George Michael
George Michael performing at Antwerp (2006-08-14)
Background information
Birth name	Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Born	June 25, 1963 (1963-06-25) (age 44)
Origin	London, England
Genre(s)	Pop, Pop rock, Dance-pop, Blue-eyed soul, Rhythm and blues, Funk
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician, producer, arranger, dancer
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Multiple instruments
Voice type(s)	Tenor
Years active	1981-present
Label(s)	Columbia Records, DreamWorks, Virgin, Epic, Sony Music
Associated acts	Wham!
Influences	Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Paul Young, The Temptations, Queen, Marvin Gaye
Website	GeorgeMichael.com
Notable instrument(s)
Piano John Lennon model "Z" Steinway [1]

Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Greek: Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου) (born June 25, 1963) best known as George Michael, is an English^[2] singer-songwriter, who has had a career as frontman of the duo Wham! as well as a soul-influenced, solo pop musician. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Pop rock is a hybrid of Pop music and Rock music that uses catchy pop style with light lyrics over top of guitar-based songs Dance-pop is a style of Electronic dance music and a subgenre of Pop music that evolved from Disco, circa 1981 that combines dance beats with a pop Blue-eyed soul (also known as white soul) is a term used to describe R&B or Soul music performed by white artists Contemporary R&B (also known as R&B, urban) is a Music genre of western Popular music (predominantly American and Canadian Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing In Music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing Music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch such Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. A multi-instrumentalist is a Musician who plays a number of different instruments The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument A voice type is a particular kind of human Singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice See also Musical groups established in 1981 Record labels established in 1981 List of 'years in music' In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company DreamWorks Records was an American Record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary Virgin Records is a British Record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a major global Record label controlled by the Sony Corporation of America, being one of the "big four" record companies "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13 1950 name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) is an Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English pop musician The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Marvin Pentz Gay Jr, known as Marvin Gaye ( April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Singer-songwriter Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a He has sold over 85 million records worldwide, encompassing 12 British #1 singles, 7 British #1 albums, 10 US #1 singles, and 2 US #1 albums. His 1987 debut solo album, Faith, has sold over 20 million copies to date^[3]. Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records. George Michael has been the most played artist on British radio over the past two decades. ^[4]

Contents 1 Musical career (pre-solo) 1.1 Wham! 2 Solo career 2.1 Faith 2.2 The Faith World Tour 2.3 Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1 2.4 The Non-Release of Listen Without Prejudice Vol.2 2.5 Five Live 2.6 Older 2.7 Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael 2.8 Songs from the Last Century 2.9 Patience 2.10 Twentyfive 2.11 Life after Twenty Five 3 Personal life 3.1 Sexuality 3.1.1 Los Angeles incident 3.2 Drugs 3.3 Politics 3.4 Charity 3.5 Residences 3.6 Memoirs 4 Discography 4.1 Albums 4.1.1 Studio albums 4.1.2 Compilation albums 4.1.3 Live albums 4.2 Number-one songs 4.2.1 U.S. number one singles (10) 4.2.2 UK number one singles (12) 5 Awards 6 See also 7 Footnotes 8 External links 8.1 Press articles

Musical career (pre-solo)

Wham!

Main article: Wham!

It was not until he formed the duo Wham! together with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981 that success came to Michael. "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. Andrew John Ridgeley (born 26 January 1963) is an English pop Singer, Guitarist and environmentalist. The band's first album, Fantastic, was released going to number 1 in the UK, and within a year, they had released their classic debut single, "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)". Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do was a song by British pop duo Wham!, released in 1983 on Innervision Records. Their second single, "Young Guns (Go For It!)", became the first in a string of Top 10 hits in the UK singles chart. " Young Guns (Go For It! " was a song by British pop duo Wham! which was released in 1982 on Innervision Records. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry They followed with titles such as "Bad Boys", and "Club Tropicana". Bad Boys was a song by British pop duo Wham! which was a hit in 1983. Club Tropicana is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released in 1983 on Innervision Records. Their second album Make It Big was their breakthrough, eventually selling 6 million copies in the US alone and made them international superstars. Make It Big is the second album from British pop duo Wham!, released in 1984 Singles from that album included "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Freedom", "Last Christmas/Everything She Wants", "Smooth Criminal" and "Careless Whisper", which was released as a Michael solo effort. " Freedom " was a song by British pop duo Wham! in 1984, becoming the group's second UK #1 hit " Last Christmas " is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984 on a double A-side with " Everything She " Everything She Wants " was a song by British pop duo Wham!, released in 1984 on Epic Records on a double A-side with " Last Christmas " Smooth Criminal " is the seventh single from Michael Jackson 's Bad album (1987 " Careless Whisper " is a 1984 single by Wham!, released by Epic Records in the UK Japan and other countries and by Columbia Records in

George also sang on the original Band Aid recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas" and donated the profits from "Last Christmas/Everything She Wants" to the charity. Band Aid was a British and Irish charity supergroup, founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in order to raise money " Do They Know It's Christmas? " is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 specifically to raise money for relief of 1984–1985 famine A charitable trust is a trust established for charitable purposes and is a more specific term than " charitable organisation " In addition, he added background vocals to David Cassidy's 1985 hit "The Last Kiss", as well as Elton John's 1985 hits "Nikita" and "Wrap Her Up". David Bruce Cassidy (born April 12, 1950) is an American prolific character actor of stage Singer and Guitarist. " Nikita " is a song by English singer Elton John about the Cold War from his 1985 album Ice on Fire. "Wrap Her Up" is a song on English pop-rock performer Elton John 's 1985 album Ice on Fire.

Wham!'s tour of China in April 1985, the first visit to China by a Western pop act, generated enormous worldwide media coverage, much of it centred on Michael. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) The tour was documented by celebrated film director Lindsay Anderson and producer Martin Lewis in their film Foreign Skies: Wham! In China and contributed to Michael's ever-widening fame. Lindsay Gordon Anderson ( April 17 1923 — August 30 1994) was an Indian born English Feature film, Theatre This article is about Martin Lewis - the British-born humorist/writer/producer/TV and radio host

With the success of his solo releases "Careless Whisper" (1984) and "A Different Corner" (1986) stories of an impending Wham! split intensified, and Wham! separated in the summer of 1986 after a farewell single, "Edge Of Heaven", an album, plus a sell-out concert at Wembley Stadium that included the world premiere of the China film. " Careless Whisper " is a 1984 single by Wham!, released by Epic Records in the UK Japan and other countries and by Columbia Records in See also Events January 21 - " Relax " by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart it " A Different Corner " was a song written and performed by George Michael which was released on Epic Records in 1986 See also Musical groups established in 1986 Record labels established in 1986 Events January This article is on the film by Fatih Akın. For the song by Wham!, see " The Edge of Heaven " original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the The Wham! partnership officially ended with the little-known single "Where Did Your Heart Go?", which reached a peak position of #50 on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1986.

Solo career

George Michael desired to create music targeted to a more sophisticated audience than the duo's primarily teenage fanbase. The first step of his solo career, in early 1987, was a duet with soul music icon Aretha Franklin. Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" was a one-off project that helped Michael achieve an ambition by singing with one of his favorite artists, and it reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release.

For Michael, it became his third consecutive solo number-one in the UK from three releases, following 1984's "Careless Whisper" (though the single was actually from the Wham! album "Make It Big") and 1986's "A Different Corner". " Careless Whisper " is a 1984 single by Wham!, released by Epic Records in the UK Japan and other countries and by Columbia Records in Make It Big is the second album from British pop duo Wham!, released in 1984 " A Different Corner " was a song written and performed by George Michael which was released on Epic Records in 1986 The single was also the first Michael had recorded as a solo artist which he had not written himself. The co-writer, Simon Climie, was an unknown at the time, although he would go on to have success as a performer with the band Climie Fisher in 1988. Simon Climie (born 7 April 1960, in Fulham, London) is a prolific songwriter the former lead Singer of the 1980s UK Climie Fisher were a UK pop duo formed by vocalist Simon Climie (born 7 April 1960) and former Naked Eyes With this song, George won a Grammy Award in 1988 for Best R&B Performance - Duo or Group with Vocal. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

Faith

Main article: Faith (George Michael album)

The summer of 1987 saw the release of Michael's first solo release, Faith. Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records. In addition to playing a large number of instruments on the album, he wrote and produced every track on the recording, except for one, which he co-wrote.

The first single released from the album Faith was "I Want Your Sex", in the summer of 1987. Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records. " I Want Your Sex " was a single released from both the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II and George Michael 's Faith The song was banned by many radio stations in UK and USA, due to its sexually suggestive lyrics. MTV would air the video, featuring celebrity make-up artist Kathy Jeung in a basque and suspenders, only during the late night hours. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. A torsolette (also known as a basque) is a short Corselette covering the chest to the waist line Michael argued that the act was a beautiful thing if the sex was monogamous. Michael even recorded a brief prologue for the video in which he said: "This song is not about casual sex". One of the racier scenes attacked involved Michael writing the words "explore monogamy" on his partner's back in lipstick. Some radio stations played a toned-down version of the song, "I Want Your Love," which was mainly the word "love" replacing "sex. " When the tune reached the US charts, American Top 40 host Casey Kasem refused to say the song's title, referring to it only as "the new single by George Michael". American Top 40 (commonly abbreviated to AT40) is an internationally- syndicated, independent Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem, (born on April 27 1932, in Detroit Michigan) is an American Radio personality and Voice In the US, the song was also sometimes listed as "I Want Your Sex (from 'Beverly Hills Cop II')", since the song was featured on the movie's soundtrack.

Despite censorship and airplay issues, "I Want Your Sex" reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on the week of August 8, 1987. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Moreover, the single remained in the Top 10 for six weeks and the Top 40 for a total of fourteen weeks. The song charted at #3 in Britain. In 2002, several years after the major controversy that followed the release of the song, the music video was featured at #3 on MTV's countdown of the most controversial videos in the channel's history.

The second single, "Faith", was released in October 1987, just a few weeks before the album. " Faith " is a number-one song written and performed by George Michael and released on Columbia Records from his album of the same title "Faith" would go on to become one of his most popular songs. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA and hit #2 in the UK singles chart. The famous video provided some definitive images of the 1980s music industry in the process — Michael in shades, leather jacket, cowboy boots, and a particularly memorable pair of tight Levi's jeans, playing a guitar near a classic-design jukebox. Levi Strauss & Co (LS&CO is a privately held Clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of Denim Jeans. "Faith" reached #1 on December 12, and remained there for four consecutive weeks. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian

The album reached #1 in the UK and in several markets worldwide. In the United States, the album had 51 non-consecutive weeks inside the Billboard 200 Top 10, including 12 weeks at #1. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry "Faith" had many hits, four of which ("Faith", "Father Figure", "One More Try", and "Monkey") reached #1. "Father Figure" is a US number-one song written and performed by George Michael and released on Epic Records in 1987 as the third single from the "One More Try" is a US number-one hit song written and performed by George Michael and released by Epic Records in 1988 as the fourth single For the song "Monkey" by Counting Crows see Recovering the Satellites.

Eventually, "Faith", reached Diamond certification by the RIAA for sales of 10 million copies in the US. To date, global sales of Faith are over 20 million copies. ^[3]

The Faith World Tour

In 1988, Michael embarked on a world tour. The nightly set list included from the Wham! era ("Everything She Wants" and "I'm Your Man"), as well as covers of "Lady Marmalade" or "Play That Funky Music". " Everything She Wants " was a song by British pop duo Wham!, released in 1984 on Epic Records on a double A-side with " Last Christmas " Lady Marmalade " is a 1974 song written by Bob Crewe, who co-wrote many of the hits recorded by The Four Seasons, and by Kenny Nolan. "Play That Funky Music" (also known as " Play That Funky Music White Boy " is a Funk rock song written by Robert Parissi and recorded In Los Angeles, California, George was joined on stage by Aretha Franklin for "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the " I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me " was a song performed by Aretha Franklin and George Michael in a Duet in 1987

That year he sang backing vocals for long-time friend and Wham! bass player Deon Estus on "Heaven Help Me". Deon Estus (born Jeffery Deon Estus is an American bassist and Singer, best known as the bass player of Wham! and as George Michael The song, written by both artists, just missed reaching the British top 40, but reached #5 in the United States.

Huge success didn't bring Michael any happiness, as he says in his film A Different Story. Conscious of being a massive celebrity and possibly a gay man, he started to think there was something wrong in being an idol for millions of teenage girls. The whole Faith process (promotion, videos, tour, awards) left him completely exhausted, lonely and frustrated, and far from his friends and family. In 1990, he told his record label Sony that he didn't want to do those kinds of promotions anymore. Sony Music Entertainment is a major global Record label controlled by the Sony Corporation of America, being one of the "big four" record companies

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

Main article: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 was released in September 1990. Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 is the second solo album from British pop star George Michael (on this album it is spelled as George Michæl Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 is the second solo album from British pop star George Michael (on this album it is spelled as George Michæl Following the massive worldwide commercial success of Faith, this album found Michael trying to create a new image for himself as a serious-minded artist — the title is a clear indication of his desire to be taken more seriously as a songwriter. Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records. Michael refused to make any kind of promotion for this album, including no music videos for the singles released.

The first single, "Praying For Time", was released in August 1990. " Praying for Time " is a US number-one song written and performed by George Michael, released on Epic Records in 1990. It was a dark and sombre reflection on social ills and injustice; the song was hailed by critics as it peaked at number 6 in the UK and then reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 despite the absence of a video.

The second single "Waiting For That Day" was an acoustic-heavy, reflective single, released as an immediate follow-up to the comeback record, "Praying For Time". Waiting For That Day was a song performed and largely written by George Michael which was released on Epic Records in 1990 in the UK and on Columbia " Praying for Time " is a US number-one song written and performed by George Michael, released on Epic Records in 1990. However, the corresponding album had also been released and therefore sales of the new single were unsurprisingly limited. "Waiting For That Day" peaked at number 27 in the US and at number 23 in the UK in October 1990.

The album debuted in the Billboard 200 list at #22 but reached its peak position of #2, being blocked from the top spot by MC Hammer's Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em. MC Hammer (born Stanley Kirk Burrell; March 30, 1962) is an American MC most popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s known for his The album spent the rest of 1990 inside the Top 10, and a total of 42 weeks inside the entire list, not even the half of the 87 weeks spent by the previous Faith. Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records.

In the UK, the album was a good seller and debuted at #1, although only for one week. The two following weeks the album held at #2. The album spent 34 debut consecutive weeks inside the Top 20, making in its 24th an impressive sales increase with a #13-#3 movement. It spent a total of 88 weeks inside the UK albums charts, and was certified 4 times Platinum by the BPI, in January 2, 1992. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The album produced 5 UK singles, which were released very quickly, within an 8-month period: "Praying For Time", "Waiting For That Day", "Freedom '90", "Heal The Pain", and "Cowboys And Angels" (this last being the only single ever from George not chart on the UK top 40. " Praying for Time " is a US number-one song written and performed by George Michael, released on Epic Records in 1990. Waiting For That Day was a song performed and largely written by George Michael which was released on Epic Records in 1990 in the UK and on Columbia " Freedom! '90 " (also known simply as "Freedom" is a song written and performed by George Michael, and released on Epic records in 1990 " Heal the Pain " was a song written and performed by George Michael and released on Epic records in 1991. " Cowboys and Angels " was a song written and performed by George Michael and released on Epic Records in 1991.

"Freedom '90" was the only single to be supported by a music video. " Freedom! '90 " (also known simply as "Freedom" is a song written and performed by George Michael, and released on Epic records in 1990 The song also alludes heavily to the struggles of being a closeted gay man, and acted as a catalyst to his effort to break free from his publishing contract with Sony Music. Coming outThe expressions " closeted " or "in the closet " generally refer to undisclosed sexual behavior, Sexual orientation or Gender

As if to prove the song's sentiment, George refused to appear in the video, directed by David Fincher, and instead recruited supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, and Cindy Crawford to lip-sync. David Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film and Music video director known for his dark and stylish portraits of Naomi Campbell (born 22 May 1970 is an English model, Singer, Author, Actress, and Fashion designer. Linda Evangelista (born May 10, 1965) is a Canadian model. Early life Evangelista was born to Italian parents Christy Nicole Turlington (born January 2, 1969) is an American fashion model best known for representing Calvin Klein fragrances Tatjana Patitz (born March 25, 1966) is a German model and Actress. Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford (born February 20 1966 is an American model and actress. Lip-sync or Lip-synch (short for lip Synchronization) is a technical term for matching lip movements with voice It also featured the destruction of his sex symbol status.

Freedom '90 was a lengthy six and half minutes long. " Freedom! '90 " (also known simply as "Freedom" is a song written and performed by George Michael, and released on Epic records in 1990 The addition of the year to the title was to distinguish the song from "Freedom", a #1 hit for Wham! back in 1984. "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. It had contrasting fortunes on each side of the Atlantic — a #8 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, but only #28 on the UK singles chart. The video was badly taken by the American audience who read the destruction of the Faith icons as George's refusal of his own success.

"Mother's Pride" gained significant airplay in the United States during the first Gulf War in 1991, often with radio stations mixing in callers' tributes to soldiers with the music. Mother's Pride is a brand name for a variety of breads produced by British Bakeries a division of Premier Foods. It reached number 46 on Billboard Hot 100 with only airplay.

In the end Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 sold around 8 million copies. Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 is the second solo album from British pop star George Michael (on this album it is spelled as George Michæl

The Non-Release of Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 2

In 1991 George Michael embarked in the "Cover to Cover Tour" in England, the US, and Brasil, where he performed at the "Rock in Rio" event. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Rock in Rio, the largest rock festival in the world (15 million people in the first edition 700 thousand in the second about 1 million in the third and in the 3 international editions In the audience in Rio, he saw and later met Anselmo Feleppa, the man who would become his partner.

The tour was not a proper promotion for Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. Rather, it was more about George singing his favourite cover songs. Among his favourites was "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" a 1974 song by Elton John; George and Elton had performed the song together at the Live Aid concert in 1985, and again on George's concert at London's Wembley Arena on March 25, 1991, where the duet was recorded. "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John 's 1974 album Caribou; it was Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia Wembley Arena is a famous Entertainment venue located in Wembley, London, UK. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The single was released at the end of 1991 and became a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

As successful as the 1974 record had been, it was as a duet that "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" had its greatest success and reached number 1 on the UK singles chart and on the Billboard Hot 100. "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John 's 1974 album Caribou; it was The song was the only #1 single of the modern era to be recorded at an outdoors venue. Proceeds from the single were divided among 10 different charities for children, AIDS, and education. CHILD syndrome (or congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects) is a genetic disorder Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency

In the meantime the expected following album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 2, was scrapped for reasons unknown, although possibly due to Michael's frustration with Sony. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with Among Michael's complaints was that Sony had not fully supported the release of his previous album, resulting in its poor performance in the US as compared to Faith. Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records. Sony responded that Michael's refusal to appear in promotional videos had caused the poor response.

George shelved the idea for Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 2 and donated three songs to the charity project Red Hot + Dance, which raised money for AIDS awareness, while a fourth track "Crazyman Dance" turned up on the B-side of 1992's "Too Funky". Red Hot + Dance is an album produced by the Red Hot Organization, an organization dedicated to raising money and awareness to fight the onslaught of HIV / AIDS. " Too Funky " is a song written and performed by George Michael and released by Epic Records in 1992 George donated the "Too Funky" royalties to the same cause. The song was lyrically a basic, animalistic plea from George for sexual activity with an individual, and musically it was the most upbeat record he had released since Faith almost five years previously. Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records.

"Too Funky" was George's final single for his publishing deal with Sony Music before he started legal action to extricate himself from his contract. " Too Funky " is a song written and performed by George Michael and released by Epic Records in 1992 Sony Music Entertainment is a major global Record label controlled by the Sony Corporation of America, being one of the "big four" record companies The song didn't appear on any George Michael studio album, although later it was included on his solo collections Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael in 1998 and Twenty Five in 2006. Ladies & Gentlemen The Best of George Michael is a Greatest hits collection released by George Michael in 1998 (see 1998 in music) For the album by Harry Connick Jr, please see 25 (album Twenty Five is Singer George Michael 's The video featured George (sporadically) as a director filming supermodels Linda Evangelista, Tyra Banks, Beverly Peele, and Nadja Auermann at a fashion show. Linda Evangelista (born May 10, 1965) is a Canadian model. Early life Evangelista was born to Italian parents Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4 1973 is an American Television personality, Emmy Award -winning talk show host, actress Supermodel, former Beverly Peele (born 1975 is an American model and actress. Peele rose to fame in the late 1980s and 1990s and appeared on more than 250 magazine Nadja Auermann (born March 19, 1971) is a German model and actress. "Too Funky" was a hit, reaching number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 10 in the US Billboard Hot 100. " Too Funky " is a song written and performed by George Michael and released by Epic Records in 1992

Five Live

Main article: Five Live (EP)

George Michael performed at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on April 20, 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium. Five Live, released in 1993, features five (in some countries where it is considered to be a reduced-length Long-playing Album The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, April 20 1992 at Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The concert was a tribute to the life of the late Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury, with all proceeds going to AIDS research. Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead Michael performed "Somebody to Love". " Somebody to Love " is a song written by Freddie Mercury and performed by English rock band Queen featured on their 1976 album Although the performance of the song was released on the "Five Live" EP.

Five Live, released in 1993 for Parlophone, features five — and in some countries, six — tracks performed by George Michael, Queen, and Lisa Stansfield. Parlophone is a Record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. Lisa Jane Stansfield (born April 11 1966) is a Grammy Award -nominated and BRIT Award -winning English R&B and soul

"Somebody to Love" and "These Are the Days of Our Lives" were recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. " Somebody to Love " is a song written by Freddie Mercury and performed by English rock band Queen featured on their 1976 album " These Are the Days of Our Lives " is a song by the British rock band Queen. Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead "Killer", "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", and "Calling You" were all live performances by George recorded during his "Cover to Cover Tour" from 1991. " Killer " is a popular song by Adamski and Seal. Written by Adam Tinley (Adamski and Seal and produced by Adamski "Killer" was Adamski's " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone " is a soul song written by Motown Songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single " Calling You " is an Academy Award nominated song from the Bagdad Café movie

All proceeds from the sale of the EP benefited the Mercury Phoenix Trust. Sales of the EP were very strong through Europe, where it debuted at number 1 in the UK and several European countries. Chart success in the United States was far less spectacular, where it peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200.

Older

Main article: Older (George Michael album)

In November 1994, at the first edition of the MTV European Music Awards George Michael appeared after a long seclusion, giving a touching performance of a brand-new song, "Jesus to a Child". The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Europe to celebrate the most popular Music videos in Europe " Jesus to a Child " is a song by British musician George Michael. The song was a melancholy tribute to his lover Anselmo Feleppa, who died in March 1993.

After the ordeal with Sony, having Michael stated that he would refuse to release any new material through Epic under his name, he couldn't release the single. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. David Geffen's US start-up record label signed a deal with Sony to release George from his old contract. David Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American Record executive, Film producer, Theatrical producer and philanthropist The deal gave George the chance to release new music with the new label, along with two greatest hits albums and two new singles with Sony within 1998.

The song was Michael's first self-penned hit in his homeland for almost four years and entered the UK singles chart straight at #1and #7 in The Billboard in the same month of release. It became his first solo single to enter the UK charts at the top, and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. It was also Michael's longest UK Top 40 single at almost seven minutes long. The exact identity of the song's subject — and the nature of George's relationship with Anselmo — was shrouded in innuendo at the time, however, as Michael had not confirmed he was gay, and did not do so until 1998. An innuendo (also called insinuation) is a remark or question typically disparaging that works obliquely by Allusion. The video for "Jesus to a Child" was a beautiful picture of images recalling loss, pain, and suffering. " Jesus to a Child " is a song by British musician George Michael. Nowadays, Michael consistently dedicates the song to Feleppa before performing it live.

The second single, out in April 1996, was "Fastlove", an energetic tune about wanting gratification and fulfilment without commitment. " Fastlove " is a song by George Michael, released by Virgin Records in the UK and Dreamworks Records in the U The song was somewhat unusual for a pop song, in that it does not have a defined chorus and that the single version is nearly five minutes long. "Fastlove" was supported by a futuristic virtual reality related video. " Fastlove " is a song by George Michael, released by Virgin Records in the UK and Dreamworks Records in the U

"Fastlove" reached #1 in the UK singles chart, spending three weeks at the top spot. " Fastlove " is a song by George Michael, released by Virgin Records in the UK and Dreamworks Records in the U In the US, "Fastlove" peaked at #8, and would go on to be the last time that George Michael reached the top 10 in the US charts. " Fastlove " is a song by George Michael, released by Virgin Records in the UK and Dreamworks Records in the U

Following "Fastlove" George finally released Older, his first studio album in six years and only the third of his solo career, even though Wham! had been split for a decade. " Fastlove " is a song by George Michael, released by Virgin Records in the UK and Dreamworks Records in the U "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. The album's US and Canada release was particularly notable as it was the first album released by David Geffen's now-defunct DreamWorks Records.

In October 1996, George performed a concert at Three Mills Studios, London for MTV Unplugged. MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing Acoustic instruments It was produced by Viacom and was directed by Beth It was his first long performance in years, and in the audience was George's beloved mum. The following year, George was dealt another heart-wrenching blow when his mother died of cancer.

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael

Main article: Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael is a greatest hits collection released in 1998 (see 1998 in music). Ladies & Gentlemen The Best of George Michael is a Greatest hits collection released by George Michael in 1998 (see 1998 in music) This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998 The collection of 28 songs (29 songs are included on the European and Australian release) are separated into two halves, with each containing a particular theme and mood. The first CD, titled "For the Heart" predominantly contains Michael's hit ballads, while the second CD, "For the Feet", consists mostly of his popular dance tunes.

Ladies and Gentlemen. . . is notable for containing a large number of compilation tracks and duets that hadn't previously appeared on his albums, including his duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"; "Desafinado", a duet in Portuguese with Brazilian legendary singer Astrud Gilberto; and the Elton John duet "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the Astrud Gilberto (born March 29, 1940) is a Brazilian Singer best known for her Samba and Bossa nova music most famously Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John 's 1974 album Caribou; it was

Ladies and Gentlemen. . . was released through Sony Music Entertainment as a condition of severing contractual ties with the label. Sony Music Entertainment is a major global Record label controlled by the Sony Corporation of America, being one of the "big four" record companies He would later return to Sony to release his 2004 album Patience. Sony Music Entertainment is a major global Record label controlled by the Sony Corporation of America, being one of the "big four" record companies Patience is a 2004 commercially successful Album by George Michael.

The first single "Outside" was a humorous look at his arrest for soliciting a policeman in a public restroom. See also Toilet A washroom, public toilet, public convenience, comfort room, toilet room, bathroom, water closet "As", his duet with Mary J. Blige, was released as the second single in many territories around the world. Mary Jane Blige (surname pronounced /blaɪʒ/) (born January 11, 1971) is an American Singer-songwriter, Rapper It made #4 in the UK charts. The track was left off the North American release of the album as Blige's record label, MCA, felt that association with the openly gay and often controversial pop star wouldn't be in her best interest. MCA Records was an American -based record company owned by MCA Inc

To date album has reached worldwide sales of approximately 15 million copies.

Songs from the Last Century

Main article: Songs from the Last Century

Songs from the Last Century, released in December 1999, consisted of old standards, plus new interpretations of more recent popular songs such as: "Roxanne" written by Sting, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and the Frank Sinatra classic "Where Or When", written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Songs from the Last Century is an Album of Cover versions by Singer George Michael and acclaimed producer Phil Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE (born October 2, 1951) better known by his Stage name Sting, is a three time Academy Award " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face " is a 1957 Folk song written by Ewan MacColl for his wife Peggy Seeger. Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor " Where or When " is a Show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms. Richard Charles Rodgers ( June 28, 1902, Arverne Queens, New York City &ndash December 30, 1979, New York Lorenz "Larry" Hart ( May 2, 1895 &ndash November 22, 1943) was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Each of the 11 tracks were co-produced by Phil Ramone and George Michael. Phil Ramone is a Violinist, Composer, Recording engineer, and

Patience

Main article: Patience (George Michael album)

Patience debuted at number one on the UK album charts and at number two in Australia on March 22, 2004. Patience is a 2004 commercially successful Album by George Michael. Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Patience was George Michael's first album composed of original material since 1996. The controversial single "Shoot the Dog", was a critical song about the friendly relationship between the US and the UK governments regarding the Iraqi War. " Shoot The Dog " is a single by the dance pop singer George Michael, released as the second single from his album Patience, though released In the animated music video for the song, Tony Blair is depicted as the "dog" that follows his "owner" George W. Bush everywhere. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States.

George appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show on May 26, 2004 to promote the album. Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29 1954 often referred to simply as Oprah, is an American Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " This marked his first US television appearance in over 10 years. On the show George spoke of his arrest, coming out as a gay man, and his return to the spotlight. He allowed Oprah's crew inside his home outside of London. George performed "Amazing", the second single from the album, and his classic songs "Father Figure" and "Faith".

Twentyfive

Main article: Twenty Five (album)

Twentyfive was George Michael's second greatest hits album, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his music career. For the album by Harry Connick Jr, please see 25 (album Twenty Five is Singer George Michael 's Released in November 2006 by SonyBMG, it debuted at number-one in the UK. Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group

The album contains songs chiefly from George Michael's solo career, but also from his earlier days in Wham! and comes in two formats: two CDs or a limited edition three CD set. The 2-CD set contained 26 tracks, including 4 recorded with Wham! and 3 new songs: "An Easier Affair"; "This Is Not Real Love" (a duet with Mutya Buena, formerly of Sugababes, which peaked at #15 in the UK Charts); and a new version of "Heal The Pain" recorded with Paul McCartney. "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena (born 21 May, 1985 in Kingsbury, London) known professionally as Mutya Buena, is a BRIT Award Sugababes are a BRIT Award -winning English pop group trio from London. " Heal the Pain " was a song written and performed by George Michael and released on Epic records in 1991. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, The limited edition 3-CD version contains an additional 14 lesser known tracks, including one from Wham! and another brand new song, "Understand".

The DVD version of Twentyfive contains 40 videos on two discs, including 7 with Wham!.

Life after Twenty Five

During the 2005 Live 8 concert, George Michael joined Paul McCartney on stage, harmonizing on the Beatles' classic "Drive My Car". Live 8 was a string of Benefit concerts that took place on 2 July, 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 " Drive My Car " is a song written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon and first released by The Beatles on the UK version of the 1965

Michael was one of several remixers commissioned in 1990 to work on dance mixes for Bananarama's "Tripping on Your Love". Bananarama are an English Girl group who have had success on the Bananarama covered "Careless Whisper" for their Exotica album in 2001, and the track was also released as a single in France.

Michael received £1. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency 5 million US$3 million) to perform a 1-hour concert in Moscow for the 300 guests of Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin on the Eve of 2007. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of This article is about Vladimir Potanin For other uses see Potanin. New Year's Eve is on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year and the day before New Year's Day. Some equipment was damaged in a fire caused "by badly wired pyrotechnics that went off a few hours after George Michael's band and crew had left".

In 2006, George Michael started his first tour in 15 years, 25 Live. 25 Live is a Concert tour by English singer / songwriter George Michael. The tour, running for 50 dates, began in Madrid, Spain on September 27 and climax at Wembley Arena in Britain in December. According to his website, the tour joined by 1. 3 million fans during 80 shows.

On May 12, 2007 in Coimbra, Portugal, he began the European "25 Live Stadium Tour 2007" , including London and Athens, and ending on August 4, 2007 in Belfast, UK. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Coimbra (kuˈĩbɾɐ is a city and a municipality in Portugal, former capital of the country during the first dynasty period and home to the University of Coimbra Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. 25 Live is a Concert tour by English singer / songwriter George Michael. Events 70 - The Destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located There have been 29 tour dates (as of April 21, 2007) over the whole of Europe. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

On June 9, 2007 George became the first artist to perform live at the newly renovated Wembley Stadium in London where he was later fined US$250,000 for overrunning the show for 13 short minutes. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

On March 25, 2008 a third leg of the 25 Live Tour was announced for North America. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 25 Live is a Concert tour by English singer / songwriter George Michael. This leg will include 21 dates in the United States and Canada. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page This is Michael's first tour of North America in 17 years.

The album Twenty Five (album), was released (in United States) on April 1st, 2008 and is a 29-song, 2-CD set featuring several new songs (including duets with Paul McCartney and Mary J. Blige and a song from the TV series, Eli Stone) in addition to many of Michael's hit songs from both his solo and Wham! career. For the album by Harry Connick Jr, please see 25 (album Twenty Five is Singer George Michael 's Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Mary Jane Blige (surname pronounced /blaɪʒ/) (born January 11, 1971) is an American Singer-songwriter, Rapper Eli Stone is an American Television Comedy-drama created by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, who also serve as In addition, a companion 2-disc DVD of 40 videos will also be made available.

George Michael has made his American acting debut by playing a guardian angel to Jonny Lee Miller's character on Eli Stone, a TV series that was broadcast in the USA. Jonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller (born 15 November 1972) is an English actor Eli Stone is an American Television Comedy-drama created by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, who also serve as In addition to appearing on the show as himself and as "visions", each episode has been named after a song of his.

George appeared on the 2008 finale show of American Idol on May 21 singing "Praying for Time". American Idol, with the full title American Idol The Search for a Superstar for the first season only is an American reality-competition

Personal life

Sexuality

Michael was initially private about his sexual orientation, with rumours of relationships with high-profile women such as Brooke Shields, Whoopi Goldberg, and Melissa Megginson making him common tabloid fodder during his Wham! career. Sexual orientation is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes Brooke Christa Camille Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and Supermodel. Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson; November 13, 1955) is an American actress, comedienne, and television A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest

These persisted into his solo career, but Michael had already established a relationship with Anselmo Feleppa, whom he had met at the 1991 concert "Rock in Rio". Feleppa died of an AIDS-related brain hemorrhage in 1993. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Michael's single "Jesus to a Child" is a tribute to Feleppa (he consistently dedicates it to him before performing it live), as is his 1996 album Older. " Jesus to a Child " is a song by British musician George Michael. ^[5]

In a 2007 interview, Michael said that he kept his homosexuality secret due to worries over the impact it would have on his mother. ^[6]

Los Angeles incident

Questions of his sexual orientation persisted in public until April 7, 1998, when he was arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public toilet in a park in Beverly Hills, California. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Cottaging is a British Gay slang term referring to anonymous male-male sex in a public Lavatory (a cottage or tea-room) or to the California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. He was arrested by an undercover policeman named Marcelo Rodríguez, a sting operation using so-called "pretty police". Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information In law enforcement a sting operation is a Deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime

George Michael: "Well, I was followed into the restroom, and then, this cop — well, I didn't know he was a cop at the time, obviously — he started playing this game. I think it's called 'I'll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I'm gonna nick you'!" ^[7]

After pleading "no contest" to the charge, Michael was fined US$810 and sentenced to 80 hours of community service. la Nolo contendere is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I will not contend it Community service refers to service that a person performs for the benefit of his or her local Community. Soon afterwards, Michael made a video for his single "Outside" which was clearly based on the public toilet incident and which featured men dressed up as policemen kissing. " Outside " is a song by George Michael, released on Epic Records in 1998. Rodriguez claimed that this video "mocked" him, and that Michael had slandered him in interviews. In 1999, he brought a US$10 million court case in California against the singer who has amassed an estimated personal fortune of £70 million (US$140 million). The court dismissed the case, but an appeals court reinstated the case on 3 December 2002. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal ^[8] The court then ruled Rodríguez, as a public official, could not legally recover damages for emotional distress. ^[9]

After that incident he became open about his sexuality and his relationship with Kenny Goss, a former cheerleader coach^[10] and sports clothing executive from Dallas, Texas,^[11] and his partner since June 1996. Sexual orientation is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes Sportswear (or Active attire) is Clothing, including Footwear, worn for Sport or exercise Goss opened the Goss Gallery in May 2005 in Dallas, which shows contemporary art, including those collected by the couple. They have homes in London and Dallas. ^[12] In late November 2005, it was reported that Michael and Goss would register their relationship as a civil partnership in the UK,^[13] but due to negative publicity and his upcoming tour, they postponed it to a later date. ^[14]

Drugs

On February 26, 2006, Michael was arrested for possession of Class C drugs, an incident that he described as "my own stupid fault, as usual. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c38 is an Act of Parliament, by which the United Kingdom aims to control the possession and supply of numerous drugs " He was cautioned by the police and released. ^[15][16]

On May 15, 2006, Michael was found slumped over the wheel of his Range Rover, photographed apparently snoozing at traffic lights in London. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Land Rover Range Rover Classic|Range Rover SportThe Range Rover is a Four-wheel drive luxury Sport utility vehicle (SUV produced by Land Rover in the He awoke after a member of the public knocked on his window for five minutes, and was "sweating heavily and had his iPod on". He drove off weaving up the road, and then hit a traffic bollard. Later the same month, he was questioned by police after shunting three cars in the street in which he lives. ^[17]

In the early hours of October 1, 2006, Michael was found unconscious in his Mercedes-Benz S-Class car, causing an obstruction at the junction of Cricklewood Lane with Hendon Way, in northwest London. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Mercedes-Benz W221 is a large luxury sedan built by Mercedes-Benz and is the largest of the saloon/sedan range under the Mercedes-Benz Cricklewood is a district of North London, England whose northeastern part is in the London Borough of Barnet, western part is the London Borough of Hendon is a London suburban development situated 7 miles (113 km north west of Charing Cross. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Police found Michael slumped in his seat in a semi-conscious state. He was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead for checks, and was then booked in at Colindale police station. The Royal Free Hospital is a large Teaching hospital in London, England. Hampstead is an area of London, England, located north-west of Charing Cross. Colindale is an area in the London Borough of Barnet, although its main shopping street is in the London Borough of Brent on its west side He was later cautioned by the police for possession of cannabis, and was released on bail pending further inquiries on his fitness to drive. ^[18][19] He pleaded guilty on May 8, 2007 to driving while unfit through drugs. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[20] He was banned from driving for two years, and sentenced to community service again. In September 2007, on Desert Island Discs, he said that his cannabis use was a problem — he wished he could smoke less of it and was constantly trying to do so. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Desert Island Discs is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme It was first broadcast on 29 January 1942 and is said by the Guinness ^[21]

Michael's long term partner Kenny Goss has also been treated for dependence on prescription sleeping medication, checking into an Arizona-based clinic for two months in June 2004 after encouragement from Michael. Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. ^[22]

Politics

During his years with Wham!, George Michael was very critical of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government and its cruise missile alliance with the United States. Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. A cruise missile is a guided Missile that carries an explosive payload and uses a lifting wing and a propulsion system usually a Jet engine, to allow 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. Michael also wrote "Shoot the Dog", a critical song about the friendly relationship between the US and UK governments and their involvement in the Iraq War.

In 2000, George Michael joined Melissa Etheridge, Garth Brooks, Queen Latifah, the Pet Shop Boys, and k.d. lang, to perform in Washington, DC as part of 'Equality Rocks' - a benefit concert in support of a gay and lesbian human rights campaign (Human Rights Campaign). Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961, in Leavenworth, Kansas) is an Academy Award -winning and two-time Grammy Award Troyal Garth Brooks, known professionally as Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music Singer-songwriter. The capitalisation of song titles in this article is disputed kd lang, OC (born Kathryn Dawn Lang, November 2, 1961) is a Grammy Award -winning Canadian Singer and Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

In 2007, he toured the United States with the £1. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency 45 million piano that John Lennon used to write "Imagine". John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born " Imagine " is a song by John Lennon, which appears on his 1971 album Imagine. ^[1]

He devoted his concert in Sofia, Bulgaria from his "Twenty Five Tour" to the Bulgarian nurses prosecuted in the HIV trial in Libya. Sofia (София ˈsɔfija is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Bulgaria, with a population of 1395568 in the Capital Municipality The HIV trial in Libya (or Bulgarian nurses affair) concerns the trials appeals and eventual release of six foreign medical workers charged with conspiring to deliberately infect ^[23]

Charity

Michael has often taken a socially conscious stance. In 1984, he sang as part of Band Aid on the charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for famine relief in Ethiopia. " Do They Know It's Christmas? " is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 specifically to raise money for relief of 1984–1985 famine NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page This single held the #1 position in the UK music charts over Christmas 1984, holding Michael's own song, "Last Christmas" by Wham!, at #2. " Last Christmas " is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984 on a double A-side with " Everything She Michael donated the royalties from "Last Christmas" to Band Aid and subsequently sang with Elton John at Live Aid (the Band Aid charity concert) in 1985.

The proceeds from the single Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me were divided among 10 different charities for children, AIDS and education. "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John 's 1974 album Caribou; it was

George is supporting a campaign to help raise US$32 million (GBP15 million) for terminally ill children. Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe an active and Malignant Disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated

Residences

George Michael ranks as Britain's 10th richest musician with an amassed personal fortune said to be £70 to £100 million in assets, real estate, and currency. George owns several homes all over the world, including one in Highgate, London, one in Dallas, Texas, and one in Goring-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. Highgate is a suburb of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Goring-on-Thames is a Village and Civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Oxfordshire. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the

In April, 2008 George Michael has offered to the graffiti artist Banksy 2 million pounds to paint a wall at his home in North London. Banksy is a well-known pseudo-anonymous British Graffiti Artist. ^[24]

Memoirs

On January 16, 2008, Michael signed a "no-holds-barred" multi-million-pound contract with HarperCollins about an autobiography which he is to write "entirely himself". Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common HarperCollins is a Publishing company owned by News Corporation. ^[25]

Discography

Main article: George Michael discography

See also Wham! discography

Albums

Studio albums 1987: Faith 1990: Listen without Prejudice, Vol. 1 1996: Older 1999: Songs from the Last Century 2004: Patience

Compilation albums 1998: Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael 2006: Twenty Five Live albums 1993: Five Live

Number-one songs

U. The "Wham" redirects here For other uses see Wham (disambiguation. Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records. Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 is the second solo album from British pop star George Michael (on this album it is spelled as George Michæl Songs from the Last Century is an Album of Cover versions by Singer George Michael and acclaimed producer Phil Patience is a 2004 commercially successful Album by George Michael. Ladies & Gentlemen The Best of George Michael is a Greatest hits collection released by George Michael in 1998 (see 1998 in music) For the album by Harry Connick Jr, please see 25 (album Twenty Five is Singer George Michael 's Five Live, released in 1993, features five (in some countries where it is considered to be a reduced-length Long-playing Album S. number one singles (10) 1984: "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" (Wham!) 1985: "Careless Whisper" (Wham! featuring George Michael) 1985: "Everything She Wants" (Wham!) 1987: "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with Aretha Franklin) 1987: "Faith" 1988: "Father Figure" 1988: "One More Try" 1988: "Monkey" 1990: "Praying For Time" 1991: "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (with Elton John)

UK number one singles (12) 1984: "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" (Wham!) 1984: "Freedom" (Wham!) 1984: "Careless Whisper" 1984: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (Band Aid) 1985: "I'm Your Man" Wham!) 1986: "The Edge Of Heaven" (Wham!) 1986: "A Different Corner" 1987: "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with Aretha Franklin) 1991: "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (with Elton John) 1993: "Five Live (EP)" (with Queen & Lisa Stansfield) 1995: "Jesus To A Child" 1996: "Fastlove"

Awards

Main article: List of George Michael awards

See also

• George Michael chart records and achievements
• Best selling music artists
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart
• List of artists by total number of USA number one singles
• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• List of number-one singles (UK)
• List of artists by total number of UK number one singles
• List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart

Footnotes

External links

• George Michael's Official Website
• George Michael's Official Store

Press articles

• Revealing interview with George Michael from London Independent, in which he discusses his childhood, depression, sexuality, and friendship with Diana
• "George Michael faces $10m lawsuit" – BBC News article, dated Tuesday, September 14, 1999
• "George Michael video case dismissed" – BBC News article, by Peter Bowes, dated Thursday, February 17, 2000
• "Officer allowed to sue Michael" – BBC News article, dated Wednesday, December 4, 2002
• "George Michael refuses to have HIV test" – holymoly. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. co. uk
• There was so much death, December 9, 2005 – Interview with The Guardian
• Singer Michael says cannabis keeps him sane, October 21, 2006 – Reuters

Awards
Preceded by U2 for The Joshua Tree	Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1989 for Faith	Succeeded by Bonnie Raitt for Nick of Time

Persondata
NAME	Michael, George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Panayiotou, Georgios Kyriacos
SHORT DESCRIPTION	English singer-songwriter, musician, producer
DATE OF BIRTH	June 25, 1963
PLACE OF BIRTH	London, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Joshua Tree is the fifth Studio album by Irish rock band U2, released 9 March 1987 on Island Records. The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys Faith is George Michael 's first solo album released in October 1987 via Columbia Records / Epic Records. Bonnie Lynn Raitt (born November 8, 1949) is an American Blues Singer-songwriter who was born in Burbank, California Nick of Time is a Blues rock album by Bonnie Raitt, released on March 21, 1989. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

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