyzone;Magazine;September;1998...when;they;were;still;known;as;I.O.You... The;group;(who;were;originally;known;as;Westside;-;their;name;having;been;changed;by;Ronan;who;felt;that;I.O.YOU;was;too;boyband-esque);first;supported;the;Backstreet;Boys;in;Dublin,;and;then;toured;the;UK;and;Ireland;with;Boyzone;in;November;1998.;They;stunned;audiences;on;the;Smash;Hits;Tour;around;the;UK,;winning;"Best;New;Tour;Act";at;the;Smash;Hits;Awards;in;November;1998.; When;they;were;known;as;Westside... -;click;here;to;see;the;Westside;leaflet;given;out;at;the;Boyzone;concerts; -;click;here;to;see;the;article;on;the;lads;from;the;Boyzone;Concert;Programme; However,;the;group;were;obliged;to;change;their;name;from;Westside;to;Westlife;early;in;1999;when;it;was;discovered;that;a;number;of;existing;bands;shared;the;same;name. Undeterred,;Westlife;went;on;to;release;their;first;single;Swear;it;Again;in;April;1999;which;went;straight;to;the;top;of;the;British;and;Irish;charts,;becoming;the;biggest-selling;debut;single;ever;in;Ireland.; As;of;November;2005,;far;Westlife;have;released;eighteen;singles;in;the;UK,;with;a;massive;thirteen;number;ones!; Their;double;A-side;of;I;Have;a;Dream;and;Seasons;in;the;Sun;became;the;UK;Christmas;number;one;of;1999.;Their;eagerly-awaited;debut;album;was;released;in;the;UK;in;November;1999;and;has;acheived;triple;platinum;status.;Winning;Record;of;the;Year;for;Flying;Without;Wings;in;1999;and;My;Love;in;the;following;year,;as;well;as;gaining;numerous;awards;left;right;and;centre,;it;is;clear;that;Westlife;have;achieved;much;acclaim;and;enjoyed;a;lot;of;success.;Already;in;their;brief;career;Westlife;have;broken;records;as;fast;as;they;have;set;them;-;their;second;album,;Coast;To;Coast;went;triple;platinum;in;Ireland;after;only;one;day;of;release,;and;their;seventh;single;release,;My;Love,;gave;them;a;place;in;chart;history;as;they;became;the;only;band;in;UK;chart;history;to;have;their;first;seven;singles;debut;at;number;one.; 2002;saw;the;group;release;their;first;Greatest;Hits;album,;and;Westlife's;subsequent;album,;Turnaround,;released;November;2003,;continued;Westlife's;success,;going;straight;into;the;charts;at;number;one.; March;2004;saw;a;new;chapter;begin;for;the;group;as;Bryan;McFadden;announced;his;departure;from;the;band,;citing;his;desire;to;spend;more;time;with;his;young;family.;Rumours;suggested;that;this;might;be;the;beginning;of;the;end;for;the;group,;however;Westlife;have;set;the;critics;wrong;once;again.; Westlife;-;now;a;four-piece;in;the;tradition;of;all;great;pop;acts;-;remain;Ireland's;most;well-known;and;biggest;selling;pop;export;and;undoubtedly;one;of;the;world's;biggest;pop;groups.;Their;latest;album,;Face;to;Face,;released;November;2005,;became;their;7th;number;1;album;in;the;UK;in;as;many;years.; With;soulful;harmonies,;angelic;voices,;drop-dead;good;looks,;and;the;management;of;pop;svengali;Louis;Walsh;behind;them,;their;much-anticipated;tour;in;2006;mean;that;Westlife;look;set;to;enjoy;chart;success;for;many;years;to;come!