George Michael

• Born: June 25, 1963
• Place of Birth: Finchley, London, England
• Died: December 25, 2016
• Place of Death: Goring-on-Thames, United Kingdom

Within the span of a decade, George Michael achieved both popular and critical acclaim by first introducing an optimistic, infectious style of pop music via the musical group Wham! and then following up with a grittier, sexier style as a solo artist. With multiple number one hit songs and successful albums, he became one of the best-selling musicians of all time.

Because of his ability to evolve in both musical style and image, George Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, became one of the most well-known singer-songwriters of the 1980s. While still a teen, he formed the group Wham! UK with his school friend Andrew Ridgeley, releasing their first album, the rap-inspired Fantastic, in 1983. Unhappy with their label and eager to reach a wider audience, the pair shortened their name to Wham!, moved to CBS/Columbia, and cultivated a sunny, clean-cut image for the release of their second album, Make It Big (1984). The album yielded several hit singles in Great Britain and the United States, including the jitterbug-style "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and the earnest "Freedom." In 1984, they also released the single "Last Christmas," which would become a staple of holiday radio.

In 1986, Wham! released its third album, Music from the Edge of Heaven, which sold well in Great Britain but not in the United States. Shortly thereafter, they announced the group’s dissolution. Michael, ready to pursue a solo career, again altered his style and image before releasing Faith at the end of 1987. First, however, he recorded the single "I Want Your Sex" for the 1987 film Beverly Hills Cop II. Although the controversial song was banned by many radio stations, it became a hit. Michael also recorded a duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me," which garnered a Grammy Award in the rhythm and blues category.

With all of the hype surrounding those singles, Faith had much to live up to, and it did not disappoint. The title song’s video introduced Michael’s sexy new image, complete with leather jacket and facial stubble, while "Father Figure," a slow, sultry tune about forbidden love, was also a hit. Faith won the Grammy for Album of the Year, but Michael’s resulting success and exhausting schedule took its toll, and his subsequent albums did not reach the same heights. Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990) moved his sound away from the pure pop style that had made him a star, though it still performed well and included the hit single "Praying for Time." In later years, Michael would further renounce his image as a sex symbol, due in part to his discomfort with the pressures of being a superstar as well as the loss of a loved partner. His 1996 album Older showcased his pivot to targeting more mature audiences; it was not hugely successful in the United States but spawned multiple hit singles in Great Britain and mainland Europe. Media outlets would later confirm that Michael was the top-played artist on the radio in Britain over the twenty years from 1984 to 2004. His more than 115 million albums sold around the world made him among the best-selling artists of all time.

Throughout his career Michael became known for his philanthropy almost as much as for his music. In 1984, while still with Wham!, he appeared along with other stars on the benefit single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" released under the Band Aid name in support of relief efforts for the Ethiopian famine. Michael also frequently supported gay rights and AIDS prevention efforts, even becoming something of an icon in the LGBTQ community. In 1998 he came out as gay following his arrest in California on lewd behavior charges. He would later discuss his struggles with depression and shame in keeping his sexuality secret, and identified himself variously as gay or bisexual.

Much of Michael's musical output in the twenty-first century came in the form of free downloads, for which he asked fans to donate to charity. His final album of original material was Patience, released in 2004. Along with his occasional single releases, he also continued to perform sporadically. His popular legacy meant that many of his shows were sold-out performances in stadium venues, despite his lack of many new songs. In 2011, he was forced to cancel a number of shows after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia; the illness proved life-threatening and he underwent treatment over the course of five weeks, over part of which he was comatose. In 2014, he put out a live album recorded during his 2010-11 world tour, including his own previously-released songs and standards backed by an orchestra.

On December 25, 2016—Christmas Day—Michael was found unresponsive at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, and pronounced dead at the scene. While the exact cause of death was not immediately identified, it was stated to be natural causes and that Michael died peacefully in his bed. Heart issues were later determined to be behind the death.

Impact

Often described as an autobiographical singer-songwriter, George Michael struck a chord with audiences around the world at various stages in his life and career, including the frothy tunes from his Wham! days and the more soulful songs he later recorded as a solo artist. His talent attracted the attention of influential artists such as Aretha Franklin and Elton John, leading to hugely successful collaborative projects, and Michael also used his fame to highlight worthy causes such as famine relief and AIDS awareness. In 2023, a documentary about his early music career, titled Wham!, was released on Netflix. The documentary earned a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) nomination. Michael received his first nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 2023; he was inducted into the Rock Hall that same year. In November 2023, Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley presented Michael at the Rock Hall induction ceremony, where artists Miguel, Adam Levine, and Carrie Underwood performed renditions of Michael's songs "Careless Whisper," “Faith,” and “One More Try," respectively.

Bibliography

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