George Michael was rightly considered an icon of popular music in Britain. Although his songs are loved not only in Foggy Albion, but also in almost all countries. Everything to which he tried to make his efforts was distinguished by an inimitable style. And later, his musical compositions completely became classics ... Michael George's biography, personal life, photos will be presented to your attention in the article.
Childhood
George Michael (real name - Georgos Kyriakos Panayiotu) was born in the summer of 1963 in the capital of Great Britain. His father was a Cypriot. At one time, he moved to the shores of Misty Albion and began to work as a restorer. Then he met his wife, a native Englishwoman.
According to the recollections of the singer, he practically did not see his parents because of their employment. That is why the future artist was brought up by his older sisters. Little Yorgos was a very shy and gentle child. In addition, he had certain vision problems. He was forced to wear big glasses. His classmates repeatedly mocked him because of his appearance.
When he was twelve, he seriously thought about the career of a pilot. But after a while he realized that he was not destined to become a pilot.
The beginning of the passion for music
The parents of the future singer forced him to practice the violin. And since he was left-handed, playing this instrument did not bring him much pleasure. But, nevertheless, young Yorgos always tried to repeat and reproduce the melodies he heard. His mother even specially gave him a recording recorder.
In addition, he became interested in modern music, and first of all - records of the group Queen and Elton John. By and large, it was these performers who determined the singer's further style.
And after some time, young Yorgos became close to his classmate named Andrew Ridgeley. On the instructions of teachers, he helped him at school. It was thanks to him that the future singer began to play sports, went on a diet and inserted contact lenses. As a result, after six months, the young man became an impressive dark-haired guy. Along with the new appearance, other hobbies appeared. Friends skipped classes and started giving first performances for casual passers-by in the subway. They mainly performed The Beatles, D. Bowie and E. John. Over time, they began to play their own songs.
The first professional team
A little later, the guys organized their own musical group called The Executive. As a rule, they gave their concerts in small clubs in London and in schools. Unfortunately, this band quickly broke up, but Yorgos and Andrew continued to collaborate and compose. In addition, they have already accumulated several good songs. They recorded demos of their songs and sent them to one of the directories of the record label. As a result, the guys signed a lucrative contract. The musical project was called Wham!
After some time, this musical formation released the first single, which rose to the top lines of the charts. It was then that Yorgos decided to take the pseudonym - George Michael.
On the road to fame
The group instantly became popular. The records were sold in colossal editions. Regular singles, such as I'm Your Man and Last Christmas, cemented their dizzying success. But suddenly, the musicians announced the termination of the project. According to Michael, his producers imposed on him a certain image of a teenager. But he did not consider himself as such.
So the story of Wham! is over. The band’s latest album was called The Final. Critics were flattering to this work. Farewell performance of the team took place in 1986 at the famous Wembley Stadium in London. Then the last single appeared. It was called The Edge of Heaven.
In free swimming
As the biography testifies, George Michael began to engage in solo work when he was still in Wham! It was then that he released two singles.
The composition Careless Whisper was written at the very end of the 70s, but it was not released until 1985. The fans liked the song, and George was recognized as the best author of the year.
The following year, Michael released another ballad, A Different Corner. The single once again climbed to the top of the charts. Then Wham! officially broke up, and the singer announced that he would begin to record serious music.
In the fall of 1987, the debut solo record of the artist appeared on store shelves. She was called Faith. The album became the best-selling album in the United States. After that, George went on a world tour. A little later, the tour was interrupted. Due to problems with the vocal cords, the singer was forced to undergo surgery. Fortunately, this surgical procedure went without consequences.
"War" with the label
According to the biography, singer George Michael in 1990 introduced a new disc. This work, according to critics, was much weaker than Faith. But then it contained two hits. It's about Praying for Time and, of course, Freedom! '90.
Meanwhile, the singer was unhappy with the album's sales and blamed his Sony label. He believed that little was invested in the promotion of the new record. As a result, a “war” broke out between Sony and the performer. For two years, litigation has been going on. In this unpleasant story, the label became the winner. The contract was, of course, lost. In addition, Michael lost the rights to all of his songs that were released on Sony. True, the singer was given the opportunity to redeem them. This started a new label, Dreamworks.
Free again
Freed from the contract with Sony, the singer immediately set to work on a new “studio”. And in 1996, Michael's long-awaited album went on sale. He is called Older. The record was very successful in European countries. Two tracks, namely Fastlove and Jesus To A Child, topped the charts in the UK.
A little later, the singer introduced another single, Freeek! A rather expensive clip was shot for this song. Unfortunately, the investments did not materialize at all, since the composition did not reach the first place even in his native Great Britain.
The long-awaited studio album of the singer appeared in 2004. It is called Patience. The disc was able to rise to the first positions in the charts. Then Michael said that this work is generally the last for public sale. According to him, he decided to leave the recording industry forever. And he intends to distribute his musical compositions for free via the Internet. He also added that now he does not need neither fame nor money ...
Last years
Meanwhile, George Michael continued to compose and record his songs. And in 2010, he went on a European tour. Before the concert in Vienna, the musician felt bad, and subsequent performances were canceled. Doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia. The disease was very difficult. He was literally on the verge of life and death. Fortunately, the singer’s body was able to cope with an insidious disease.
A year later, he specially released the single White Light. In the composition, he talked about what he experienced during his illness and thanked all the people who prayed for his recovery. By the way, he performed White Light, as well as Freedom at the close of the London Summer Olympics.
In the fall, Michael resumed the interrupted tour. And in 2014, a concert album appeared on the shelves of music stores. It's about Symphonica. All songs were recorded during the last round.
The end of the biography of George Michael. Cause of death
George Michael died at the end of December 2016. He was 53. His body was found in his own bed. According to doctors, the musician died of a heart attack. Ironically, the death of a talented artist occurred precisely on Christmas Day, which he sang in his legendary composition Last Christmas. This song became prophetic for him.
George Michael was buried at Highgate Graveyard in the vicinity of the British capital. A few months later it became known that the singer repeatedly found himself in a clinic for drug addicts. The last time he went there in 2015 ...
Philanthropist
As it turned out, the singer has long been a philanthropist. He never advertised his charity work. So, he supported two foundations that provide assistance to HIV-infected and cancer patients. He also transferred his funds to an organization for troubled children.
He donated money to ordinary people who were in a difficult situation. So, in one of the TV shows, he heard about a woman who dreams of becoming pregnant. But she did not have the means to undergo an IVF procedure. A day later, the singer sent her the necessary money.
George Michael Biography: Family, Personal Life
Rumors about the singer’s non-traditional sexual orientation arose a long time ago. But only in 1998, he officially admitted that he was gay. After this loud statement, the real persecution of the singer began. She was arranged by a number of famous tabloids. But when Michael temporarily left the stage, the situation returned to normal.
Meanwhile, it became known that the partner of the performer was a sports coach named Gross. This relationship lasted fifteen years. In 2009, two men broke up. According to media reports, the reason was Michael’s strong addiction to hash.
Since 2011, the singer began to live with Faddy Fawaz. He is from Lebanon. He worked as a hairdresser-stylist. It was he who first found George’s lifeless body on Christmas 2016 ...
Interesting Facts
- For one unofficial concert at the villa of the Russian oligarch, George Michael received $ 3 million.
- In the same year, the singer first visited Kiev and Moscow. These concerts took place during the tour.
- In the fall of 2010, George Michael was detained by police. Guards found marijuana with him. In addition, he drove his car under the influence of drugs. As a result, the singer was sentenced to eight weeks in prison and a large fine.
- Wham! became the first Western group, which in the spring of 1985 was able to organize a series of performances in the Middle Kingdom. It is curious that it was impossible to export currency from the country. Therefore, the musicians wanted to give a fee to bicycles.
- In 2005, at the Berlin Film Festival, the singer presented a documentary called “George Michael. Other story". The script for this film was written by the performer. According to him, he perceives it as a kind of confession. He analyzed his mistakes in it. He also honestly told about his personal life, about the problem of drug addiction and much more.