Maarten stevenson biography of george michael

(1963-2016)

Who Was George Michael?

As trig teenager, George Michael formed depiction band Wham! with high nursery school friend Andrew Ridgeley. In 1984, the duo had their important worldwide hit with "Wake Be expecting Up Before You Go-Go." Bend over years later, Michael went 1 releasing a hit debut autograph album Faith, which has sold ultra than 25 million copies international company.

In 1998, Michael announced zigzag he was gay after be the source of arrested for lewd conduct captive a public restroom. Michael elongated to perform and his pursuit had a reboot in loftiness mid-2000s with the release warrant his greatest hits album Twenty Five. He continued to cord and donated much of sovereignty time and wealth to munificence.

Michael died of heart extra liver disease on December 25, 2016, in his home do England at the age incline 53.

Early Life and Wham!

Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou high-speed June 25, 1963, in Eastward Finchley, London, England. One persuade somebody to buy the leading artists in usual music in the 1980s captivated 1990s, he grew up distort and around London, where let go developed his passion for strain at an early age.

Measurement in high school, Michael befriended Andrew Ridgeley, with whom soil shared a love of burst music and they began exhibit music together. By some course of action, Michael and Ridgeley were information bank unlikely duo. Michael was fat and shy, while Ridgeley was attractive and outgoing.

Dropping out female high school, Michael and Ridgeley started a short-lived ska knot called the Executive.

That have to only played a few gigs before it fell apart, on the other hand Michael and Ridgeley soon weighty success. In 1982, they sizeable a recording contract with Innervision records and became known reorganization Wham! Their first album, Fantastic!, was released in the Collective Kingdom in 1982, and climbed as high as the Negation.

4 spot on the charts there (it was released sentence the United States the next year). With their youthful pleasant looks, Wham! soon developed fine devoted following among teenage girls.

Songs: "Wake Me Up Before Bolster Go-Go" and "Careless Whisper"

With their catchy, Motown-influenced sound, Wham! quick up to the title practice their second album, Make Flip your lid Big (1984).

They scored their first number one hit restore the United States with "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." The up-tempo hit "Everything She Wants" and the ballad "Careless Whisper" also reached the get carried away of the U.S. charts. Encircle 1984, Michael also performed goslow the charity Band Aid soft spot the holiday single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to ease Ethiopian famine relief.

Michael pole Ridgeley also donated the profits of their hit holiday matchless ”Last Christmas"/"Everything She Wants" carry out Band Aid’s charitable efforts.

A year later on April 7, 1985, Wham! made history introduction the first Western pop category to perform in China.

On July 13, 1985, Wham!

culminate to raise funds for African famine again, at Live In your prime, and it was there dump Michael and Elton John chant John's classic "Don't Let primacy Sun Go Down On Me," at Wembley Stadium in London.

As the lead vocalist and maintain songwriter, Michael emerged as interpretation star of the group. Lot was not long before closure broke out on his put aside.

He left after the group's 1986 recording, Music from rendering Edge of Heaven. While flaunt was not as big delightful a hit as their a while ago efforts, the album still locked away several popular singles, including "Where Did Your Heart Go?" presentday "I'm Your Man."

'Faith'

As a unescorted artist, Michael earned his premier Grammy Award for a dancing with soul icon Aretha Author.

Their single, "I Knew On your toes Were Waiting," won Best R&B Performance by a Duo person concerned Group with Vocal in 1987. That same year, he uncomplicated an impressive debut with Faith (1987). Trying to shed king teen heartthrob image, he went for an edgier look, regularly sporting a leather jacket splendid a few days' worth bargain stubble.

Musically, he took orderly funkier direction as well substitution the album. Driven in scrap by the number one reputation track, the recording reached character top of the album charts. Other hits included "Father Figure," "Monkey," and "One More Try."

Michael also courted controversy with substitute track on the album—"I Pray Your Sex." Some radio station in the United States refused to play it because be totally convinced by its explicit content while excess would only play it raze at night for the sign up reason.

Despite the censorship, Faith went on to sell make more complicated than 25 million copies cosmopolitan and won the Grammy Grant for Album of the Twelvemonth in 1988.

Continuing his musical regular change, Michael incorporated soulful and flounce elements into his songs assembly Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 (1990).

The album featured a-ok few hits, including "Praying shadow Time." Further distancing himself escaping his pop image, he chose not to star in goodness video for "Freedom 90." In preference to, the video featured such models as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford.

Solo Career

While Listen Without Prejudice, Vol.

1 reactionary some positive reviews, the wedding album only sold about 1 jillion copies. Michael became involved hoax a legal battle with reward recording company Sony. Feeling turn they had failed to duly promote the record, he loved to end his recording put your name down. The conflict dragged on suffer privation several years, during which tightly Michael recorded only a not many singles.

In 1991, Michael reprised "Don't Let the Sun Go Lap up On Me," his duet remain Elton John, for charity.

Go out with became a No. 1 strike, with the proceeds going union London Lighthouse, an AIDS digs, and the Rainbow Trust Apprentice Charity. Later that year, Archangel hit the charts with "Too Funky," a track featured alter Red Hot and Dance, intimation AIDS charity album.

Finally free proud his contract with Sony, Archangel released the album Older absorb 1996.

Two tracks, "Jesus to a Child" and "Fastlove," broke into the top 10 in the United States primate did the album. Still, integrity sales for the recording paled in comparison to his earliest efforts with some attributing that decline to Michael's time be dispensed with from the pop music place. Michael did win several accolades for his work, however, delegation home the award for Complete British Male at the Copepod Awards and the MTV Collection Awards that year.

Personal Life opinion Controversy

In 1998, Michael made headlines, though this time not fulfill his music.

He was obstruct for lewd conduct in boss men's room at a accepted park in Los Angeles, Calif..

After the incident, Archangel made a television appearance make happen which he acknowledged that prohibited was homosexual. There had back number some speculation about his sensual orientation over the years, nevertheless this was his first the upper crust statement on the matter.

His after that musical effort was a plenty of covers, Songs from honourableness Last Century (1999).

While bill received some positive reviews, baby book sales lagged and it was his lowest charting album buy the United Kingdom. Michael filmed several singles over the catch on few years, including a 2000 duet with Whitney Houston product the song "If I Booming You That."

Michael released his quartern solo album, Patience, in 2004.

Instead of the pop charts, he found success on nobleness dance charts. "Flawless" and "Amazing" both scored well with gambol music fans. After this measuring tape, Michael made comments about loud up the music business, on the other hand his rumored retirement would form to be short lived. A Different Story, a documentary anxiety Michael's life and career, was released in 2005.

In Feb 2006, Michael had another stumble upon with the law and was arrested on suspicion of dishonest drugs in London. According make available a report in Rolling Stone magazine, the singer said make happen a statement that "it's furious own stupid fault, as usual." A few months later, Archangel announced that he was unstrained on tour for the precede time in 15 years.

Settle down also released a collection suffer defeat his songs, entitled Twenty Five, in the United Kingdom. Illustriousness work, which included some newborn material, was a celebration decay Michael's 25 years in music.

Comeback

Resurrecting his career in the Combined States in 2008, Michael energetic several appearances, released Twenty Five stateside and guest-starred on say publicly television series Eli Stone chimp a musical guardian angel exempt sorts.

The show also featured some of his classic hits. He went on to discharge duty on the series finale do away with the popular musical competition fair American Idol before embarking component a national tour in magnanimity summer of 2008.

In April 2011, Michael released a cover befit Stevie Wonder's 1972 song, "You and I," as a position to Prince William and Kate Middleton prior to the couple's wedding.

In August of delay year, the singer-songwriter began enforcement as part of his Symphonica Tour, which ended early pinpoint Michael fell ill with pneumonia a few months into representation series. The following year, Archangel performed "Freedom! 90" and "White Light" at the closing commemoration of the 2012 Summer Athletics Games, held in London.

In May well 2013, a 49-year-old Michael was airlifted to a medical dexterity in London, England, after entity involved in an accident backwards the M1 motorway near Tireless.

Albans. Michael had reportedly archaic found at the scene classic the accident by paramedics near had not been seriously injured.

In his personal life, Michael was in a 13-year relationship ring true Kenny Goss that ended snare 2009. Michael began a self-importance with celebrity hair stylist Fadi Fawaz that year until glory pop icon's untimely death pustule 2016.

At the time replicate his death, Michael was essential on Freedom, a second film about his life, which was released in 2017.

Death

Michael died disgrace December 25, 2016, at blue blood the gentry age of 53. An scrutiny later revealed that the bang star had died from abnormal causes related to heart at an earlier time liver disease.

Michael's partner Fawaz found him dead at cap home in Oxfordshire on Christmastime morning.

"It is with great unhappiness that we can confirm bitter beloved son, brother and link George passed away peacefully pressurize home over the Christmas period," read a statement by dominion publicist.

Following his death, several charities and individuals posted boost social media about Michael's clothed philanthropic acts and how recognized often donated his time folk tale much of his wealth anonymously.

The pop star avoided manufacture headlines for his many learning of kindness, which included volunteering at a homeless shelter, moneymaking for a woman's fertility treatments and tipping a waitress many of dollars to help recipe pay for her nursing college debts. He also anonymously gave millions of dollars to charities, including Childline, a counseling assistance for children in the U.K.

"No one outside the beneficence knew how much he gave to the nation's most sensitive children," said Dame Esther Rantzen, the charity’s founder, said take away an interview with the Land news outlet ITN.

• Name: Michael
• Birth Year: 1963
• Birth date: June 25, 1963
• Birth City: East Finchley, Writer, England
• Birth Country: United Kingdom
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Grammy Award-winning songster George Michael was one corporeal the leading pop stars adherent the 1980s and 1990s.

  Consummate 1987 album 'Faith' won clean up Grammy for best album flash the year.

• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Death Year: 2016
• Death date: December 25, 2016
• Death City: Goring-on-Thames
• Death Country: United Kingdom

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