George Michael (sometimes stylised George Michæl; born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, 25 June 1963) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Michael rose to superstardom during the 1980s and 1990s with his style of post-disco dance-pop. He has also been characterised as a blue-eyed soul singer, although his material draws more from middle-of-the-road pop than soul music.
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Full Name: Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Description: Vocalist, UK
Known For: Album – “Patience” – 2004
Instruments: Voice
Music Styles: Rock, Soul
Location: United Kingdom
Date Born: 25th June 1963
Location Born: London, United Kingdom
CONTACT DETAILS
Web Site: http://www.georgemichael.com/
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BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
George Michael
A two time Grammy Award winning, English singer-songwriter, who has had a career as frontman of the duo Wham! as well as a soul-influenced, solo pop musician. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide.
As one of the world’s best-selling music artists, Michael has sold more than 100 million records worldwide as of 2010. His 1987 debut solo album, Faith, has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and made several records and achievements in the United States. Michael has garnered seven number one singles in the UK and eight number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Michael the 40th most successful artist on the Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists list.
Michael has won numerous music awards throughout his 30-year career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male twice, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Ivor Novello Awards, three American Music Awards, and two Grammy Awards from eight nominations.
In 2004, the Radio Academy named Michael as the most played artist on British radio between the period of 1984–2004. The documentary A Different Story was released in 2005; it covered his personal life and professional career. In 2006, George Michael announced his first tour in 15 years, the worldwide 25 Live tour, spanning three individual tours over the course of three years (2006, 2007 and 2008).
Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley, North London. His father, Kyriacos Panayiotou, a Cypriot restaurateur, moved to England in the 1950s and changed his name to Jack Panos. Michael’s mother, Lesley Angold (née Harrison, 1937–1997), was an English dancer. Michael spent the majority of his childhood in Kingsbury, North West London, in the home his parents bought soon after his birth, where he attended Kingsbury High School. While in his early teens, the family moved to Radlett, Hertfordshire. There Michael attended the Bushey Meads School in the neighbouring town of Bushey, where he met Andrew Ridgeley. The two had the same career ambition of being musicians. Michael would busk on the London Underground, performing songs such as “’39” by Queen.
His involvement in the music business began with his working as a DJ, playing at clubs and local schools around Bushey, Stanmore and Watford. This was followed by the formation of a short-lived ska band called The Executive with Ridgeley, Ridgeley’s brother Paul, Andrew Leaver, and David Mortimer (aka David Austin).
It was not until he formed the duo Wham! together with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981 that success came to Michael. The band’s first album, Fantastic, was released going to number 1 in the UK.
With the success of his solo releases “Careless Whisper” 1984 and “A Different Corner” 1986 stories of an impending Wham! split intensified, and Wham! separated in the summer of 1986 after a farewell single, “Edge Of Heaven”, an album, plus a sell-out concert at Wembley Stadium that included the world premiere of the China film. The Wham! partnership officially ended.
The first step of his solo career, in early 1987, was a duet with soul music icon Aretha Franklin. “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” was a one-off project that helped Michael achieve an ambition by singing with one of his favorite artists, and it reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release.
In the UK from three releases, following 1984’s “Careless Whisper” though the single was actually from the Wham! album “Make It Big” and 1986’s “A Different Corner”.
The autumn of 1987 saw the release of Michael’s first solo album, Faith. In addition to playing a large number of instruments on the album, he wrote and produced every track on the recording, except for one, which he co-wrote.
In 1988, Michael embarked on a world tour. Huge success didn’t bring Michael any happiness, as he says in his film, A Different Story.The album “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1” sold around 8 million copies.
George Michael performed at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on April 20, 1992 at London’s Wembley Stadium. In November 1994, at the first edition of the MTV European Music Awards George Michael appeared after a long seclusion, giving a touching performance of a brand-new song, “Jesus to a Child”.
Michael received £1.5 million US$3 million) to perform a 1-hour concert in Moscow for the 300 guests of Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin on the Eve of 2007.
In 2006, George Michael started his first tour in 15 years, 25 Live. The tour, running for 50 dates, began in Madrid, Spain on September 27 and climax at Wembley Arena in Britain in December. According to his website, the tour joined by 1.3 million fans during 80 shows. On June 9, 2007 George became the first artist to perform live at the newly renovated Wembley Stadium in London where he was later fined US$250,000 for overrunning the show for 13 minutes.
On 11 May 2011, the Symphonica Tour was announced. Only European dates were released. The first show on the tour was performed at the Prague State Opera House on 22 August. In November, he had to cancel the remainder of the tour though, as he became severely ill in Vienna, Austria.
In October 2011, Michael was announced as one of the final nominees for the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.
Michael told fans over Twitter in January 2012 that he did not think his vocal cords would be ready for performance “till the summer”, and that the tour will probably take place in September of that year, and may include previously unheard songs.
On 19 June 2012, George Michael released a single “White Light” in order the celebrate the 30 years since the release of Wham Rap. The single also contains a cover version of “Song to the Siren”, and two remixes.
Michael’s album Symphonica was released on 17 March 2014, and became his 7th solo number one album in the UK, and 9th overall including his Wham! chart-toppers. The album was produced by Phil Ramone (his last production credit) and Michael.
At the age of 19, Michael told Andrew Ridgeley and close friends that he was bisexual. Michael also told one of his two sisters, but he was advised by friends not to tell his parents about his sexuality. In a 1999 interview with The Advocate, Michael told the Editor in Chief, Judy Wieder, that it was “falling in love with a man that ended his conflict over bisexuality.” “I never had a moral problem with being gay,” Michael told Wieder. “I thought I had fallen in love with a woman a couple of times. Then I fell in love with a man, and realized that none of those things had been love.” In 2007, Michael said he had hidden the fact he was gay because of worries over what effect it might have on his mother.
Speaking about his time with Wham! in the 1980s, Michael said: “I used to sleep with women quite a lot in the Wham! days but never felt it could develop into a relationship because I knew that, emotionally, I was a gay man. I didn’t want to commit to them but I was attracted to them. Then I became ashamed that I might be using them.” In 2009, Michael said: “My depression at the end of Wham! was because I was beginning to realise I was gay, not bisexual
Two times winner of a Grammy award
Michael should be rated as one of the best.
Albums include.
Studio albums
1987: Faith
1990: Listen without Prejudice, Vol. 1
1996: Older
1999: Songs from the Last Century
2004: Patience