George Michael Pictures, Biography, Profile, Facts, Discography, Filmography, more.

George Michael is one of the world's greatest and most gifted songwriters, singers and performers. His music ranges from heartbreakingly sad ballads to joyous pop and techno-influenced dance tracks. His lyrics are among the most honest and moving that you will ever hear, highly personal and yet completely universal. His voice is unique - warm and glorious, powerful yet controlled. George's incredible career began in the 1980s with Wham!, and he continues to go from strength to strength as a solo artist with world-wide album sales running into tens of millions.

His brand of over-sexed, white boy soul defined the fantasy life of an entire generation of teenage girls. From the poppy, bubblegum lyricism of Wham! to later, more ambient fare, Michael has always had a finger on the pulse of pop (despite some lengthy hiatuses), sliding his silken vocals into a series of arousing, danceable albums.

Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (George Michael) achieved fame in the duo Wham! in his native U.K. in 1982.

Through 1986, he and his partner, Andrew Ridgeley, scored hit after hit in a variety of styles from rap to up-tempo pop to slow ballads. As songwriter and lead singer, Michael gradually overshadowed the group, and by the time they split, he was ready for a massively successful solo career. This began with the 1987 album Faith, which featured a series of chart-topping hit singles and sold more than seven million copies. That Michael had not achieved a similar critical success was evident from the title of his follow-up album, Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, which must be considered a major commercial disappointment even though it sold a million copies, included two Top Ten hits, and hit number two. With Vol. 2 apparently shelved, Michael contributed several songs to the charity album Red Hot + Dance in 1992, and one of them, "Too Funky," reached the Top 20.

After the failure of Listen Without Prejudice, Michael engaged in a bitter legal battle with his record company, accusing them of not properly promoting the album and asking them to release him from his contract; he stated that he would refuse to release any records if he lost the lawsuit. He lost. After losing an appeal, Michael bought his way out of his Columbia contract and signed with the music division of Dreamworks, a fledgling entertainment corporation founded by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. In 1996, he released Older, its sales clearly hampered by his long hiatus away from performing. In 1998, Michael made tabloid headlines when he was arrested for lewd conduct in a men's public restroom at a park near his Beverly Hills home; following the incident, the singer appeared on CNN and publicly revealed his homosexuality. The covers collection Songs From the Last Century followed in late 1999.

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.

George 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.

Notables:

George Michael was a member of one of the most successful band of the 80s Wham!, but only lasted 5 years as they split in 1986. Wham! had 11 Top 20 hits, 10 Top 10 hits, including 4 no.1s. He re-establised himself as a solo artists and his first three songs were no.1 hits and four more no.1 in the 90s. His songs between 1984 and 1999 included 18 Top 10 hits, 15 of them were Top 5 and overall 7 no.1s, he only had 7 songs out of Top 10. Between 1982 and 1999, he had 11 no.1s, 28 Top 10 hits as a solo artist and as part of Wham!.

George Michael Trivia / Timeline:

Has sung duets with Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Toby Bourke, Mary J. Blige and Whitney Houston.

The first three singles of George Michael's solo career all went to the no. 1 position on the UK chart: "Careless Whisper" (1984), "A Different Corner" (1986) and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987). The latter was a duet with Aretha Franklin.

George Michael enjoyed four British number one singles with Wham: "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" (1984), "Freedom" (1984), "I'm Your Man" (1985) and "The Edge of Heaven" (1986).

Collaborated with Queen and Lisa Stansfield on the British chart-topping "Five Live" (EP) of 1993.

His song "Father Figure" was sampled for PM Dawn's hit "Looking Through Patient Eyes".

He sang on the no. 1 and no. 2 Christmas singles of 1984, Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and Wham's "Last Christmas".

His song with Wham, "Last Christmas", is the best selling British hit never to get to number one, reaching the no. 2 position in December 1984, being re-issued and reaching the no. 6 position the next December and being re-issued again and reaching the no. 45 position in December 1986. It spent a total of 24 weeks on the British chart.

He has contributed two songs to the "Warchild Hope" album (released 21 April 2003); one is a cover of Don McLean's "The Grave" and the other is his own classic "Faith" (a duet with Ms Dynamite).

He was a big fan of "This Morning" (1988) and, on the final episode of the series, he phoned the presenters, Richard and Judy, to thank them live on air and to wish them the best.

His controversial single "Shoot the Dog" (released 2002) had a video that ridiculed Tony Blair, Cherie Blair and George W. Bush.

Played a benefit for striking British miners. [September 1984]

His last performance with Wham! was at Wembley Stadium in June 1986.

He wrote his smash hit single "Careless Whisper" when he was just 17, on a Thursday afternoon in Bushey. He waited until he was 21 before he released it as his first solo single.

He and Andrew Ridgeley wrote "Careless Whisper" on the back of a bus during their school days.

Is of Greek-Cypriot heritage from his father, a restaurant owner, who emigrated to the U.K. from Cyprus, in the 1950s.

His 1990 solo hit "Freedom 90" from the CD "Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1" was so titled to avoid confusion with his previous Wham! hit "Freedom".

Was backing vocals on Andrew Ridgeley's album "Son Of Albert" on tracks "Red Dress" & "Shake". These were the only 2 songs to do well on the charts.

George Michael Quotes:

"Even though it's become a really cliched thing to see musicians working for charity, it's still effective and it still has to be done."

"I do think that Live Aid was a great thing, it focused people, I think it showed young kids the way in many respects and I think a lot of people are still inspired by what happened in the mid-Eighties."

"I still believe that music is one of the greatest gifts that God gave to man."

George Michael Discography:

SEX FIGURE

(Double CD, Leopard LCD 114-2)

CD1

I Want Your Sex

Hard Day

Father Figure

I'm Your Man

Love's In Need Of Love Today

Everything She Wants

A Different Corner

Faith

(Running time 46:05)

CD2

Monkey

Hand To Mouth

Play That Funky Music

One More Try

I Knew You Were Waiting

Careless Whisper

Lady Marmalade

I Want Your Sex

(Running time 50:06)

EVERYTHING YOU WANT

(CD, Backstage BKCD 014)

Hard Day

Everything She Wants

I'm Your Man

A Different Corner

Love's In Need Of Love Today

Father Figure

One More Try

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)

Careless Whisper

Lady Marmalade

I Want Your Sex

(Running time 72:05)

GEORGE MICHAEL LIVE

(CD, SW 109)

I Want Your Sex

Hard Day

Father Figure

I'm Your Man

Love's In Need Of Love Today

Everything She Wants

A Different Corner

Faith

(Running time 46:06)

'PEOPLE' BY 'YOG & THE SEX BAND'

(7" single, MJK Revenge Records)

I'M YOUR MAN

(CD, Backstage BKCD 070)

Papa Was A Rolling Stone

Father Figure

Fame

Ain't No Stopping Us Now

Back To Life

Somebody Told Me

Ain't Nobody

Careless Whisper

I'm Your Man

Freedom

(Running time 61:18)

WELCOME TO MUSIC ROAD - GEORGE MICHAEL

(CD, Spider Glass SGCD 003/2) and

PRAYING FOR FAITH

(CD, AAF)

GEORGE MICHAEL LIVE IN U.S.A. '92

(12" vinyl picture disc, Onstage Records ON PD/2224)

Side A

I'm Your Man

Careless Whipser

Father Figure

(Running time 18:54)

Side B

Fame

Ain't Nobody

Killer / Papa Was A Rolling Stone

(Running time 18:50)

WHISPERS OF GEORGE

ULTRA RARE TRAX

(CD, Lost Cause, GM Music CD 001)

I Want Your Sex

Love's In Need Of Love Today

If You Were My Woman

Hard Day

Crazy Man Dance

Careless Whisper

Too Jazzy

Too Funky

Do You really Want To Know

Careless Whisper (Wexler Mix)

Everything She Wants

Last Christmas

(Running time 74:12)

COVERIN

(CD, COW 108)

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)

Lady Marmelade

Love's In Need Of Love Today

Recorded live in Paris during the Faith Tour, 1988.

Medley: Killer / Papa Was a Rolling Stone

FameAin't No Stopping Us Now

Back To Life

Ain't Nobody

Recorded live in U.S.A., 1991.

"39"

These Are The Days Of our Live

Somebody To Love

(Running time 57:32)

THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL

(Cassette, UNISON)

Somebody To Love

I Want Your Sex

Careless Whisper

Young Guns

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Freedom 90

Killer / Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

Faith

They Won't Go When I Go

Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)

Monkey

Last Christmas (Pudding Mix)

(Running time 72:40)

GEORGE MICHAEL - THE VERY BEST

(CD, 2 5677 2930 4)

Killer / Papa Was A Rolling Stone

Careless Whisper

Faith

Last Christmas

Father Figure

Too Funky

I Want Your Sex (Part 1)

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)

These Are The Days Of Our Lives

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Somebody To Love

Freedom '90

Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)

(Running time 74:02)

FREE FOR LOVE

(CD, KTS 638)

Everything She Wants

You Have Been Loved

Fast Love

Praying For Time

I Can't Make You Love Me

Freedom '90

Father Figure

The Strangest Thing

Star People

(Running time 53:04)

FREEDOM

(Double CD, STAR 039/40)

CD1 - THE CONCERT

Everything She Wants

You Have Been Loved

Fast Love

Praying For Time

I Can't Make You Love Me

Freedom

Father Figure

The Strangest Thing

Introductions

Star People

CD2 -- THE INTERVIEW

The Complete Interview

(Running time 55:44)

UNPLUGGED AND MORE

(CD)

Freedom

Fast Love

I Can't Make You Love Me

Father Figure

You Have Been Loved

Everything She Wants

Praying For Time

Star People

Recorded live, MTV Unplugged, Autumn 1996.

Father Figure

The Strangest Thing

Band Intros

Star People

Everything She Wants

(Running time 72:13)

ACOUSTIC

(CD)

Freedom '90

Fastlove

I Can't Make You Love Me

Father Figure

You Have Been Loved

Everything She Wants

Praying For Time

Star People

(Running time 45:17)

UNPLUGGED

(CD)

Freedom

Fastlove

I Can't Make You Love Me

Father Figure

You Have Been Loved

Everything She Wants

Praying For Time

Star People

Recorded at Three Mills Island Studios in London, England, on October 11th 1996.

Bonus Tracks

Interview

Taped in October 1996.

Star People

Live at the 1996 MTV Europe Music Awards in London on November 14th 1996.

(Running time 72:02)

UNPLUGGED

(CD, Togal Records)

Freedom

Fastlove

I Can't Make You Love Me

Father Figure

You Have Been Loved

Everything She Wants

Praying For Time

Star People Bonus Tracks

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

You Know That I Want To

Safe

Spinning The Wheel (Forthright Edit)

(Running time 65:57)

George Michael Filmography:

As Director:

The Best of Wham! (2000) (V) (video "Where Did Your Heart Go?")

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael (1999) (V) (videos "I Want Your Sex", "Father Figure")

George Michael: Faith (1988) (V)

As Composer:

"80s" (2005) TV Series (song "Faith") (song "I Want Your Sex")

George Michael: A Different Story (2005) (original music)

Zoolander (2001) (song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go") ... aka Zoolander (Germany)

The Best of Wham! (2000) (V) Charlie's Angels (2000) (song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go") ... aka 3 Engel für Charlie (Germany)

Very Bad Things (1998) (song "Faith")

Red Shoe Diaries 13: Four on the Floor (1996) (V) (title track) (episode "Emily's Dance")

Bitter Moon (1992) (song "Faith") ... aka Lunes de fiel (France)

"Red Shoe Diaries" (1992) TV Series (title track) (episode "Emily's Dance")

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) (song "I Want Your Sex")

Wham!: The Video (1985) (V)