George Michael: A Life

Product Information

But beyond the indelible images, Michael was also a musical virtuoso, a true pop craftsman who single-handedly wrote and produced most of his discography. “First off, you're talking about a performer, writer, producer as well, and that's a key thing,” Thomas tells GQ. “Those records, they were fully formed ideas in his head. He knew exactly how he wanted them to sound, and it was this great mix of whatever pop was in the ‘80s—that second English wave—with some of his melodies and songs coming right out of a [’60s] Philly Soul playbook.” The true story of George Michael's complicated relationship with his mother". TODAY.com. 29 June 2022 . Retrieved 9 October 2023. By 1998, Michael had already lost a long legal battle with Sony in which he sought release from a contract he called “professional slavery.” Later, his then-manager Rob Kahane told Billboard that “the trigger that set George off” was Columbia’s Don Ienner allegedly using a slur to refer to Michael, calling him “that f—-t” client of yours,” in an argument with Kahane. George Michael at HP Pavilion at San Jose". Yahoo!. 24 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008 . Retrieved 3 May 2008. Michael, a Labour voter throughout the 1980s, distancing himself from Thatcher's Conservative Party. [217]

Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (7 September 2017). "George Michael's new single Fantasy – a rework full of sex, funk and fabulousness". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017 . Retrieved 10 October 2017.

A Life

When Michael's fifth studio album, Patience, was released in 2004, it was critically acclaimed and went to No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. [13] The album became one of the fastest-selling albums in the UK, selling over 200,000 copies in the first week alone. [109] It reached the Top 5 on most European charts and peaked at No. 12 in the US, selling over 500,000 copies to earn a Gold certification from the RIAA. [14] " Amazing", the third single from the album, became a No. 1 hit in Europe. [110] When Michael appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 26 May 2004, to promote the album, he performed "Amazing", along with his classic songs " Father Figure" and " Faith". [111] On the show, Michael spoke of his arrest, the public revelation of his homosexuality, and his resumption of public performances. He allowed Oprah's crew inside his home outside London. [112] The fourth single taken off the album was " Flawless". It was a dance hit in Europe as well as North America, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and becoming Michael's last No. 1 single on the US Dance chart. [13] Twenty Five is Michael's second greatest hits album, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his music career. [113] Released in November 2006 by Sony BMG, it debuted at no. 1 in the UK. [114] Michael onstage in Munich, 2006 George Michael: 20 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. 7 January 2018. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018 . Retrieved 7 January 2018. Rachel, Aroesti (14 December 2017). "Still saving us from tears: the inside story of Wham!'s Last Christmas". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017 . Retrieved 1 December 2020. His father had the gender views that men of his generation had and he had the homophobia that was typical of men of his era,” Gavin explained, adding that his father expressed his views in “very unfortunate ways.” I came away from this book realizing what a tortured soul this passionate singer was. It wasn't a surprise that he died in such a way...he actually predicted his own untimely death. He died on Christmas Day in 2016 under mysterious circumstances, found dead in his bed by his live in lover with whom he had purportedly argued with earlier. This is certainly an all-encompassing study of this very talented singer/songwriter/performer.

Litchfield, David (1985). "David Cassidy by George Michael". Ritz Newspaper No. 100. Bailey & Litchfield. pp.16–19. The definitive biography of George Michael, offering an expansive look at the troubled life of the legendary singer, songwriter, and pop superstar. In America the album flopped and Michael would never again challenge for chart supremacy there. But everywhere else, against the odds, Older was a hit, and to the end Michael considered it his best work. Listening to it today, even as a fan of his earlier, more effervescent material, you can see his point. Older is a quietly devastating record. At least four of its songs stand up as classics: “Jesus to a Child”, as bold a lead single as any megastar ever attempted, a stately, seven-minute ballad absolutely saturated in grief; “Fastlove”, a funky love-letter to cruising, yet somehow still bereft (“I miss my baby”); “You Have Been Loved”, almost unlistenable in its sadness; and “Spinning the Wheel”, written from the point of view of a gay man in an open relationship in the shadow of HIV. (A point of view Michael understood intimately.) Bego, Mark (10 February 2010). Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul. Hachette Books. p.249. ISBN 978-0-7867-5229-4.

Praise

The epilogue made me tear up because George isn't here to see that his work is being celebrated by a new generation and he's even viewed as having paved the way for gay men to feel free to be who they are and to live their lives the way they want. He died a very sad and tormented man, all alone on Christmas Eve. Powers, Ann (14 June 2008). "George Michael embraces his dualities". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 31 July 2015. Following in the footsteps of George Michael in London". forunitedkingdomlovers.uk. 25 June 2021 . Retrieved 9 July 2023. On 26 October 2011, Michael cancelled a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London due to a viral infection. On 21 November, Vienna General Hospital admitted Michael after he complained of chest pains while at a hotel two hours before his performance at a venue there for his Symphonica Tour. Michael appeared to be "in good spirits" and responded well to treatment following his admission, but on 25 November hospital officials said that his condition had "worsened overnight". This development led to cancellations and postponements of Michael's remaining 2011 performances, which had been scheduled mainly for the United Kingdom. [208] The singer was later confirmed to have suffered from pneumonia and, until 1 December, was in an intensive care unit; at one point, he was comatose. On 21 December, the hospital discharged him. Michael told the press that he had undergone a tracheotomy, [209] that the staff at the hospital had saved his life, and that he would perform a free concert for them. [210] After waking from the coma, Michael had a temporary West Country accent, and there was concern he had developed foreign accent syndrome. [211] At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on 12 February 2017, Adele performed a slow version of " Fastlove" in tribute to Michael. [262] On 22 February, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin performed " A Different Corner" at the 2017 Brit Awards. [263] In June, Michael's close friend, former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell, released a charity single, "Angels in Chains", a tribute to him, to raise money for Childline. [264]

George Michael - Fantasy (Official Video) ft. Nile Rodgers". Archived from the original on 11 November 2022 . Retrieved 11 November 2022– via YouTube. On Pop Pantheon, a podcast that analyzes the careers and legacies of pop music’s greatest stars, Michael is considered part of a group of ‘80s superstars who were “pioneers of the modern concept of pop stardom.” When I first had the dream of becoming a recording artist, I was pretty discouraged even before really trying,” says Lambert, who eventually became the first openly-gay artist to have an album debut at number one in the US. “I thought, ‘Well, how is it going to work if I'm a gay guy? Look what happened to George Michael.’”Michael's homosexuality became publicly known following his April 1998 arrest for public lewdness. [178] In 2007, Michael said "that hiding his sexuality made him feel 'fraudulent', and his eventual outing, when he was arrested [...] in 1998, was a subconsciously deliberate act." [179]

During November 1994, after a long period of seclusion, Michael appeared at the first MTV Europe Music Awards show, where he gave a performance of a new song, " Jesus to a Child". [90] The song was a melancholy tribute to his lover, Anselmo Feleppa, who had died in March 1993. The song entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 1 and No. 7 on Billboard upon release in 1996. [13] [14] It was Michael's longest UK Top 40 single, at almost seven minutes long. The exact identity of the song's subject—and the nature of Michael's relationship with Feleppa—was shrouded in innuendo and speculation, as Michael had not confirmed he was homosexual and did not do so until 1998. The video for "Jesus to a Child" was a picture of images recalling loss, pain and suffering. Michael consistently dedicated the song to Feleppa before performing it live. [91] George Michael's Oprah Winfrey Show Interview (2004)". GM Forever. 7 May 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023 . Retrieved 25 April 2021. a b "KEEPING FAITH! WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC RENEWS PUBLISHING DEAL WITH GEORGE MICHAEL'S ESTATE". PRN (Press release). Archived from the original on 3 February 2023 . Retrieved 3 February 2023. Australian Tour Announcement". GeorgeMichael.com. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 28 November 2009 . Retrieved 24 November 2009. Savage, Mark (6 November 2019). "George Michael: Upbeat new song premieres on Radio 2". BBC. ArchivedMichael was also, of course, a formidable vocalist—a singer who could hold his own with heroes like Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, who helped Aretha Franklin get her first number one in 20 years and traded riffs with everyone from Whitney Houston to Beyoncé. George Michael's 'Older' Turns 25 | Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. 12 May 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021 . Retrieved 14 October 2021. The new box set is a handsome item indeed. It’ll look smart on your shelf. And it’s nothing if not comprehensive, containing vinyl and CDs and a brochure and more remixes than a superstar DJ set. But my word, for all the catharsis of Older, for all Michael’s inspiring determination to move on from grief, to make something beautiful out of heartbreak, it is a sad and freighted document, too.