George Michael
George Michael (born June 25, 1963) is a British pop singer/songwriter born in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Wham!Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, Michael began his career by forming a band called 'The Executives' together with Andrew Ridgeley. The band didn't survive for long though. It wasn't until he formed the duo Wham! together again with his best friend Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s that the success came for the band. Their first album, 'Fantastic', was an instant success and within a year they had released their classic debut single, Wham Rap, while their second single, Young Guns (Go For It!) became the first in a string of Top 10 hits. They were rapidly followed by titles such as Club Tropicana, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Careless Whisper, Last Christmas, Everything She Wants, I'm Your Man, and many more. Michael also sang on the original Band Aid recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas and donated the profits from 'Last Christmas' to the charity. After the success of his solo releases "Careless Whisper" and "Different Corner" stories of an impending split intensified. After a series of sell-out concerts at Wembley in 1986 the band was ended. Solo careerSome of his biggest hit singles as a solo artist include the single "Faith" (taken from his debut album Faith that not only became No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic but also resulted in stunning 6 No.1 singles in America) and many more. "Careless Whisper" (written when he was 17) became one of the most played songs of the decade and voted Londoner's Favourite record of all time in January 1995 in a competition run jointly by the capital's leading evening newspaper and radio station. He was then also voted Best Male Singer by the same radio station and by the readers of a national newspaper. Some of his other hits include "Father Figure", "One More Try", "Freedom 90", "Fastlove", "Jesus To A Child", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (a duet with Elton John), 2002's "Freeek!" and "Shoot The Dog". His work covers a variety of pop styles, from ballads to funky dance tracks. In a career spanning more than 20 years, George Michael has been responsible for more than 80 million album sales. Having decided to release his new material through a number of labels on a single-by-single basis, George found a home at Sony for his new, highly anticipated album Patience. It was released in March 2004 after two unstellar singles came out on Polydor and it debuted at number one on the UK album charts and number 2 in Australia. NotorietyMichael was involved in a court case concerning his record contract after his record company CBS was taken over by Sony. Amongst Michael's complaints was that Sony had not fully supported the release of his second solo album resulting in its poor performance in the US compared to "Faith". Sony responded that Michael had refused to appear in promotional videos and it was this that had caused the poor response to the album. The case was heard in London and was found against Michael. As a consequence Michael declared he would not release any new material until he had completed the minimum of his contractual obligations to Sony. Michael is also well known for his 1998 arrest for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public restroom in a Beverly Hills city park. He was arrested by an undercover Beverly Hills police officer named Marcelo Rodriguez.
After pleading "no contest" to the charge, Michael was fined $810 and sentenced to 80 hours of community service. After that incident, he became open about his homosexuality. Soon afterwards, Michael made a video for his single "Outside" which was clearly based on the public restroom incident and which featured men dressed up as policemen kissing. Rodriguez, the police officer, claimed that this video "mocked" him, and also that Michael had slandered him in interviews, and in 1999 filed a ten million dollar lawsuit in California against the singer. The court dismissed the case on the grounds related to the officer's status as a kind of public official, but an appeals court reinstated the case on December 3, 2002. George has often taken a public political stance. George Michael sang as part of Band Aid on the charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for famine relief in Ethiopia and Wham! played at Live Aid in 1985. In the 1980s, George Michael was very critical of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government and its cruise missile alliance with the United States. George said that he felt bad, since through his taxes he was paying for these weapons, yet was obliged to never dodge his tax obligations to his home country. In December 2004 Elton John stated in an interview that he believed George Michael should 'get out more'. As both John and Michael were openly gay and had performed together on several occasions many were surprised at the public spat. In an open letter response Michael claimed he and Elton were not good friends and that John had little knowledge of his personal life other than what he might glean from gossip. Future careerGeorge Michael announced that Patience will be the last record on sale to the public. He told BBC Radio 1 on March 10, 2004 that future music that he puts out will be available for download with fans encouraged to make a donation to charity. He said: "I've been very well remunerated for my talents over the years so I really don't need the public's money. I'd like to have something on the Internet which is a charitable download site where anyone can download my music for free. I'll have my favourite charities up there and people will hopefully donate to that." He states that the decision will put less pressure to produce a new album every so often and allow him to have more of a private life with his partner Kenny Goss. DiscographyAlbums
Hit singles
This page about George Michael includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about George Michael News stories about George Michael External links for George Michael Videos for George Michael Wikis about George Michael Discussion Groups about George Michael Blogs about George Michael Images of George Michael |
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He states that the decision will put less pressure to produce a new album every so often and allow him to have more of a private life with his partner Kenny Goss. This would be Miller's last great commercial success; a series of collections, live albums and attempts to find a new style would appear sporadically, but by the early 1990s Miller had given up on producing records altogether. I'll have my favourite charities up there and people will hopefully donate to that.". Sales were disappointing, however, and in 1982 he returned to the pop formula with another hit album, Abracadabra. I'd like to have something on the Internet which is a charitable download site where anyone can download my music for free. On the heels of this massive success, Miller took a long hiatus from recording and touring, emerging in 1981 with Circle of Love, an ambitous album possibly intended to appease critics of his new style. He said: "I've been very well remunerated for my talents over the years so I really don't need the public's money. This pair of albums represented the peak of Miller's commercial career, both reaching the top echelons of the album charts and spawning a seemingly-endless series of hit singles, including "Rock 'N' Me", "Take the Money and Run", "Jet Airliner", and "Jungle Love". While critics lambasted Miller for abandoning his more ambitious approach and socially-aware lyrics in favor of simple pop-rock and derivative blues tunes, fans gravitated towards the catchy, melodic songs in great numbers, and the Steve Miller Band co-headlined a major stadium tour with The Eagles in 1977. He told BBC Radio 1 on March 10, 2004 that future music that he puts out will be available for download with fans encouraged to make a donation to charity. Miller followed up The Joker with Fly Like an Eagle in 1976 and Book of Dreams in 1977. George Michael announced that Patience will be the last record on sale to the public. Miller was now handling all lead vocals; his limited vocal range actually made the songs more radio-friendly and accessible. In an open letter response Michael claimed he and Elton were not good friends and that John had little knowledge of his personal life other than what he might glean from gossip. 1973's The Joker marked the start of the second phase of Miller's career: more pop-oriented and simplistic, the album featured a number one hit in the title track as well as several other popular tunes. As both John and Michael were openly gay and had performed together on several occasions many were surprised at the public spat. Scaggs would leave the band after a couple of albums with vocal chores taken over by drummer Tim Davis; Miller himself would begin singing occasional lead on 1969's Brave New World. These albums performed respectably on the album charts but failed to yield a hit. In December 2004 Elton John stated in an interview that he believed George Michael should 'get out more'. In 1968, Miller formed the Steve Miller Band, with Scaggs handling vocals, and released an album, Children of the Future, the first in a series of discs rooted solidly in the psychedelic blues style that dominated the San Francisco music scene at the time. George said that he felt bad, since through his taxes he was paying for these weapons, yet was obliged to never dodge his tax obligations to his home country. The next school year Ben Sidran was added to the Ardells as a keyboardist. In the 1980s, George Michael was very critical of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government and its cruise missile alliance with the United States. Miller taught Boz Scaggs some chords, and Scaggs joined the Ardells the next year. George Michael sang as part of Band Aid on the charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for famine relief in Ethiopia and Wham! played at Live Aid in 1985. He formed a new band called The Ardells. George has often taken a public political stance. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the 1960s. The court dismissed the case on the grounds related to the officer's status as a kind of public official, but an appeals court reinstated the case on December 3, 2002. Steve Miller (born October 5, 1943) is a blues and rock and roll guitarist and performer. Rodriguez, the police officer, claimed that this video "mocked" him, and also that Michael had slandered him in interviews, and in 1999 filed a ten million dollar lawsuit in California against the singer. Hayley Hibarger's the best!!, 2003 compilation. Soon afterwards, Michael made a video for his single "Outside" which was clearly based on the public restroom incident and which featured men dressed up as policemen kissing. "Born 2B Blue", 1989 single. After that incident, he became open about his homosexuality. "Willow Weep For Me", 1989 single. After pleading "no contest" to the charge, Michael was fined $810 and sentenced to 80 hours of community service. "Mary Ann", 1989 single. He was arrested by an undercover Beverly Hills police officer named Marcelo Rodriguez. "God Bless The Child", 1988 single. Michael is also well known for his 1998 arrest for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public restroom in a Beverly Hills city park. "Ya Ya", 1988 single. As a consequence Michael declared he would not release any new material until he had completed the minimum of his contractual obligations to Sony. Born 2B Blue, 1988 album
Michael was involved in a court case concerning his record contract after his record company CBS was taken over by Sony. "Behind The Barn", 1986 single. It was released in March 2004 after two unstellar singles came out on Polydor and it debuted at number one on the UK album charts and number 2 in Australia. "Maelstrom", 1986 single. Having decided to release his new material through a number of labels on a single-by-single basis, George found a home at Sony for his new, highly anticipated album Patience. "I Want To Make The World Turn Around", 1986 single. In a career spanning more than 20 years, George Michael has been responsible for more than 80 million album sales. Living in the 20th Century, 1986 album
His work covers a variety of pop styles, from ballads to funky dance tracks. "Bongo Bongo", 1985 single. Some of his other hits include "Father Figure", "One More Try", "Freedom 90", "Fastlove", "Jesus To A Child", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (a duet with Elton John), 2002's "Freeek!" and "Shoot The Dog". "Shangri-La", 1984 single. He was then also voted Best Male Singer by the same radio station and by the readers of a national newspaper. Italian X Rays, 1984 album
Some of his biggest hit singles as a solo artist include the single "Faith" (taken from his debut album Faith that not only became No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic but also resulted in stunning 6 No.1 singles in America) and many more. "Winter Time", 1979 single. After a series of sell-out concerts at Wembley in 1986 the band was ended. "True Fine Love", 1978 single. After the success of his solo releases "Careless Whisper" and "Different Corner" stories of an impending split intensified. "Jungle Love", 1978 single. Michael also sang on the original Band Aid recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas and donated the profits from 'Last Christmas' to the charity. "Swingtown", 1978 single. They were rapidly followed by titles such as Club Tropicana, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Careless Whisper, Last Christmas, Everything She Wants, I'm Your Man, and many more. "The Stake", 1977 single. Their first album, 'Fantastic', was an instant success and within a year they had released their classic debut single, Wham Rap, while their second single, Young Guns (Go For It!) became the first in a string of Top 10 hits. "Jet Airliner", 1977 single. It wasn't until he formed the duo Wham! together again with his best friend Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s that the success came for the band. Book of Dreams, 1977 album
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, Michael began his career by forming a band called 'The Executives' together with Andrew Ridgeley. "Dance, Dance, Dance", 1977 single. George Michael (born June 25, 1963) is a British pop singer/songwriter born in Bushey, Hertfordshire. "Fly Like An Eagle", 1977 single. 2004 "Round Here" #32 UK. "Serenade", 1976 single. 2004 "Flawless (Go to the City)" #8 UK. "Take The Money And Run", 1976 single. 2004 "Amazing" #4 UK. "Rock 'N' Me", 1976 single. 2002 "Shoot the Dog" #12 UK. Fly Like an Eagle, 1976 album
2000 "If I Told You That" (with Whitney Houston) #9 UK. "The Joker", 1974 single. from Greatest Hits (Whitney Houston album)
1998 "Outside" #2 UK. from Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
George Michael) #10 UK. 1997 "Waltz Away Dreaming" (Toby Bourke feat. non-album single
1997 "Older/I Can Make You Love Me" #3 UK. 1996 "Spinning the Wheel" #2 UK. 1996 "Fast Love" #1 UK, #8 US. 1996 "Jesus to a Child" #1 UK, #7 US. from Older
from Red Hot + Dance various artists charity album
1990 "Freedom 90" #28 UK, #8 US. 1990 "Waiting for That Day" #23 UK, #27 US. 1990 "Praying for Time" #6 UK, #1 US. 1
from Listen without Prejudice, Vol. 1988 "Kissing a Fool" #18 UK, #5 US. 1988 "Monkey" #13 UK, #1 US. 1988 "One More Try" #8 UK, #1 US. 1988 "Father Figure" #11 UK, #1 US. 1987 "Faith" #2 UK, #1 US. 1987 "I Want Your Sex" #3 UK, #2 US. from Faith
1987 "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with Aretha Franklin) #1 US, #1 UK. from Aretha (Aretha Franklin album)
1985 "Last Christmas" (re-issue) #6 UK. 1985 "I'm Your Man" #1 UK, #3 US. from Music from the Edge of Heaven
1984 "Freedom" #1 UK, #3 US (1985 release). 1984 "Careless Whisper" (credited to George Michael solo) #1 UK, #1 US. 1984 "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" #1 UK, #1 US. from Make It Big
1983 "Club Fantastic Megamix" #15 UK. non-album single
1983 "Wham Rap" #8 UK. 1982 "Young Guns (Go For It)" #3 UK. from Fantastic!
Songs from the Last Century (1999) #2 UK, #157 US. Ladies & Gentlemen (Best Of George Michael) (1998) #1 UK, #24 US. Older (1996) #1 UK, #6 US. Five live (with Queen & Lisa Stansfield) (1992) #1 UK (singles chart), #46 US. 1 (1990) #1 UK, #2 US. Listen without Prejudice, Vol. Faith (1987) #1 UK, #1
US. As a solo artist
If You Were There (The Best of Wham) (1997) #4 UK. The Final (1986) (compilation) #2 UK. Music From The Edge of Heaven (1986) #10 US. Make It Big (1984) #1 UK, #1 US. Fantastic (1983) #1 UK, #83 US. As part of Wham!
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