George Michael

George Michael is an singer, songwriter, and record producer from England. He was a part of the pop band Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley.

• Michael's full name is Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou.
• He was born on 25 June 1963, in East Finchley, London to Kyriacos Panayiotou and Lesley Angold. His father, Kyriacos, was a Greek Cypriot restaurateur in London. He moved to England in the 1950s and changed his name to Jack Panos. His mother, Lesley, was an English dancer.
• Michael is of Greek Cypriot and English ancestry.
• He grew up in Kingsbury area of London. He attended Kingsbury High School and later, Bushey Meads School in Bushey.
• At Bushey Meads School, he became friends with Andrew Ridgeley, with whom he later formed the band, Wham! Growing up, the two always dreamed of becoming musicians.
• Michael used to DJ at clubs and schools around Bushey, Stanmore, and Watford.

Wham!

• While still in school, Michael formed his first band "The Executive" with Andrew Ridgeley, Paul Ridgeley, Andrew Leaver, and David Mortimer.
• After "The Executive", Michael and Ridgeley created Wham! in 1981. They made a homemade tape in Ridgeley's living room and approached various record labels. They signed with Innervision Records for their first album.
• Success came fast with first singles Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) and Young Guns (Go For It!) in 1982.
• Soon after, in 1983, they released their first album 'Fantastic,' which was an overnight success. The album hit the number one spot in the UK that year.
• Their second album in 1984, "Make it Big" made it big internationally quickly. The album had memorable hit singles like Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Careless Whisper, and Freedom.
• In 1985, they toured China and performed in front of 15,000 people. Their fame and success continued to grow non-stop.
• The duo's third and the last studio album - Music from the Edge of Heaven - was released in July 1986. The album had hit singles like I'm Your Man and Last Christmas.

Solo career

• Michael kicked off his solo career in 1987 with a duet with one of his favorite artists, Aretha Franklin. The song I Knew You Were Waiting was an instant success and reached number one spot on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.
• In 1987, he released his debut album "Faith," which was again a worldwide success. It had memorable singles like Faith, Father Figure, and I Want Your Sex. He wrote and produced most of the songs on the album, which was number one in both the US and the UK, and sold over seven million copies.
• The song I Want Your Sex was banned by several radio stations for its suggestive lyrics. In the US, the song was featured on the soundtrack of the movie "Beverly Hills Cop II." Despite the censorship, the song reached number 2 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 and 3 in the UK.
• "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1," his second album, was released in 1990. The album won the award for Best British Album at the 1991 Brit Awards. The album's sales were not as good as his previous albums, and Michael claimed that it was due to Sony's poor marketing. In 1993, Michael took Sony to court over his record contract but lost the battle which cost him millions.
• Next, Michael released his third solo album "Older" in 1996 on Virgin Records label in the UK and DreamWorks Records label in the US. With Older, Michael explored new musical territories in a more serious fashion compared to his previous work. The album was a huge commercial success in the European markets, and had hit singles like Fastlove, Jesus to a Child, and Star People '97.
• Michale followed up Older with his greatest hits compilation albums -- "Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael" in 1998 and "Songs from the Last Century" in 1999. Ladies & Gentlemen stayed at number one spot on the UK Albums Chart for 8 weeks. Songs from the last century met with lukewarm response from the critics and didn't perform as well as his previous works.
• Following a five-year gap, Michael released his fifth studio album "Patience" in 2004. Michael bounced back in style with the album, which reached number one on the UK charts and two in Australia. In the US, the album peaked at number 12 and earned a Gold certification from the RIAA. The album was one of the fastest selling records in the UK and sold over 200,000 copies in the first week alone.

• Michael developed a relationship with Anselmo Feleppa, a Brazilian dress designer. The two had met at the 1991 concert Rock in Rio. Feleppa died in 1993 of an AIDS-related brain hemorrhage. The song "Jesus to a Child" and the album Older were a tribute to Feleppa by Michael.
• In 1996, Michael entered into a long-term relationship with Kenny Goss, a former flight attendant sportswear executive from Dallas. The couple had homes in London and Dallas. Goss had alcohol abuse problems, and Michael encouraged him to be treated at the Arizona clinic for alcohol abuse in June 2004. Their relationship ended in 2009.

• On 26 February 2006, Michael was arrested for possession of cannabis. He was let go by the police after a warning.
• In September 2007, on a radio show Desert Island Discs, he stated his cannabis problem, and his desire to smoke less of it. On 5 December 2009, in an interview with The Guardian, Michael explained he had cut back on cannabis.
• On 19 September 2008, he was arrested in a public toilet in London for possession of Class A and C drugs.

• Faith (1987)
• Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990)
• Five Live (1993)
• Older (1996)
• Songs from the Last Century (1999)
• Patience (2004)
• Symphonica (2014)

Michael died On 25 December 2016 his home in Goring, Oxfordshire, England. He was 53.