Can you leave a band and become a success? 

With Take That Mark Owen the latest to announce another “solo” project, does going it alone work? 

Millions of screaming fans have been left devastated when popular boy and girl bands split. Can you remember the moment when Take That announced they were splitting up? Or when Spice Girls were no longer Viva forever?

Bands splitting up crush the fans, so imagine their delight when they find out their idols are continuing as individual solo artists. However, they gradually become increasingly disappointed as many attempts to launch these solo careers flop!

Does anyone remember Victoria Beckham’s single? I surely don't. Yet she was a member of one of the most successful bands of all time. Victoria’s PR team made a mistake when they brought out her debut single the same time as Kylie Minogue -  and she quickly disappeared off the solo singing radar. Was she always doomed to be unsuccessful in her solo career? (Lets face it her voice isn’t that great.) Or with the right PR team, could she have been another Beyonce? (Unlikely, but you never know.) 

Take Girls Aloud for example. One thing for sure, when looking for a PR agency to promote a solo career, I would go with Cheryl Cole’s PR backing over her band mates any day. Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberly Walsh have all attempted it with singles that have faded into the darkness and only peaked at number twenty in the charts.

Cheryl has come out on top, with three successful albums, a stadium tour and lucrative deals worth millions off the back of her “nations sweetheart” status – all thanks to her savvy PR team! (And she doesn't even have the best voice!)

Although few manage to break away from their band status, some have actually risen to the challenge. As well as Cheryl, Michael Jackson, Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake all launched their own solo careers, and in fact are known more so for this today. 

Is their success all down to choosing the right PR company - to create the right image and release the right single at the right time for the member going it alone? Lets just see what happens with JLS, the most recent band to enter the pop graveyard! 

Sarah