Friday, May 21, 2010

I am always the friend not the lover

WILL.I.AM has earned a reputation as
the ultimate ladies' man thanks to his
blossoming relationship with CHERYL
COLE and past links to beauties such
as NICOLE SCHERZINGER and NATALIE
IMBRUGLIA.
But the BLACK EYED PEAS frontman
insists he's always been useless with
women - because they end up thinking
of him as a brother, not a boyfriend.
Will, who has spent the week partying
with Cheryl at the Cannes Film Festival,
says: "I'm not a gold digger, I'm a boob
digger. I like boobs. But I was always
the homie, the friend, rather than the
lover.
"I'd have a crush on a girl and she'd say,
'I don't know, Will, I see you as my
brother'.
"I become a cuddler and a spooner. I'm
a conversationalist. I just like to talk -
to have random conversations about
odd things, like dance music and
jogging. If you don't talk about a girl's
interests, then forget it.
"Soon I want to settle down and have
lots of girl babies, because I don't want
to add to the destruction of the planet.
It's a man's world and I think it's gonna
be a female that changes it all."
Until this year 35-year-old Will was
just known as the bloke with the daft
name and the silly clothes out of US
band Black Eyed Peas.
Despite a series of huge hits such as
Shut Up, Where Is The Love, Boom
Boom Pow and My Humps, he
remained a man of mystery behind his
oversized specs.
But his relationship with gorgeous
Geordie Cheryl, 26, has thrust him into
the spotlight.
Will first grew close to GIRLS ALOUD
singer Cheryl when they worked
together on her debut solo album 3
Words last year. She credits him with
giving her the confidence to do her
own solo projects away from her
bandmates.
When she dumped cheating husband
ASHLEY in February, Will weighed in,
saying: "She's a beautiful girl and I
can't wait to hang out with her more.
I'd move to London if it meant being
with her. Cheryl's too nice to be
cheated on."
In the last few weeks the pair have
become inseparable after Cheryl
joined Black Eyed Peas on their
European tour.
They partied backstage at London's O2,
where she took the big step of
introducing Will to her mum, Joan.
Last week they cosied up at an
exclusive party in Cannes for jewellery
company De Grisogono, where Cheryl
picked up £250,000 for playing a few
songs. Later Will joined her in the DJ
booth and taught her how to mix.
Like Cheryl, Will recently went through
a bad break-up, with a long-term
girlfriend who he grew up with in Los
Angeles. He has always protected her
by keeping her name secret.
Will says: "We went out for eight years
and I learned a lot about relationships.
I read a lot, about the destructive
relationship we were in. It wasn't
abusive, it was just destructive
emotionally."
Will and Cheryl have a lot more in
common too. They both had humble
beginnings on rough city estates and
neither has anything to do with their
dads.
When Cheryl was 11 her dad Gary left
her mum to bring up five kids alone in
inner-city Newcastle.
Will, who was born William James
Adams Jr, grew up in East Los Angeles
with his single-parent mum. He says:
"My mom is the most awesome
woman. She raised us all by herself. I
have two brothers and a sister, and
Mom adopted two other girls when
they were infants. Then she just
recently adopted two other boys.
"I learned in counselling that me and
my ex-girlfriend both have a fear of
abandonment from not having a role
model in relationships. My mom's
never been married. I've never even
seen her kiss a dude."
Will released a solo album called
Songs About Girls, which was all about
his doomed romance. It featured
Cheryl on a track called Heartbreaker.
He says: "It's about one particular
relationship that I was really sorry how
it ended up. It was just me being a
young dude making dumb decisions."
Like Cheryl, Will is fiercely ambitious
and has become one of the most
successful and richest pop stars of his
generation.
The Black Eyed Peas have sold
35million albums and 41million
singles worldwide. Last year they were
at No1 in America for 26 consecutive
weeks with songs from their fifth
album, The E.N.D. Will has also
produced tracks for Justin Timberlake,
Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston,
Pussycat Dolls, Busta Rhymes and
fellow Black Eyed Pea, Fergie.
The band are at their absolute peak at
the moment and Will says: "We are
going to celebrate all year. Touring,
DJing parties, clubbing, making music -
that's what a Black Eyed Peas
celebration consists of.
"We like to keep it responsible,
although every now and then we do
get a little irresponsible."
Will had spent three years working
with MICHAEL JACKSON on new
material before he died last June. But
he doesn't think the songs will ever
see the light of day.
He says: "The stuff we worked on was
dance music but, of course, with the
Michael Jackson touch.
"It was real melodic, with seductive
bass lines. That guy was flawless. I
guess it seems kind of emotional now,
with what happened. I'm just so
grateful I got to know him like that and
learn from him."
Since Will and Cheryl arrived in Cannes
they have travelled to Antwerp and
Paris - the romantic capital of the
world - for more Peas performances.
Today they are expected to arrive in
Bangor, North Wales, where Cheryl will
perform this afternoon at the Radio 1
Big Weekend.
She is then due to join Will in
Barcelona on July 3 when the band
play the city's Espanol Stadium. Even
though Cheryl isn't on the bill he has
asked organisers to provide them with
a joint dressing room for the night.
Then he has arranged to treat her to a
meal at El Bulli restaurant, which is
regarded as one of the best in the
world.
If they are not romantically involved
they are certainly acting like they are.

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