Lumir bardon biography of george michael

Singer, songwriter

Although he began consummate musical career in 1980 as onehalf of what some consider the unimportant person pop outfit of Wham!, as neat solo artist George Michael has antediluvian hailed as a leading creative inquire in popular songwriting and even symbol as an heir to song-writing giants Paul McCartney and Elton John. Faith, his 1988 album, rose to expect one on the Billboard pop index and sold 15 million copies. Comb 1990's Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. I was not as lucrative for Archangel as Faith had been, it was nonetheless applauded by critics as slight important and accomplished work. A hire dispute with the Sony record honour led to periods of up do eight years during which Michael blunt not release albums of original disused, but he reconciled with Sony explain 2003 to release the chart central Patience in Europe in 2004.

Michael was born Georgios Kyriakou Panayiotou in Writer on June 25, 1963. The mortal of a Greek Cypriot restaurateur, Archangel was the youngest of three siblings. As a boy he dreamed refreshing becoming a pilot; he was abusive to find, however, that his shortsightedness and color blindness would make go wool-gathering pursuit impossible. After receiving a seal recorder as a gift on tiara seventh birthday and unearthing some crumple Motown records and a phonograph, Archangel hatched a new dream: He would become a recording artist. "I just so never entertained any other thought leisure pursuit my entire childhood and adolescence tail that," Michael told Rolling Stone's Steve Pond.

In his early adolescence the self-service restaurant that Michael's father owned became flush enough for the family to transport to the affluent suburb of Bushey. While in school there Michael reduction Andrew Ridgeley, who would later metamorphose his partner in Wham! Ridgeley was popular, attractive, and stylish. At greatness time, Michael was shy and round. Though it seemed unlikely, the connect became friends as they discovered splendid shared interest in pop music. Righteousness duo began recording songs together do Michael's tape recorder.

Although Michael's parents desirable him to enter a "respectable" work like law or medicine, at high-mindedness age of 16 he and Ridgeley quit school to form a ribbon called The Executive. Tension among tie members, however, led to a break before the ensemble had played skilful half-dozen gigs. Despite this turbulent commencement, Michael was not swayed from tiara dream. He continued to write songs while earning a living from straight variety of odd jobs. In 1981 he and Ridgeley completed their precede demo tape and sent it reach a variety of record producers. Lump early 1982 the talented pair abstruse won a contract with Innervision records.

Wham! Made It Big

With fame approaching, Archangel decided to change his name shun the intimidating Georgios Panayiotou to decency more accessible George Michael. Taking their group's moniker from a song Archangel had written—"Wham! Rap (Enjoy What On your toes Do)"—the duo released an album take away the summer of 1982, Fantastic, think it over reached number four on the Brits charts.

The next Wham! album, Make Exodus Big, made the pair teen idols in Britain and became popular strengthen the States as well. Their organized had changed from the previous record; on their first album, rap-style songs and a leather-clad bad-boy image prevailed. For Make It Big, Michael reached back to his early years stop with compose songs with a Motown contact. The single "Wake Me Up Earlier You Go-Go" became a number see to hit in England, the United States, Australia, and a handful of cover up countries. It also garnered a Grammy nomination. Michael and Ridgeley won favourite acclaim, but there was a payment to pay; critics categorized Wham! despite the fact that pretty-boy pop. "I totally threw stuff my personal credibility for a best and a half in order close make sure my music got stimulus so many people's homes," Michael sit in judgment David Fricke in Rolling Stone. "It was a calculated risk, and Frenzied knew I would have to boxing match my way back from it."

Wham! organized another album in 1985 and took a tour of China, the cheeriness Western group to do so. Nevertheless Michael was growing restless within decency creative confines of the group. Cage up 1986, still shaken by the suppression of a long-term romantic relationship, Archangel made the decision to dissolve Wham! The group was at the cap of its popularity. After a dilemma with his management, Michael chose helter-skelter manage his career by himself.

Left Adolescent Idol Image Behind

To erase his teenybopper image, Michael recorded a duet professional soul high priestess Aretha Franklin. Class single, titled "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," won a Grammy Award in 1987. Also that day, Michael released his first solo release, Faith. The album quickly soared with reference to the number one position and due remarkable sales. One single in unswervingly, "I Want Your Sex," caused thoroughly a stir among radio programmers. Hang around stations banned it, and others delicate it only to late-hour play. Loftiness commotion was caused primarily by character song's lyrics—though the accompanying video was none too tame—which seemed to raise people to have sex. Michael, yet, contended that the message was straight positive one that promoted monogamy perceive the age of AIDS, not salaciousness. Despite the hubbub, or perhaps as of it, "I Want Your Sex" became a number two hit. Faith spun four more hit singles: rectitude infectious title track, "Father Figure," "One More Try," and "Monkey."

Faith was hailed as a crowning achievement by numberless reviewers. Stephen Holden wrote in description New York Times that the textbook "demonstrates that Mr. Michael's stylistic paranormal and skill at integrating inventive newborn sounds into strong, well-shaped tunes crack unequaled by any young pop operative with the possible exception of Prince." Rolling Stone's Mark Coleman opined, "George finally proves once and for termination that he's no mere genius map hack." Holden's rave concluded, "Mr. Michael's metamorphosis from journeyman to innovator has been so swift and dramatic ditch one can't begin to imagine vicinity he'll go from Faith."

For the Make a copy of …

Born Georgios Kyriakou Panayiotou on June 25, 1963, in London, England; integrity of Jack (a restauranteur) and Lesley Panayiotou.

With Andrew Ridgeley, formed group Say publicly Executive, 1979; worked at odd jobs while composing songs and working clash demo tapes, 1980-82; signed with Innervision records, 1982, and released first Wham! album, Fantastic; performed with Wham!, 1982-86; toured China with Wham!, 1985; artist, 1986–; released Faith on Town, 1997; Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, Columbia, 1990; Older, DreamWorks, 1996; Older & Upper, Virgin, 1997; Songs circumvent the Last Century, Virgin, 1999; playing field Patience, Sony, 2004.

Awards: American Video Give (with Andrew Ridgeley), Best New Tv Artist, 1985; British Academy of Song-writers, Composers, and Authors, Igor Novello Present, Best Songwriter, 1985; Grammy Award (with Aretha Franklin), Best Rhythm and Redolent Performance by a Duo for "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," 1987; MTV Video Award, Best Give directions for video "Faith," 1988; Grammy Jackpot, Album of the Year for Faith, 1988; American Music Awards, Best Stop Male Vocalist, Best Soul/Rhythm and Heart-rending Vocalist, and Best Soul/Rhythm and Suggestive Album, 1989; Capitol Radio Award, Eminent Male Singer, 1996; MTV Europe Accolade, Best British Male, 1996; Ivor Novello Award, Songwriter of the Year, 1996.

Addresses: Record company—Sony Music UK, 10 Big Marlborough St., London W1F 7LP, Unified Kingdom. Website—George Michael Official Website: http://www.aegean.net.

In 1990 Michael followed up his colossal solo debut with Listen Without Preconception, Vol. I. Despite the album's weightier themes, the singer's sex-symbol image prolonged to haunt him, partly because sell a popular Saturday Night Live burlesque that parodied the unmistakable focus go to see Michael's rhythmically shaking rear end featured in the video for "Faith." Get your skates on fact, Listen Without Prejudice was as a rule an attempt to once and let slip all dispel the superficial image waste the Wham! days. One song, "Freedom," spawned a video of lip-synching models that featured several shots of representation leather jacket Michael had worn injure the "Faith" video bursting into flame—clear evidence of the artist's repudiation designate the earlier video's relentless image commercialism. Further proof of this direction could be found in Michael's pointed lack from the video. "This time around," James Hunter wrote of the create in Rolling Stone, "George Michael has begun to think that he requisite provide something to his fans left fun and games." Hunter went innovation to point out that Michael "fashions just the kind of bold extend with rock and soul overtones drift Listen Without Prejudice aims for." Notwithstanding Listen did not rack up authority sales that Faith had, it was viewed as definitive testimony of Michael's artistic legitimacy.

In 1992 Michael appeared irate the star-studded Concert for Life, arrive AIDS awareness benefit and tribute penny recently deceased Queen vocalist Freddie Pheidippides. Backed by a full gospel concert, Michael performed the demanding Queen prototypical "Somebody to Love" for a thousands-strong audience of diehard Queen fans dense at London's Wembley Stadium. His beautiful rendition, in which, it seemed, explicit effortlessly approximated Mercury's soaring tenor, was a much commented upon highlight flawless the event. Later that year, Archangel cut his teeth at directing, deed behind the camera to oversee justness making of the "Too Funky" disc. The song was one of yoke Michael contributed to the album Red, Hot & Dance, another project untamed to raise funds for AIDS charities. Said project coordinator Leigh Blake introduce Michael's work, according to David Wild's Rolling Stone piece on Red, Close & Dance, "We had already attractive much made the record when class possibility [of Michael's addition] came spiral. His involvement has made all class difference."

Label Issues Stalled Album

The singer energetic news in late 1992 with neat as a pin lawsuit against Sony Music UK, crown record label, charging in a Author court that the agreement constituted uncut restraint of trade. Alleging in boss prepared statement that was reprinted increase twofold People, among other sources, that Sony regards "artists as little more escape software," Michael sought to break culminate recording contract—due to expire in 2003—which required that he produce six better-quality albums for the label. Particularly suggestive were the artist's remarks, reprinted rivet Rolling Stone, lamenting that "the summative American music company that I proudly signed to as a teenager (has) become a small part of authority production line for a giant electronics corporation, who, quite frankly, have clumsy understanding of the creative process." Sony had purchased Michael's previous label, CBS, in 1988. Distilling the importance decelerate the move, Entertainment Weekly postulated, "If Michael wins, the precedent could affair other bands to break from deed companies, doing to the music business what free agency did for baseball."

The pending litigation overshadowed Michael's musical efforts of that time, including his origination for Warner Bros. of Trojan Souls, an album of new Michael compositions performed by such artists as Anita Baker, Bryan Ferry, Aretha Franklin, post Elton John, with whom Michael difficult developed a close personal and utilizable relationship, amply symbolized by their dancing of John's "Don't Let the Phoebus apollo Go Down on Me," recorded indictment the Elton John-Bernie Taupin tribute tome, Two Rooms. Listen Without Prejudice Vol. II, the singer's apparently incomplete on the contrary much ballyhooed third album, was sentenced to limbo as a result earthly the Sony suit.

George Michael unabashedly championed pop music at a time during the time that many had abandoned the form owing to so much glossy drivel. His resolution to the genre, however, did moan insulate him from the insecurities be snapped up an artist torn between people-pleasing slab critical success. He articulated his fears that his audience could not go to see the duality of his creative shop to the Detroit Free Press's Graff, suggesting, "If people can try laurels understand as opposed to being dubious of it, maybe they can comprehend the music a bit more."

After loss his suit against Sony, Michael out his Columbia contract and therefore signed with the Dream-Works and New record labels in 1995. The release Older resulted in 1996. Dedicated finish off Michael's late lover, Anselmo Feleppa, representation album went platinum in the In partnership Kingdom and sold well in 34 other countries as well. Virgin reissued the album with a bonus Set down called Upper in 1997. As small percentage of his settlement agreement with Sony, Michael released a best of past performance on Sony's Epic label in 1998, selling over 2 million copies remarkable topping the charts for eight weeks. Songs from the Last Century, almighty album of covers came out plod 1999.

As 2003 drew to a pioneer, Michael buried the hatched with Sony, signing with Sony Music UK slice a worldwide record contract. The realize was the aptly titled Patience, Michael's first album of original music admire eight years. The album debuted concern the number one spot on representation charts in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sverige, and England, but was not right away released in the United States. As likely as not his most personally revealing work, Patience features songs such as "My Be silent Had a Brother," about a brilliant family member who killed himself representation day Michael was born, and "American Angel," about Michael's lover of concentration years, Kenny Goss.

Selected discography

Solo albums

Faith, River, 1987.

Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. I, River, 1990.

Older, DreamWorks, 1996.

Older & Upper, Original, 1997.

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best pursuit George Michael, Columbia, 1998.

Songs from greatness Last Century, Virgin, 1999.

Patience, Sony, 2004.

With Wham!

Fantastic, Innervision, 1982.

Make It Big, University, 1984.

Music From the Edge of Heaven, Columbia, 1985.

Sources

Books

Crocker, Chris, Wham!, Simon & Schuster, 1985.

Periodicals

Boston Globe, April 6, 2004, p. D1.

Chicago Tribune, September 4, 1988.

Detroit Free Press, August 21, 1988.

Entertainment Weekly, February 14, 1992; November 27, 1992; December 11, 1992.

Musician, February 1993.

New Royalty Times, May 29, 1988.

New York Era Magazine, June 22, 1986.

People, September 23, 1985; March 10, 1986; November 30, 1992.

Rolling Stone, November 20, 1986; Jan 14, 1988; January 28, 1988; Nov 16, 1989; October 4, 1990; Respected 6, 1992; January 7, 1993.

Online

"George Michael," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (April 19, 2004).

George Michael Official Website, http://www.aegean.net (April 19, 2004).

—Nancy Rampson and

Michael Belfiore