One of the photographs from the 1996 album Older. The album reinforced George Michael’s preferred image as a mature, sophisticated, and thoughtful balladeer.
As half of the “teenybop” duo Wham! George Michael achieved fame and wealth while still a teenager. “Young Guns (Go for It)” reached the Top 10 in 1982, when Michael and Andrew Ridgeley (vocals and guitar) were both 19-year-olds. The duo became known for their extravagant lifestyle and exploited the idolatry of fans. Since dissolving Wham! Michael has worked to re-invent himself as a serious singer-songwriter.
A Londoner of Greek descent, George Michael (b. Georgios Panayiotou, June 1963) formed Executives ′79 with Ridgeley in 1979, and later changed the name to Wham! The duo made several No. 1 hits worldwide between 1982 and 1986. “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” (1984) was their first record to make it to No. 1 in both the U.K. and U.S. Michael also had a solo No. 1 in both the U.K. and U.S. with “Careless Whisper” in 1984, and another solo British No. 1 with “A Different Corner” in 1986.
Michael was becoming increasingly unhappy with the duo’s image and dissolved Wham! in 1986. In 1987, he ventured into soul with Aretha FRANKLIN on “I Knew You Were Waiting,” which reached No. 1 in the U.S. In the same year, he became a fully fledged solo artist with his album, Faith. Introduced by an organ playing a funereal version of “Freedom,” one of Wham!’s biggest hits, the title track became a U.S. No. 1 single. Another hit single, “I Want Your Sex,” was billed as a pro-monogamy message at a time of growing concern about AIDS, although it was banned from several radio stations. Faith sold over 9 million copies in the U.S., and stayed on the charts for 87 weeks. The title of his next album, Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 (1990), appeared to indicate that Michael was still sensitive about being perceived as a pop act. The following year, his duet with Elton JOHN, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” reached No. 1 in the U.S., and Michael donated his royalties to various AIDS charities.
Michael filed a lawsuit in the U.K. in 1993 to try to be released from Sony Entertainment but the ruling went in favour of Sony, leaving Michael to pay court costs of approximately $4.8 million. In mid-1995, however, he signed with Dreamworks SKG in the U.S., and with Virgin Records in the rest of the world.
One of the photographs from the 1996 album Older. The album reinforced George Michael’s preferred image as a mature, sophisticated, and thoughtful balladeer.
In 1996 George Michael was back, and in a contemplative mood, as the title of his next album, Older, suggested. The album reached No. 1 in Britain and No. 6 in the U.S., and featured two hit singles, “Fastlove” and “Jesus to a Child.” Michael’s grasp of songwriting and production techniques continued to provide him with winning songs and he has remained consistently a best-selling artist.
Graham McColl
FURTHER READING
Goodall, Nigel. George Michael: In His Own Words (London: Omnibus Press, 1995).
SUGGESTED LISTENING
Faith; Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1; Older; Wham!: Fantastic; Make It Big.