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 Weekend are an Australian-British-Irish pop boy band based in London, composed of Dustyn Blue-Conners, Riley Hamilton, Bilal "Billy" Holmes, Oscar Ward and Scott Wellington. The group originally signed with Angel Music Records in 2011 after each member successfully auditioned for former G2L member Lyrica Ocha, who was composing her own project while her band went on an indefinite hiatus. Since then, Weekend have gone on to become global icons, one of the biggest-selling acts of all time and are also successful businessmen; running their own label, Five Pesky Kids, since 2013, respectively. Propelled to stardom by social media, their unconventional boy band image and iconic symbolism; Weekend's albums "Fired Up" (2012), "Fired Up: Reloaded" (2012) and "About Time" (2015) went on to top multiple global charts as well as become some of the best-selling albums of all time. Their third studio album "Welcome to the Real World", due for release in 2019, has already broken Amazon UK's record for pre-order numbers. As well as successful albums, the group have also generated multiple worldwide hits such as "Everything About You" (2012), "Smile About It" (2012), "Lock It Up" (2012), "How It Ends" (2014), "Back in the Day" (2015) and "Victory" (2018) to name but a few. Measures of their success include international music sales, a collection of over 150 awards, operating a successful record label, iconic symbolism, some of the highest-grossing world tours of all time as well as a vast merchandising enterprise. The group have become one of the most successful marketing engines ever, earning and estimated $80 million per year. In 2017, Forbes ranked them as the highest-earning celebrities in the world, and again in 2018. They have been credited for reviving the boy band trend in the 2010's, with multiple competitors and acts citing them as inspiration forming in the following years. Weekend have also been equally commended as they have been criticised for their candidness, often finding themselves at the centre of controversy as well as being extremely opinionated and vocal on certain topical matters unlike the "traditional" and "cookie cutter" boy band image. Equality, inclusiveness, acceptance and diversity are important to the band. Weekend are often cited as role models and poster boys for the modern world; representing multiple races, different backgrounds, sexual orientation, disabilities and advocating for many other issues and charities. With their chart success, diverse lineup and bold personalities, the group are popular culture icons of the 2010's. According to Rolling Stone journalist and biographer Andy Dixon, "Billy, Dustyn, Riley, Oscar and Scott are the most recognisable group of individuals since Spice Girls and The Beatles." The band are also noted for their branding; a widely recognisable "W" symbol as well as using an individual colour to represent each member - Billy (Purple), Dustyn (Blue), Oscar (Red), Riley (Green) and Scott (Orange).
 Dustyn Blue-Conners (2011 - present) Riley Hamilton (2011 - present) Billy Holmes (2011 - present) Oscar Ward (2011 - present) Scott Wellington (2011 - present)  Twitter: OurLittleDustyn
Instagram: LittleLuckyCharmsDustyn James Kian Blue-Conners was born on December 25th 1995, making him the youngest member of the band. Born and raised in Tipperary, Ireland, Dustyn was brought up in a Catholic household and attended an all-boys school. Dustyn is the son of Martin and Janet Blue and is the youngest of five children. Not keen on the traditional and simple way of life, Dustyn often dreamed of living in the city and performing on stage. During his early teenage years, his uncle would often take him around towns to busk. An avid guitar player and naturally gifted vocalist with cute looks, Dustyn garnered a small following for his busking efforts. He also began to write his own compositions at the age of 14, a gift which was nurtured when he joined the group. Dustyn is now the main songwriter of the band and has received a lot of recognition for his pen. Dustyn is the second-cousin of Lyrica Ocha, the mastermind behind Weekend. Although he still had to audition and make a good impression, he alongside Oscar Ward, were personally invited to the call due to their known musical backgrounds and fitting the premise of the new group perfectly. Adorably small stature and quirky personality aside, Dustyn still exudes star quality with his musical talents alone. He performed "Live To Tell" by Madonna in order to secure his place within the group. He cites Madonna as his idol and biggest influence often referring to her as "The Queen Mother", finding comfort in her music all of his life as well as relating to her struggles with faith and yearning for something bigger than the towns they were born in. Despite a very controversial public life and daily struggles, Dustyn keeps a sunny disposition. He took the brave steps to coming out as gay at the tender age of 16. This caused a media frenzy and backlash from the Catholic church as well as his own family but Dustyn remained true to himself. He eventually married his long term sweetheart Dallas Conners in November 2018 and made the switch from "Blue" to "Blue-Conners". He has two sons; Shay and Koa, as well as three cats; Fifi, Jaffa and Lulu. He and his family reside in London.  Twitter: RealRiHamilton
Instagram: LifeOfRileyRiley Connor Hamilton was born on July 28th 1994 and was raised in Beeston, Leeds, England. Riley is the youngest of four siblings, having two older sisters; Victoria and Leah, and an older brother, Michael. Riley's mother, Beverly, owned a local beauty salon while his father, Michael, was a construction worker. Michael died following a freak accident at work in 2012. Beverly passed away a year later due to ill health. Riley attended the nondenominational Hugh Gaitskell Primary School. Despite being baptised and living in a Christian household, Riley's family opted for their children to attend a non-faith school to broaden their minds on other cultures and religions. Riley was always an eager student; often winning awards for his work and taking part in extra curricular activities. It was at school where Riley developed his love for sport. He started to swim competitively at the age of 11 and won a local under 18's tennis tournament aged 15. As much as he loved music, Riley never saw joining a boy band on the cards. With his humble beginnings, he did not think such a career would present itself to him. He originally set out with the hope of becoming an English teacher, actively working towards that goal at the time of the Weekend audition. Always one to try anything once, Riley answered the ad that Lyrica posted mainly just for "the experience", not thinking anything would come of it. Due to heavy traffic, Riley almost missed his call time and still believes that his wonderful taxi driver is responsible for landing him this job. Riley successfully performed a ballad version of Robyn's "Be Mine!" for his audition. He calls his musical taste "very left field" and cites Björk, Kate Bush, The Knife, Robyn, Cocteau Twins and Fever Ray as influences. Outside of the group, Riley has become a huge success in his own right. He established a very respectable acting career; landing his own TV show in 2014, starring in multiple acclaimed roles and earning numerous awards for his performances. Riley also signed a contract with Wilhelmina Models and is currently the face of Hugo Boss, collaborating with them on a new range too. Riley and his girlfriend Chaelin Hue are also CEO's of their own ethical goods company " With Love". Riley has a son, Orson, and resides in London.  Twitter: BillyBadBoy
Instagram: WorkFromHolmesBilal "Billy" Shaeen Holmes née Khan was born on May 24th 1993 and was raised in Hackney, London, England. Billy is the second youngest of four siblings. He has an elder brother, Sayyid, and an elder sister, Faiza. His younger brother, Deneil, is also in the music business - a critically acclaimed Grime artist. Billy's childhood was far from conventional. His family were often in trouble with the law and his parents had a volatile relationship, leading to Billy and Deneil being taken into the care system while his older siblings went to live with an aunt. He and Deneil also briefly lived on the streets as teenagers, often sleeping outside and sometimes seeking out affordable hostels or sofa surfing among trusted friends. Despite his rocky life, Billy remained a very creative soul, creating art projects and helping out with the cooking in his care home. Billy was staying over at a friend's house, practically living on the couch when he read about the auditions for the group. He was initially reluctant at first, thinking that nobody would be interested in hiring a homeless teenager. Billy was always praised for his singing although he never made a show of it, with no real audience and more important matters at hand. With the auditions being held in the same city and a few words of encouragement from his younger brother, Billy applied. He has been quoted saying "I literally had nothing to lose at the time. If I failed, back to reality. If I succeeded, the only way was up." Billy successfully auditioned with Whitney Houston's "My Love is Your Love". He is a lover of R&B and names Michael and Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Brandy and Aaliyah as influences. Billy leads a colourful life. His dark sense of humour, lack of filter, controversial opinions and willingness to get naked at the drop of a hat keep him in the tabloids on a daily basis. Billy has a personality disorder and candidly shares his experiences online. With his turbulent past and brash personality, Billy is always a talking point. Even his love life is unconventional to most; married to Jerry Holmes as well as being part of an open relationship with his husband, his ex-wife Andrea Mason and her current partner Payton Rodriguez. Billy has a son with Andrea, Daniel. Outside of the group, Billy has been featured as a guest vocalist on numerous tracks. Counting his appearances as a featured artist and on Weekend records, Billy has 12 #1 songs to his name.  Twitter: OscarJWard
Instagram: CurlyFriesOscar Joseph Ward was born on November 16th 1994 and was raised in Chelsea, London, England. He is the youngest of three children, having two older sisters named Gillian and Emma. His mother, Sharon, worked as an insurance clerk while his father, Richard, owns an electronics wholesale business which allowed a comfortable upbringing for Oscar and his sisters. He attended Garden House School, a private nursery and school in Chelsea, from ages 3 - 11. Oscar was also involved in a drama programme from ages 11 - 15 until he was ejected after numerous fights with a fellow participant. Oscar confesses to being a "spoiled brat" throughout his childhood and teenage years. After his removal from the drama programme, Oscar started his own independent band, Rising Waters, with three close friends. The group recorded around 20 demos but nothing official ever materialised. Oscar is the cousin of Joey Frankson, of The Titans fame. Frankson put Oscar's name forward when Lyrica announced her plans to form a new boy band. Oscar, alongside Dustyn, was personally invited to the audition process. With his charm and vocal prowess, Oscar immediately earned himself a spot in the group. Lyrica then crafted the group around Oscar and Dustyn, having faith in two strong vocalists with musical experience. Oscar initially started out as the lead vocalist of the band on earlier projects before things were evened out later on in their career. Oscar's own musical taste is a lot harsher than the sounds of Weekend, enjoying a mixture of metal, punk and rock. He cites The Clash, Operation Ivy and Iggy Pop as musical influences. Since joining Weekend, Oscar has grown before our eyes, going from self-confessed "brat" to doting boyfriend and father. He has been involved with fellow singer and TV personality Eilidh Greene since 2012 and the pair have a son and daughter together; Roo and Rocco. Oscar provided guest vocals to MakeAScene's track, Give Me Something, in 2016, which went on to top the charts. He likes to keep a low public profile.  Twitter: ScottWeekend
Instagram: WellingtonBootsScott Jay Edward Wellington was born on October 1st 1991 and partially raised in Leeton, Australia. Wellington and his family moved to the UK in 1998, where he lived in Stevenage, Hertfordshire for a further four years before moving again to Harlow, Essex, England at the age of 11. He is the eldest of three siblings, having two younger sisters, Arianna and Sophie. He is also the eldest member of the band. Scott has lived a rather hectic and extraordinary life, seeing the world in all its glory from a young age. His mother, Christine, is a primary school teacher and his father, Jack, is a heart surgeon. His father's advancement through the medical career led to the family relocating throughout the years. Scott found it difficult to settle and make friends as a child but found solace in acting and performing as a teenager, attributing his growth in confidence to that. Scott was studying a bachelor's degree in drama education at the time of Weekend's inception. While the goal of becoming a drama teacher was still his highest priority at the time, the prospect of joining a pop group created by someone already established in the industry was too good to pass up. Scott's love of performing saw him answer the call immediately. While confessing that he doesn't have the strongest voice in the world, Scott knew that his passion for performing and his showmanship would be unmatched. Lyrica praised his charisma and instantly loved the comical and warm Aussie, adding him to the group after a successful audition with Elvis' "Can't Help Falling In Love". While he admittedly has an eclectic taste, Scott calls Presley his "number one" due to his iconic looks, extensive catalogue of classics and the "cheesy yet cool" flashiness he exhibited. Scott has a son, Finn, with his wife and fellow musician, Jennifer Armstrong. The pair keep a relatively low public profile. Scott splits his time between L.A. and London nowadays. He uprooted and moved to the USA when he tied the knot with Armstrong in 2014. Outside of the group, Wellington has carved a successful career as a TV talent show judge; appearing on one season of The X Factor UK, two seasons of The X Factor NZ and on one season of America's Got Talent.
 - ALBUMS - Fired UpPeak: #1 Released: March 27th, 2012 Format: CD, Download, Streaming, 2xLP Singles: Everything About You, Smile About It, Fired Up The album that started it all off. Weekend's debut album "Fired Up" sees the group at their most pop and juvenile. The youngsters had us all smitten with their charm, boyish good looks, innocent lyrics and utterly catchy hooks. This album propelled them to stardom, topping the charts around the globe and producing three hit singles. It went on to become one of the best-selling albums of 2012. Released through Angel Music Records, the band were finding their feet and only dabbling in the songwriting field. This is the album that started it all and the pop/rock sound would be nurtured and evolved in years to come. Fired Up: ReloadedPeak: #1 Released: November 1st, 2012 Format: 2xCD, Download, Streaming, 3xLP Singles: Lock It Up, Turn Up The Volume The repack of Weekend's debut album caused Weekendmania to amplify tenfold. The album was already a big seller, racking up impressive sales with each passing week as the fandom grew. This new and improved set, featuring a second disc of brand new material, was unleashed to the now enormous fan base in time for Christmas 2012 and it soared up the charts, reaching the summit once again. This version of the album produced two new singles and helped the group to become the biggest-selling music act of 2012. This would be their last album with Angel Music Records. About TimePeak: #1 Released: July 5th, 2015 Format: CD, Download, Streaming, 2xLP Singles: How It Ends, Back In The Day, Only Just Begun This album is viewed as a turning point and an extremely important record in Weekend's career. They had grown from boys to men. Births, marriages and a whole lot of drama followed the group in their early years. Many dismissed them as a fad that the public would grew sick of. Instead of burning bright and fast, Weekend knuckled down to improve and expand on their artistry. They launched their own label, Five Pesky Kids and got involved with every step of the process behind this album. Dustyn Blue-Conners has a writing credit on each track and the boys veered from radio friendly ditties and into a heavier, broodier sound while still retaining that signature rock-pop infused sound. The album topped the charts, was critically acclaimed and produced three #1 singles. It is their biggest-selling album to date. Welcome to the Real WorldPeak: #1 Released: December 29th, 2019 Format: CD, Download, Streaming, LP, Cassette Singles: Victory, Our Song, Be A Man Due for release in 2019, "Welcome to the Real World", is set to be Weekend's most personal and insightful record yet. They've always been in a league of their own when it comes to the boy band market, steering away from the usual tropes. This time around, there is nothing left off limits. Combining the retro-rock sounds of their sophomore album with the lighter pop of their first, this upcoming album encompasses everything about Weekend both sonically and lyrically, delving into darker topics such as drug abuse, homophobia, depression and all the ugly truths of the world that you discover when you grow up.
- EPS- The Holiday EPPeak: N/A Released: December 1st 2013 Format: Free Download Singles: N/A This 6 track EP was released for free on their website in the winter of 2013. Billed as a gift for fans, this collection was not eligible to chart nor was it promoted at all. With over a year gone by without a release of any kind, Weekend knew that their fans would be growing impatient and thus gifted the world the merry sounds of "The Holiday EP". Despite being a free release to tide people over while they launched their own label, it has become a fan favourite of sorts and a new download link goes live every December.
- SINGLES -    Fired Up EraEverything About You [#2], Smile About It [#1], Fired Up [#4]  Fired Up: Reloaded EraLock It Up [#1], Turn Up The Volume [#4]   About Time EraHow It Ends [#1], Back In The Day [#1], Only Just Begun [#1]    Welcome to the Real World EraVictory [#1], Our Song [#1], Be A Man [#1], Hard [#1]
 - COMING SOON - Edited by user 09 November 2023 05:37:28(UTC)
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