British Pop Star Robbie Williams Marks Birthday with Rehab

British pop star Robbie Williams, 33, entered a rehab center today in the US for treatment of his dependency on prescription drugs.

Mr. Williams, who was born in Newcastle, England, rose to fame with the UK's boy band Take That.

He left the band in 1995 and launched a solo career which initially received lots of criticism.

He struggled with depression, insecurity and self-loathing and became addicted to drugs and alcohol, even trying heroin which he calls "the devil's drug".

His road to sobriety started with an intervention lead by fellow Brit Sir Elton John. The legendary singer insisted that Williams seek treatment.

He cleaned up in 2000 and has not used illegal drugs or alcohol since. In a 2004 TV interview the singer said he gave up drugs and alcohol because they made him fat.

In his 2001 documentary Nobody Someday, he mocked his own public persona of "Robbie Williams Popstar" and emphasized his desire to become a credible artist.

Mr. Williams solo career has been marked by commercial success. He has sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history and his album sales worldwide have topped 50 million. He has had eight #1 albums, six #1 singles in the UK and is the best-selling, non-latino artist in Latin America.

He has contributed to movie soundtracks with "Beyond the sea" which was featured in the animated hit Finding Nemo and "Have You Met Miss Jones" for the 2001 romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Diary.

Despite his exposure and popularity worldwide, Robbie Williams has yet to receive a warm reception in the United States or Canada. His most popular US release "Angels" rose only to #41 on the U.S. Billboard music charts.

He has performed on Good Morning America and Jay Leno's The Tonight Show but has not sold more than a million records in the US.

Last year he appeared in "The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive", a documentary on bipolar disorder where he spoke of his battle with depression. He also revealed that he has been taking anti-depressants since 2001, starting 13 months after becoming sober.