This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since November 2011. Its references may not meet Wikipedia's guidelines for reliable sources. Tagged since November 2011. It uses bare URLs for citations, which may be threatened by link rot. Templates and a tool are available to assist. Tagged since November 2011.

ITV Central, previously known as Central Independent Television PLC and commonly shortened to Central, is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands,^[2] created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited. The main news programme it broadcast for the region is Central Tonight.

History[link]

During the 1970s, the previous Midlands licence holder ATV had often been criticised for its lack of regionality to its area. Although ATV had purpose-built a modern colour production complex in the centre of Birmingham many of its major productions were recorded at its main studios at Elstree, near London, a legacy of when the company also served London at the weekends prior to 1968. Equally, its corporate headquarters were in central London. ATV attempted to address its problem in 1980 as part of its franchise re-application; with plans for a second major facility in the area (to be based in Nottingham) and as part of the Independent Broadcasting Authority plan for the contract to be a dual region, they would provide separate news coverage for both the East and the West Midlands. The company name would also be changed from ATV Network Limited to ATV Midlands Limited, thus reinforcing the new regional focus. The IBA accepted ATV's assertion that ATV Midlands Ltd planned to take a more local identity, and awarded the contract to ATV Midlands Ltd on the basis that further changes were to be implemented, including that the parent company Associated Communications Corporation would divest 49% of its shareholding in ATV Midlands Ltd in an attempt to introduce local shareholders and that ATV Midlands Ltd's registered office should be within the region. To demonstrate this change of share structure, the IBA insisted that ATV change its company name, to show that it was a substantially new company.^[3]

It has been reported that, around the time of the franchise changing hands, a local businessman had registered dozens of company names (some of which included the words "Central" and "Television"), in the hope of being offered substantial financial compensation to relinquish the rights to one of these, if chosen by the new company. Central got around this by simply inserting "Independent" into their name on registering it (something the businessman had not thought of).^[4]

Launch[link]

Central retained ATV's sub-regional split; one sub-region for the West Midlands (with studios in Birmingham), and one for the East Midlands (with studios in Nottingham).^[5] There were few differences between the sub-regions, but each had its own news service and advertisements. This led to the BBC also producing two news programmes (Midlands Today for the West and East Midlands Today for the East). Central pre-empted the 1990 Broadcasting Act (and a new condition of the Midlands licence) by adding a third sub-region - Central South - in 1989, broadcasting on the Oxford and Ridge Hill transmitters and establishing the news centre on an industrial park in Abingdon in Oxfordshire (retained for the Thames Valley service in 2006, although minus the studio).

The station opened transmission at 09:25 on Friday, 1 January 1982 with an authority announcement by duty announcer Su Evans, followed by an extended 5-minute promo entitled Welcome to Central, previewing the company's network and regional programming and the schedule for the first day of transmission. The logo is often thought of as a 'cake', but in fact it was an 'eclipse' after the Total Lunar Eclipse on 9 January 1982.

Takeover[link]

Carlton Communications had owned a stake in Central since the early eighties (before Carlton Television became an ITV Franchisee in its own right). In 1994, Central was completely bought by Carlton and on 6 September 1999 was rebranded as Carlton Central, though the registered company name remained Central Independent Television Limited. The new identity, produced by Lambie-Nairn was used across all of Carlton's franchises; Carlton London, Carlton Westcountry and some elements on HTV. Only the "Carlton" name was used on air, however Central's regional news programmes retained the "Central" brand.

With the merger of Carlton and Granada on 2 February 2004, the brand became ITV1 Central. Central Independent Television is currently owned by ITV plc and on 29 December 2006, Central's registered company name was changed from Central Independent Television Ltd to ITV Central Ltd.

Studios[link]

Initially, Central inherited ATV's 1970s Broad Street studios, ATV Centre, which was renamed Central House when the contractor changed its name; It was retained as Central's main base of activity until 1996. Upon winning the franchise, Central decided to construct new studios for its East sub-region, based in Nottingham, Lenton Lane. (This move was even brought in to play in one of its most famous shows Boon when the main characters moved from Birmingham to Nottingham in its fourth series in 1989.) This facility was to be called 'The Television House'. Until the new Nottingham studios were ready, Central operated from a converted facility on an industrial estate at Giltbrook, near Eastwood on the outskirts of Nottingham. Operations at Nottingham were to be staffed by employees originally based at Elstree, which led to many problems due to the relocation, including industrial action (in fact, it was because of this industrial action that the promised separate news service for the East Midlands did not begin until 1984, by which time they had vacated Giltbrook).^[6]

In 1989, Central opened a third studios for its new South sub-region and city, based in Abingdon, near Oxford.

The ITV Central headquarters in Birmingham Gas Street.

In 1994, the company's new owners Carlton acquired land on Gas Street, Birmingham, to begin work on building a new digital studio complex, with the intention of replacing Central's Broad Street studios. The new centre was completed in 1997, when Central West's regional news department moved from its Broad Street base. A tribute to the Broad Street studios was broadcast on Central News West.^[7]

Having been one of the first fully computerised news programmes, Central News South was again a pioneer of new technology when, in the Spring of 2001, state-of-the-art Quantel digital video servers and edit suites were installed, along with a complete re-fit of camera and VTR equipment, placing Central South at the forefront of digital news-gathering in regional news.

In February 2004, ITV plc announced plans to close and sell the Nottingham Lenton Lane production centre. Following the closure of the studios, a new news-gathering centre was established in the city, but production of Central News East moved to Central's Birmingham Gas Street studio in Spring 2005. The former studio complex is now part of The University of Nottingham and is known as 'King's Meadow Campus'.^[8] It still maintains one Studio (Studio 7), and this is rented out to television and film Companies, generating income for the University.

In October 2004, ITV plc closed Central's presentation/transmission department and moved transmission to the Northern Transmission Centre in Leeds. Although there was heavy opposition, the role of presentation and transmission at Birmingham had been significantly reduced after network presentation was centralised to LNN in London in 2002 and so there was an inevitability that this function would be moved out. CITV (Children's ITV), which had been presented from Central's Birmingham studios since 1983, was also re-homed to Granada's studios in Manchester, with all content pre-recorded and with out-of vision presentation.

It was announced on 6 June 2006 that Central News South's existence as a news region was to end after 17 years when the eastern half of the region (the area served by the Oxford transmitter) would merge its operations with Meridian West's output, forming a new news region named ITV Thames Valley and a new news programme, Thames Valley Tonight would begin. Originally, the changes were supposed to make over 40 workers redundant from the closure of Central South's Abingdon base, however this was later reduced to 20.^[9] The last edition was broadcast on Sunday 3 December, although there was a pan-regional Central News broadcast the following morning during GMTV. At the same time, ITV West's broadcast footprint was expanded to cover North Gloucestershire from the West's Bristol studios, while Herefordshire re-joined Central News West from Birmingham. Abingdon was retained as a newsgathering base, whilst equipment was sold off.

In September 2007, Central House on Broad Street was covered in scaffolding, ready for demolition, which commenced the following month. The facade, exhibition hall and studio block still remain as of November 2009.

A documentary about the Broad Street studios complex is in the process of being put together. Entitled 'From ATVLand In Colour' (referring to the nickname used on Tiswas, and the building being purpose-built by ATV for colour broadcasting), the documentary features presenters, actors, announcers and behind-the-scenes staff talking about their time working in the studios, and the programmes that were made there by Central, and predecessor ATV.^[10] Contributors include Chris Tarrant, Shaw Taylor, Jane Rossington and Bob Carolgees.

ITV have since also sold the Gas Street office building to Cube Real Estate, a commercial property developer, which has refurbished the interior of the building. While Central maintains office space and a single ground floor studio, the other studio and floors are available to rent as office space. The property is marketed as '22 Gas Street'.

Sub-regions[link]

Central currently operates two subregions with shared involvement in a third:

• Central West - based in Birmingham Gas Street predominately operating from the Sutton Coldfield, The Wrekin and recently Ridge Hill transmitters and associated relays.
• Central East - with newsgathering centre in Nottingham but now based in Birmingham Gas Street, operating from the Waltham transmitter and associated relays.
• ITV Thames Valley - Now merged with Meridian. Previously two subregions; Central South and Meridian North, merged in 2006. They merged again in 2009 with Meridian. Central South's Abingdon base was retained as a newsgathering centre and general office, however produced from Meridian's studios in Whiteley, Hampshire. Broadcast from the Oxford and Hannington transmitters plus associated relays.

Identity[link]

Upon launch, Central's on screen presentation featured a sphere which resembled as moon/total eplices would burst open with light, before reforming, accompanied by a light jingle, but was dropped and revised during 1982, so the moon ident would just be flashed with colour spectrum appearing to its left hand side.^[11] This ident was dropped in 1985 expect for Front and end caps on Networked programmes until 1988.

Cake[link]

In 1985 it was updated with the moon being replaced by the "Cake" by using 3-dimensional computer graphics shapes to from the Central 'cake' while still keeping the colour spectrum on the left. by 1988, a new station logo was adopted, featuring all the elements of the disc. The new logo was a circle in shape, but with a curved line running down the left hand side and five horizontal lines dividing the sphere up into twelve segments. The left six segments were coloured red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple and the whole symbol was computer animated. The symbol, nicknamed The Cake, would have a variety of form ups, mainly involved with bringing the segments together or applying the colour to the symbol. The soundtrack was the same composition, but played in a variety of different ways.^[12]

Central adopted the ITV 1989 generic look as another ident to use alongside the Cake. The generic ident was used in its raw form, with altered music, and as part of another ident giving greater emphasis to the cake but was dropped in 1990.^[12] Between 1988 - 1997 well over 10'000 different piece of variations were made, including break bumpers, ident, "next" or many other features, Which give the channel a hugh range of presentation. The last batch to be created was in 1997, in which the cake became more abstract with both more advanced computer graphics used and more live action models and sequences.^[12]

Central[link]

The cake' lasted 12 years before being replaced in 1998, by an adapting a version of the idents used by Carlton who had been using since 1996. This featured the name Central in the font Gill Sans in centre screen against a bright and colourful background. The idents featured a 2D animation of either the letters interacting in some way, a letter being replaced with another object, or the word being part of a larger scene, such as a cross word of place names in the region. The look was to subside however in 1999.^[12]

Carlton[link]

Central adopted the Carlton 'Star' branding in 1999, shortly before much of the network adopted the second generic look under the theme of 'Hearts'. The Carlton idents featured an opening film featuring a heart at the end, before a star shaped light came from the heart, engulfing the screen, and showing the endboard, which featured a background of spinning stars in different colours with the brand name centre screen above an ITV logo. The ident itself technically was praised, however the presentational package received complaints and criticisms due to the fact that the Central brand was replaced by the Carlton brand. These idents were branded as Carlton, with the Central brand remaining for the news service only.^[13]

In August 2001, the ITV1 brand was formed, which replaced the 'ITV' on the Carlton idents. As the ITV1 idents began to be used on their own more and more, and Carlton and Granada owned all the franchises in England and Wales, Carlton and Granada decided to axe regional branding, and replace it with a full-time ITV1 identity. Before regional programmes, the logo 'ITV1 Carlton' was used, until late 2003, when they were known as 'ITV1 for Central England'. The regional idents began to be used less and less, and by 2006, on most days, the only regional branding was for the regional news. In November 2006, the Central Brand was taken away forever, when regional idents were axed. It is now known as just ITV1 at all times.

The Carlton brand continued to be seen on production captions until February 2004, when the caption A Carlton Production or A Carlton Production for Central England being used. This was replaced, following the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications to form ITV plc, with an ITV regional logo featuring the word Central below the ITV logo. Today, all productions have been moved away from the Midlands region, and any productions are accredited to ITV Studios.^[13]

Programmes[link]

The company performed strongly on programming, carrying on several ATV shows, most notably the soap-opera Crossroads and the hit Drama series Boon. Original programming included the comedy-drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (more recently revived by the BBC) and the game shows The Price is Right, Bullseye and Blockbusters.

On the second day of transmissions, Central made a poor impression to viewers when the Tiswas spin-off O.T.T. went on air. The show was hosted by Chris Tarrant, Lenny Henry and Helen Atkinson Wood. Though it did receive 13 million viewers on that night, it was criticised for being "too sexist" and it did not help that the opening titles were of a naked blow-up doll floating around the screen. Though its viewing figures would normally have earned another series, it was cancelled after the first series, mainly due to its risky and dangerous acts.

Aside from continuing the theme of ATV, Central also produced the heavyweight drama Walter for the first evening of Channel 4. A critically acclaimed drama it starred Ian McKellen in the eponymous lead role as a handicapped man adjusting to life after the death of his mother. The company also produced the detective drama Inspector Morse in association with Zenith Productions, a production company originally set up to be an in-house subsidiary of Central specialising in high-cost filmed drama, but which in 1987 was sold to Carlton Communications, the company that eventually was to purchase Central itself. Like ATV, Central was also a large contributor to programmes for schools and colleges on the ITV network.

It scored a failure however with the 1987 comedy Hardwicke House, about an anarchic comprehensive school. The first two episodes received so much public condemnation that the remainder were never transmitted.

Christmas 1990 saw Central enjoy its largest audience ever for a Christmas Show with well in excess of 16 million viewers for a pantomime special edition of Family Fortunes, produced by Tony Wolfe and Associate Producer Roger Edwards.

Whereas local news had been a constant criticism of ATV, Central invested more effort into it. As well as the east and west regions, in 1989 a third sub-region covering the South Midlands was created. With a news studio in Abingdon (near Oxford), Central News South was at the time of its creation the most automated news operation in the country. The service was launched on 9 January 1989, the opening night being fraught with technical problems. Presenters Wesley Smith and Anne Dawson co-presented the main programme, and were the longest-serving co-presenters of any ITV regional news programme, until Dawson's departure in 2003 to become a college lecturer. She was replaced as main presenter by Hannah Stewart-Jones, formerly of Channel TV. Both continue to appear on Thames Valley Tonight, although Wesley Smith's regular co-presenter is now Mary Green, formerly of the West sub-region of Meridian Tonight.

The BBC finally responded to the creation of Central News South in 2000, by creating a sub-opt-out of South Today, that is broadcast to Oxfordshire, eastern Wiltshire, and parts of Buckinghamshire.

As well as previously being at the heart of the ITV Network's children's and schools programming, Central was also a significant contributor to network sport production. Until it was moved to London (and merged with the London News Network's operations to form ITV Sport Productions), Central's sport department, under the leadership of Gary Newbon (who also occasionally appeared on-screen as a reporter and presenter), produced nearly all of ITV's football coverage (from FA Cup to UEFA Champions' League). Following its disbandment, Newbon moved to presenting full time, first for talkSPORT, then Sky Sports.

Notable programmes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• ITV Central at itv.com.
• Interior and exterior photos of the original home of Central studios, Broad Street.
• - A slowly developing web-guide to Central.
• Tiswas Online - Tiswas was a popular Saturday morning children's programme produced by ATV/Central.
• Ident on Central branding

v t e ITV Channels Current Domestic SD: ITV1 / STV / UTV / Channel Television · ITV2 · ITV3 · ITV4 · CITV · The Zone HD: ITV1 HD / STV HD / UTV HD · ITV2 HD · ITV3 HD · ITV4 HD International ITV Granada Defunct ITV News Channel · ITV Sport Channel · S2 · UTV2 Companies Current Channel Television Ltd · ITV plc (ITV Breakfast Ltd) · STV Group plc · UTV Media plc Former Alpha Television · Carlton Communications plc · Granada plc · Granada Productions · ITV Digital Ltd · Trident Television · Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television Divisions, brands and services Current Children's: CITV · News: ITV News (ITN) · Sport: ITV Sport · Production: ITV Studios  · Weather: ITV Weather · Mobile: ITV Mobile · Online: itv.com / stv.tv / u.tv / channelonline.tv  · Catch up: ITV Player / STV Player / UTV Player / ctvPlayer Defunct ITV Digital · ITV Local · ITV Schools Franchises and regions National franchises Breakfast: TV-am (1983-1992), GMTV (1993-2010), ITV Breakfast (2010-) · Teletext: ORACLE (1974-1992), Teletext Ltd. (1993-) Regional franchises Northern Scotland: Grampian · Central Scotland: Scottish · Scottish/English Border: Border · Northern Ireland: UTV · North East England: Tyne Tees · Yorkshire/Lincolnshire: Yorkshire · North of England (weekdays), later North West England (all week) and Isle of Man: Granada · North of England and Midlands (weekends): ABC · Wales and the West of England: TWW, WWN, ITSWW, HTV · Midlands (weekdays) and London (weekends), later Midlands (all week): ATV · Midlands (all week): Central · East Anglia: Anglia · London (weekdays): Rediffusion, Thames, Carlton · London (weekends): ATV, LWT · South and South East England: Southern, TVS, Meridian · South West England: Westward, TSW, Westcountry · Channel Islands: Channel Unsuccessful franchise bids London Weekday, East Anglia and South and South East England: CPV-TV · North West England: North West Television Non-franchise regions Current ITV Anglia · ITV Central · ITV Channel Television · ITV Granada · ITV London · ITV Meridian · ITV Tyne Tees & Border · ITV Wales · ITV West and Westcountry · ITV Yorkshire · STV · UTV Defunct ITV Border · ITV Thames Valley · ITV Tyne Tees · ITV West · ITV Westcountry Regulators ITA (1954-72) · IBA (1972-91) · ITC (1991-2003) · Ofcom (2003-present) Other Freesat (Channels) · History of ITV (Idents · ITV Emergency National Service (1968) · ITV Telethon · Night Network) · ITV Nightscreen · People (Journalists and newsreaders) · Programmes · Television House · United Kingdom Independent Broadcasting Category ·  Commons

Connie Talbot
Talbot at Sutton Park, March 2012.
Background information
Born	(2000-11-20) 20 November 2000 (age 11)[1]
Origin	Streetly, Aldridge, England
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2007–present
Website	connietalbot.com

Connie Talbot (born 20 November 2000) is an English child singer from Streetly, Aldridge. She rose to fame in 2007 when she reached the final of the first series of Britain's Got Talent, where she was runner-up to Paul Potts. Talbot was supposed to sign with Sony BMG but the label pulled out of the deal due to her age.

Talbot signed with Rainbow Recording Company and released her debut album Over the Rainbow in the UK on 26 November 2007. The album was re-released 18 June 2008 with a new track listing, and the first single from the album, a cover of Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds", was released on 10 June.

Despite its negative critical reception, Over the Rainbow has sold over 250,000 copies worldwide and reached number one in three countries. Since the initial album release, Talbot has performed publicly and on television in Europe, the U.S. and across Asia, where her music had gained recognition through YouTube. Her second album, Connie Talbot's Christmas Album, was released on 24 November 2008; her third, Holiday Magic, was released in late 2009. While pursuing her musical career, Talbot attends school, and lives in Streetly with her family.

History[link]

[edit] Britain's Got Talent and Sony BMG

Talbot initially auditioned for the first series of television reality show Britain's Got Talent for fun, but her confidence increased when Simon Cowell, whom she is said to have idolised,^[2] described her as "pure magic" and said that he would make her earn "£1 million-plus this year".^[2] The judges expected a "joke" performance and she had never taken singing lessons, but Talbot's initial performance received international press coverage.^[3] She reached the final round after winning her semi-final with a live performance of "Ben" by Michael Jackson.^[4] On the night of the final, she sang The Wizard of Oz's "Over the Rainbow", but lost to Paul Potts as a result of the call-in vote.^[5][6] Talbot and Potts had been joint favourites to win the series.^[7][8]

Talbot during the recording of "Smile" for Sony BMG

According to journalist and Britain's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, Talbot's performances resulted in many children, including Faryl Smith, auditioning for the second series of the show.^[9] After his victory, series 2 winner George Sampson spoke of his participation in the first series, where he was knocked out before the live shows, saying "I don't think I had any shot of winning last year ... When you look at the standard of Paul Potts and Connie Talbot. Paul Potts is out of this league, and Connie is out of this league – I wasn't good enough."^[10] Talbot voted for Sampson, saying "I liked his dancing – he was good on the lamppost".^[11]

Cowell had preliminarily agreed to sign Talbot with his own record label, Sony BMG. After recording two songs in London with Talbot ("Over the Rainbow" and "Smile"^[2]), the label pulled out of the deal.^[12] Talbot's mother, Sharon, said she was told that her daughter "...was too young to be their sort of artist", adding "We have been told to look for a company which looks after children."^[13][14] In a statement, the label said "there was some deliberation over the possibility of recording with Connie ... However, the decision not to proceed was made with the best intentions for Connie, taking into consideration her age and that it would not be right to do so at this time."^[13] Cowell himself said that "when the time is right, [he would] be delighted to see if [they could] make it work".^[13] The Talbot family decided to search for another label, saying "while [Talbot] loves what she's doing it would be cruel to stop her. Fame and money will never matter."^[2]

[edit] Over the Rainbow

In October 2007 Talbot signed with the Rainbow Recording Company for a six-figure deal.^[14] Rainbow Recording Company, an offshoot of record label Rhythm Riders made specifically for Talbot,^[2] was due to release Talbot's first album on 26 November 2007.^[14] It was later reported that the album was named Over the Rainbow, and the first single, "Over the Rainbow"/"White Christmas", would be released on 3 December 2007.^[2] Experts predicted that she had a good chance of getting the Christmas number one,^[2][14] but the single was cancelled in favour of an album-first release.^[15] Before the album was released, there was much speculation about Talbot and the album, with music experts describing her as potentially being "the next Charlotte Church".^[16]

Talbot at the Olympic Studios during the recording of Over the Rainbow

The team behind the album consisted of John Arnison, who also managed Gabrielle and Billy Ocean, and Marc Marot, former managing director of Island Records.^[2] It was produced and mixed by Simon Hill and Rob May.^[17] Arnison revealed that he and his team "are not going to give [Talbot] singing lessons – we don't need to", and said that when he met Talbot, he was "blown away".^[18] A schedule was worked out allowing Talbot to continue with her normal school activities while recording the album in her aunt Vicky's spare bedroom, which her mother described as "a better solution [than Sony BMG offered] which has not robbed her of her childhood".^[2] Although Arnison claimed he did not "want to put her through the promotional grind which most artists go through because she is too young", plans were made for an appearance on daytime television programme This Morning, as well as an appearance on Children in Need on 16 November 2007.^[2] The album was released on 26 November 2007 and Talbot's mother said that "All the family is really excited, but Connie is quite blase about it."^[19] The album was certified gold in early December,^[20] with Talbot being presented a gold disc by Phillip Schofield on This Morning.^[21] Initially, 50,000 copies of the album were pressed, but an additional 120,000 had to be made after the album sold out in days.^[21]

In late 2007, public appearances by Talbot included headlining the Great Bridge Christmas and Winter Festival, which local police threatened to cancel unless crowds clamouring to reach the tent in which Talbot was performing could be brought under control.^[20] At the event, on 7 December 2007, Talbot said "I love it here, it’s brilliant, really fun", but had to be ushered off-stage by the police.^[20] Talbot performed publicly in Walsall's HMV store, and in Birmingham's Centenary Square.^[22] TV appearances included GMTV and Channel 5 news, both on 26 November 2007.^[22] According to her mother, Talbot has received offers for film roles. Sharon said "[Talbot]'s been sent a script, I haven't had a good look at it yet but it's really exciting ... Connie's a singer, not an actress, so we'll see what happens. It's completely up to her whether or not she wants to do it. I can't believe it, though."^[20]

Sharon Mawer of Allmusic praised Over the Rainbow by saying "She can sing, for a seven year old, and most of the notes (if not all of them) are in the right order and sung to the right pitch; the timing is fine too".^[23] However, she criticised the album, saying "there's no feeling, no emotion, no realisation of what each song is about; they're just pretty little songs", giving the album 2/5.^[23] Nick Levine, of Digital Spy, said in a review of the album that Talbot had a "sweet, pure voice", but that there is "no nuance or depth to her performance".^[24] However, he said that "There's something inherently wrong about awarding a star rating to a seven-year-old", and that "the decidedly adult concept of musical merit should have nothing to do with [her music]", awarding the album 2/5.^[24]

The album was rereleased on 16 June 2008,^[25] but was available for pre-order in May, with three new tracks to replace its Christmas-themed songs.^[26][27][28] The first single from the album, "Three Little Birds", was released in June 2008, and a video for the song was shot in Jamaica.^[25] In April and May 2008, Talbot toured Asia to promote Over the Rainbow.^[29] Asian press attributed her success to her videos on YouTube, with the Sun.Star mentioning that her most viewed video had been watched over 14 million times,^[28] and The Straits Times saying that videos of Talbot's performances have been watched over 30 million times.^[29] The tour made stops in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, and Talbot and her family returned to England in late May.^[30] Following the tour, it was reported that the album had reached number one on the charts in Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong,^[25][30] as well as reaching number three in Singapore.^[30] After the tour, Talbot travelled to Poland, where she performed on television.^[11]

It was also revealed that Over the Rainbow was due for release in America in September,^[31] resulting in attention from American press sources including Fox Business Network and MarketWatch.^[32][33] The U.S. version was eventually released on 14 October,^[34] with Talbot appearing on American television shows including The Ellen DeGeneres Show to publicise the release.^[35]

In August 2008, it was announced that Talbot had signed a contract with Data Design Interactive for production of a video game on the Wii console. The game was to feature 15 songs from Over the Rainbow, allowing players to sing along with a computer-generated image of Talbot or against other players in a karaoke mode.^[31][36] Talbot rerecorded the album for the game.^[37] The game was scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2009,^[35] and is called Connie Talbot: Over the Rainbow.^[38] The game hasn't been released yet as of 2011, citing copyright issues on the songs used for it.

[edit] Christmas Album and Holiday Magic

In November 2008, it was announced that Talbot had produced a series of new songs for an album.^[39] Recorded in her bedroom studio, Connie Talbot's Christmas Album was released on 24 November.^[40] It is a Christmas themed album,^[40] featuring, according to Talbot's official website, "a mix of classics and modern Christmas tunes".^[39] News was also released of a one-off Christmas special to be shown on ITV1 in the days leading up to Christmas, featuring footage of Talbot's journey to America and a "secret concert" at her primary school.^[41] The documentary, Christmas with Connie, was shown on ITV Central on 18 December.^[38] Talbot appeared at Walsall's HMV branch shortly after the release of her Christmas Album to sign copies and meet fans.^[42] She then embarked on a promotional tour making stops around the world, which included a performance at Ewha Womans University in Korea,^[43] and a performance on the A Heart for Children television charity gala in Berlin, Germany.^[44] She returned home in mid December, to have "a quiet family Christmas".^[45]

Connie Talbot's Christmas Album was difficult to obtain in Britain after the distributor, Pinnacle Entertainment, went into administration. Talbot's mother, Sharon, was quoted as saying "We don't really know what's going to happen at the moment ... We think they'll probably wait and promote the album later this year. It's a shame, but they can still get the album in Asia and the US."^[46] Reviewing the album for FemaleFirst magazine, Ruth Harrison gave it 4/5, saying that Talbot has "a great voice when it comes to swing, but lets us down in parts".^[47]

In April 2009, Talbot again travelled to the U.S. in order to publicise her new single, a cover of "I Will Always Love You". The single was released in the U.S. on 7 April, along with a newly recorded "You Raise Me Up".^[48] Talbot then travelled to the U.S. on 30 April, and returned on 2 May.^[49] Appearances included a performance on Good Day New York on Fox Broadcasting Company's WNYW.^[50]

Talbot's third album, Connie Talbot's Holiday Magic, was released on 20 October 2009 in the United States and on 30 November 2009 in the United Kingdom. The United States album is dedicated to the Toys for Tots campaign, of which Talbot has been named the child ambassador. In a statement, Bill Grein, Vice President of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, said-

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is extremely proud and excited to have Connie as our youngest ambassador ever ... She is the perfect person to inform the public of the millions of less fortunate children who may be overlooked this Christmas holiday season, unless people step up to donate a toy or make a cash contribution. Her angelic looks and voice will remind everyone of the innocence of children. And they all deserve to experience the magic of the holiday season! I hope she sells lots of CDs and raises a lot of money and awareness for our children.^[51]

2010–present[link]

This section requires expansion with: Details about her appearance at the 2010 G-20 Seoul_summit.

Talbot performed for her largest ever audience when she performed on Chinese state television during the Chinese new-year in 2011.^[52] Reporting the event, the Daily Mail's Kathryn Knight observed that Talbot has "had more than 300  million hits on YouTube and in the Far East, in particular, she's something of an icon. Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Brazil, Mexico and the U.S. — you name it, Connie’s a star there. In fact Connie is in huge demand across the globe — everywhere, that is, apart from her native Britain."^[53] Viewing figures for the event were estimated to be around 400 million.^[53][54][55]

Talbot backstage at "Young Voices"

During this time, Talbot continued to upload videos of her performances onto YouTube. Maggie Coughlan, of PopEater.com, praised her covers of Katy Perry's "Firework" and Bruno Mars's "Grenade", but was most impressed by her cover of Adele's "Someone Like You", which she said was performed "with such grace that she makes the entire performance look effortless".^[56] The video was also picked up by PerezHilton.com.^[57] After the death of Whitney Houston, Talbot posted a cover version of "Run to You" as a tribute to Houston. The video received attention from around the world, and became the most "liked" video in the UK.^[58]

On 28 November 2011, Talbot released "Beautiful World" as a single on iTunes. The song was written by Talbot when she was seven. A demo of the track was placed on YouTube, and became the 39th most watched video in the world on the day it was uploaded.^[59]

In March 2012, Talbot performed with and led Young Voices, a choir made up of around 7000 primary school children, at the O2 Arena for four nights. The choir broke the world-record for being the largest backing choir for a lead vocalist.^[60] This Guinness world record followes her accolades as the youngest artist to make the UK album charts ^[61] and the youngest to release a gold-selling record.^[62] Others involved in the event included Randolph Matthews and The High Kings,^[63] and performances took place elsewhere in the United Kingdom, including Manchester and Birmingham.^[64] The performances were in aid of CLIC Sargent, a children's cancer charity.^[65]

Personal life[link]

Talbot lives in Streetly, in the West Midlands, and currently attends a state primary school.^[66] She lives with her mother, Sharon, her father Gavin, a self-employed property maintenance engineer, her older brother Josh, and her sister, Mollie.^[2][67] Talbot sang "Over the Rainbow", her signature song, at her grandmother's funeral, because she and her grandmother had enjoyed watching The Wizard of Oz together.^[67] Talbot drew confidence in Britain's Got Talent from the belief that her grandmother was watching, and vowed to win the show in her memory.^[2] Despite Talbot speaking positively of the effects of her fame, her parents spoke of a darker side, including having to change their phone number and hire a bodyguard for their daughter.^[2]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

• British singer Connie Talbot In Seoul to perform at G20 summit celebration concert
• Connie Talbot: Little girl with the big voice

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Connie Talbot

• Official website
• Official channel on YouTube
• Connie Talbot at Allmusic
• Connie Talbot on MySpace

v t e Britain's Got Talent Got Talent Series 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 Presenters Ant & Dec · Stephen Mulhern Judges Current Simon Cowell · Amanda Holden · Alesha Dixon · David Walliams Former Kelly Brook · Piers Morgan · Michael McIntyre · David Hasselhoff Guest Louis Walsh · Carmen Electra Winners Paul Potts · George Sampson · Diversity · Spelbound · Jai McDowall · Ashleigh and Pudsey Other notable contestants Series 1 Bessie Cursons · Connie Talbot · Damon Scott · Bar Wizards · Jake Pratt Series 2 Signature · Andrew Johnston · Escala · Faryl Smith · Kate and Gin · Charlie Green · Charlie Wernham Series 3 Susan Boyle · Julian Smith · Aidan Davis · Hollie Steel · Shaheen Jafargholi · Callum Francis · DJ Talent · Flawless · John Farnworth Series 4 Twist and Pulse · Paul Burling · ReConnected · Myles and Connor · Kev Orkian · Stevie Starr · The Cheeky Girls · Matthew Ahmet Series 5 Ronan Parke · Out of the Blue Series 6 Jonathan and Charlotte · Only Boys Aloud · The Loveable Rogues · Ryan O'Shaughnessy  · Molly Rainford · The Zimmers Related articles List of episodes · Discography · SYCOtv · FremantleMedia · talkbackTHAMES · Thames · ITV Category

Robin Banks (real name Christian Richardson) (born 22 March 1972)^[1] is a TV presenter and radio DJ originally from Kilkenny, Ireland. He is not to be confused with the former Radio North Sea International DJ and engineer Robin Banks, real name Robin Adcroft.

Career[link]

He is the narrator in the British/European version of the popular Discovery Channel show MythBusters, from season 2 to the present day. He has worked as a reporter for the Bravo television show Bravado. He has also presented shows for the BBC, Channel 4, Sky1 and Living. He recently left the breakfast show on London's Kiss 100 and has reportedly presented several guest shows on Galaxy FM. He has previously had radio shows on Radio Nova, Atlantic 252, Virgin Radio, Beat 106 and Xfm.

On 16 June 2008, Robin Banks joined Leicester radio station Leicester Sound to host the weekday 6am - 10am breakfast show, but was let go due to financial constraints.^{[citation needed]}

On 1 September 2008, Banks appeared on Dragons' Den, under his real name, to pitch for investment in The Tiny Box Company that he helped set up. He and his business partner Rachel Watkyn secured an investment of £60,000 (more than they asked for) from Dragons Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones.

In the aftermath of his appearance on Dragons' Den, he spoke honestly about his battles with an alcohol and cocaine addiction in an interview with the Mail on Sunday.^[2]

On 7 March 2009, Robin Banks made a post on Discovery Channel UK forums revealing that he will shortly return as the series narrator for MythBusters.^[3] He mentioned that it would not be possible without fans supporting him, thus wanting him back. He has narrated Mythbusters for 6 series in the UK, Europe and Asia.

From March 2010 he also narrates Dirty Jobs for Discovery Channel.^{[citation needed]}

Most recently, Banks presented the weekday evening show for Orion Media's network of West Midlands stations (BRMB, Beacon, Mercia and Wyvern). He left the company in July 2011.

He offers Radio Coaching (coaches worldwide), runs Radio Workshops and has consulted a number of businesses.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• RobinBanks.com
• Facebook page
• The Tiny Box Company
• Robin Banks on Twitter
• Robin Banks at Media UK
• Robin Banks at the Internet Movie Database

George Michael
George Michael in concert in Belgium, on 14 November 2006
Background information
Birth name	Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Born	(1963-06-25) 25 June 1963 (age 49) East Finchley, North London, England
Genres	Pop rock, New Wave, synthpop, blue-eyed soul
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments	vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, piano, keyboards, drums, percussion, horns
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Aegean, Columbia, Sony
Associated acts	Wham!, Band Aid, Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Mutya Buena, Whitney Houston, Jody Watley
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Piano John Lennon model "Z" Steinway[1]

George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Greek: Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου); 25 June 1963) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.^[2] Michael rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley. His first solo single, "Careless Whisper", was released when he was still in the duo and sold about six million copies worldwide.^[3]

As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Michael has sold more than 100 million records worldwide as of 2010.^[4] His 1987 debut solo album, Faith, has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and made several records and achievements in the United States.^[5] Michael has garnered seven number one singles in the UK and eight number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Michael the 40th most successful artist on the Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists list.^[6]

Michael has won numerous music awards throughout his 30-year career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male twice, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Ivor Novello Awards, three American Music Awards, and two Grammy Awards from eight nominations.^[7][8]

In 2004, the Radio Academy named Michael as the most played artist on British radio between the period of 1984–2004.^[9] The documentary A Different Story was released in 2005; it covered his personal life and professional career.^[10] In 2006, George Michael announced his first tour in 15 years. The 25 Live tour was a massive, worldwide undertaking by Michael, spanning three individual tours over the course of three years (2006, 2007 and 2008).^[11]

Early life[link]

Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley, North London.^[12][13] His father, Kyriacos Panayiotou, a Greek Cypriot restaurateur, moved to England in the 1950s and changed his name to Jack Panos.^[14] Michael's mother, Lesley Angold (née Harrison, 1937–1997),^[15] was an English dancer who died from cancer in Fulham.^[15][16][17] His maternal grandmother was Jewish, but hid that fact from her children during World War II for fear of persecution.^[18] Michael spent the majority of his childhood in North London, in the home his parents bought soon after his birth. While in his early teens, the family moved to Radlett. There Michael attended the Bushey Meads School, where he met Andrew Ridgeley. The two had the same career ambition of being musicians.^[19]

His involvement in the music business began with his working as a DJ, playing at clubs and local schools around Bushey, Stanmore and Watford. This was followed by the formation of a short-lived ska band called The Executive with Ridgeley, Ridgeley's brother Paul, Andrew Leaver, and David Mortimer (aka David Austin).^[20]

Musical career[link]

1981–1986: Wham![link]

Michael first found success after forming the duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. The band's first album Fantastic reached no. 1 in the UK and produced a series of top 10 singles including "Young Guns (Go For It!)", "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" and "Club Tropicana". Their second album, Make It Big, was the breakthrough that made the duo international superstars, reaching No. 1 on the charts in the US Singles from that album included "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Freedom", "Everything She Wants", and "Careless Whisper", the latter of which was Michael's first solo effort as a single.

Michael 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 charity. In addition, he contributed background vocals to David Cassidy's 1985 hit "The Last Kiss", as well as Elton John's 1985 successes "Nikita" and "Wrap Her Up". Michael cited Cassidy as a major career influence and interviewed Cassidy for David Litchfield's prestigious Ritz Newspaper.^[21]

Wham!'s tour of China in April 1985, the first visit to China by a Western popular music act, generated enormous worldwide media coverage, much of it centred on Michael. 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-increasing fame.^[22]

With the success of Michael's solo singles, "Careless Whisper" (1984) and "A Different Corner" (1986), rumours of an impending break up of Wham! intensified. The duo officially separated during the summer of 1986, after releasing a farewell single, "The Edge of Heaven" and a singles compilation, The Final, plus a sell-out concert at Wembley Stadium that included the world premiere of the China film. The Wham! partnership ended officially with the commercially successful single "The Edge of Heaven", which reached no.1 on the UK chart in June 1986.^[23]

Solo career[link]

The beginning of his solo career, during early 1987, was a duet with soul music icon Aretha Franklin. "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" was a one-off project that helped Michael achieve an ambition by singing with one of his favourite artists, and it scored number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release.^[24][25]

For Michael, it became his third consecutive solo number one in the UK from three releases, after 1984's "Careless Whisper" (though the single was actually from the Wham! album Make It Big) and 1986's "A Different Corner". 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 unknown at the time, although he would have success as a performer with the band Climie Fisher in 1988. Michael and Aretha Franklin won a Grammy Award in 1988 for Best R&B Performance – Duo or Group with Vocal for the song.^[26]

[edit] 1987–1989: Faith

During the autumn of 1987, Michael released his first solo album, Faith. 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.^[27]

The first single released from the album was "I Want Your Sex", during the summer of 1987. The song was banned by many radio stations in the UK and US, due to its sexually suggestive lyrics.^[28] MTV would broadcast the video, featuring celebrity make-up artist Kathy Jeung in a basque and suspenders, only during the late night hours.^[28] Michael argued that the act was beautiful 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."^[29] One of the racier scenes involved Michael writing the words "explore monogamy" on his partner's back in lipstick.^[30] Some radio stations played a toned-down version of the song, "I Want Your Love," which was mainly the word "love" replacing "sex."^[31] 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."^[31] 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 soundtrack of the movie.^[32]

Despite censorship and radio play problems, "I Want Your Sex" reached No.2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart^[33] and at No.3 in Britain.^[34]

The second single, "Faith", was released during October 1987, just a few weeks before the album. "Faith" would become one of his most popular songs. The song hit No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and maintained that position for four consecutive weeks.^[35] It also reached no.2 in the UK Singles Chart.^[34] The famous video provided some definitive images of the 1980s music industry in the process—Michael in shades, leather jacket, cowboy boots, and Levi's jeans, playing a guitar near a classic-design jukebox.^[36] On 30 October, Faith was released in the UK and in several markets worldwide.^[32] In the United States, the album had 51 non-consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard 200, including 12 weeks at no.1. "Faith" had many successes, four of which ("Faith", "Father Figure", "One More Try", and "Monkey") reached no. 1.^[37] Eventually, "Faith" received Diamond certification by the RIAA for sales of 10 million copies in the US.^[38] To date, global sales of Faith are more than 25 million units.^[39]

In 1988, Michael embarked on a world tour.^[40] 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". In Los Angeles, California, Michael was joined on stage by Aretha Franklin for "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". It was the second highest grossing event of 1988, earning $17.7 million.^[41] According to Michael in his film, A Different Story, success did not make him happy and 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 exhausted, lonely and frustrated, and far from his friends and family.^[42] At the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, Michael received the Video Vanguard Award.^[43] In 1990, he told his record company Sony that, for his second album, he did not want to do promotions like the one for Faith.^[32]

[edit] 1990–1992: Listen Without Prejudice

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 was released in September 1990. For this album, Michael tried to create a new reputation as a serious-minded artist; the title is an indication of his desire to be taken more seriously as a songwriter.^[44] Michael refused to make any kind of promotion for this album, including no music videos for the singles released.^[32] The first single, "Praying for Time", was released in August 1990. It concerned social ills and injustice; the song was an instant success, reaching No. 6 in the UK and No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, despite the absence of a video.^[35] A video was released shortly thereafter, consisting of the lyrics on a dark background. Michael did not appear in this video or any subsequent videos for the album.^[44]

The second single "Waiting for That Day" was an acoustic-heavy single, released as an immediate follow-up to "Praying For Time". It reached No. 27 in the US^[35] and No. 23 in the UK^[34] in October 1990. The album was released in Europe on 3 September 1990 (and one week later in the United States). It reached No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart^[34] and peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200.^[35] It spent a total of 88 weeks on the UK Albums Chart and was certified 4 times Platinum by the BPI.^[45] The album produced 5 UK singles, which were released quickly, within an at eight-month period: "Praying for Time", "Waiting for That Day", "Freedom! '90", "Heal the Pain", and "Cowboys and Angels" (the latter being his only single not to chart in the UK top 40).^[34]

"Freedom '90" was the second of only two of its singles to be supported by a music video (the other being the Michael-less "Praying for Time").^[46] The song alludes to his struggles with his artistic identity, and prophesied his efforts shortly thereafter to end his recording contract with Sony Music. As if to prove the song's sentiment, Michael 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 appear in and lip sync in his stead.^[46] It also featured the reduction of his sex symbol status.^[47] It had contrasting fortunes on each side of the Atlantic—a No.8 success on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US,^[35] but only No.28 on the UK Singles Chart.^[34] "Mother's Pride" gained significant radio play in the United States during the first Persian Gulf War during 1991, often with radio stations mixing in callers' tributes to soldiers with the music.^[48] It reached No.46 on Billboard Hot 100 with only airplay.^[35] In the end, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 sold approximately 8 million copies.^[49]

In 1991, George Michael embarked on the "Cover to Cover Tour" in Japan, England, the US, and Brazil, where he performed at the "Rock in Rio" event.^[50] In the audience in Rio, he saw and later met Anselmo Feleppa, the man who would become his partner.^[48] The tour was not a proper promotion for Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. Rather, it was more about Michael singing his favourite cover songs.^[50] Among his favourites was "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", a 1974 song by Elton John; Michael and John had performed the song together at the Live Aid concert in 1985, and again for Michael's concert at London's Wembley Arena on 25 March 1991, where the duet was recorded. The single was released at the end of 1991 and became a success on both sides of the Atlantic.^[51]

In the meantime, the expected follow-up album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 2, was scrapped due to Michael's lawsuit with Sony.^[52] Among Michael's complaints was that Sony had not completely supported the release of his second album, resulting in its poor performance in the US as compared to Faith. Sony responded that Michael's refusal to appear in promotional videos had caused the bad response.^[53] Michael ended the idea for Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 2 and donated three songs to the charity project Red Hot + Dance, for the Red Hot Organization which raised money for AIDS awareness,^[54] while a fourth track "Crazyman Dance" was the B-side of 1992's "Too Funky". Michael donated the royalties from "Too Funky" to the same cause.^[55] The song did not 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. The video featured Michael (sporadically) as a director filming supermodels Linda Evangelista, Beverly Peele, Estelle Lefébure and Nadja Auermann at a fashion show.^[56] "Too Funky" was a success, reaching number 4 in the UK singles chart^[34] and number 10 in the US Billboard Hot 100.^[35]

[edit] 1993: Five Live

George Michael performed at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium.^[57] The concert was a tribute to the life of the late Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury, with some proceeds going to AIDS research.^[58] Michael performed "'39" and "Somebody to Love". The performance of the latter was released on the "Five Live" EP.

Five Live, released in 1993 for Parlophone in the UK and Hollywood Records in the US, features five—and in some countries, six—tracks performed by George Michael, Queen, and Lisa Stansfield."Somebody to Love" and "These Are the Days of Our Lives" were recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. "Killer", "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", and "Calling You" were all live performances recorded during his "Cover to Cover Tour" from 1991. Michael's performances of "Somebody to Love" was hailed as "one of best performances of the tribute concert".^[59][60] The idea of having George Michael take over as full-time lead singer of Queen was even given serious consideration.^[61]

All proceeds from the sale of the EP benefited the Mercury Phoenix Trust.^[62] Sales of the EP were very strong through Europe, where it debuted at number 1 in the UK and several European countries.^[34] Chart success in the United States was less spectacular, where it peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200 ("Somebody to Love" reached No.30 on the US Billboard Hot 100).^[35]

[edit] 1994–1997: Older

During November 1994, after a long period of seclusion, George Michael appeared at the first MTV Europe Music Awards show, where he gave a touching performance of a brand-new song, "Jesus to a Child".^[63] The song was a melancholy tribute to his lover, Anselmo Feleppa, who had died in March 1993.^[64]

The song was Michael's first self-penned success in his homeland in almost four years; it entered the UK singles chart at No. 1^[34] and No. 7 on Billboard in the same month of release.^[35] 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 Michael's relationship with Feleppa—was shrouded in innuendo and speculation, as Michael had not confirmed he was homosexual and did not do so until 1998. The video for "Jesus to a Child" was a picture of images recalling loss, pain and suffering. Michael consistently dedicates the song to Feleppa before performing it live.^[65]

The second single, released in April 1996, was "Fastlove", an energetic tune about wanting gratification and fulfilment without commitment. The song was somewhat unusual for a popular song, in that it did not have a defined chorus and that the single version was nearly five minutes long. "Fastlove" was supported by a futuristic virtual reality-related video. It scored No. 1 in the UK singles chart, spending three weeks at the top spot.^[34] In the US, "Fastlove" peaked at No. 8, his most recent single to reach the top 10 on the US charts.^[35] Following "Fastlove", Michael finally released Older, his first studio album in six years and only the third in his ten year solo career. 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.^[66] Older was particularly notable for the release of its six singles. Each of them reached the UK Top 3, a record for the most singles in the British Top 3 released from a single album.^[67] At the time of release of the album's fifth single, "Star People '97", chart specialist James Masterton noted George Michael's success on the singles charts, writing: "George Michael nonetheless makes an impressive Top 3 entry with this single. The Older album has now proved itself to be far and away his most commercially successful recording ever. Five singles now lifted and every single one has been a Top 3 hit. Compare this with the two Top 3 hits produced by Faith and Listen Without Prejudice's scant total of one Top Tenner and one single which missed the Top 40 altogether. This sustained single success has, of course, been achieved with a little help from marketing tricks such as remixes – or in this case a new recording of the album track which gives it a much-needed transformation into a deserved commercial smash."^[68]

In 1996, Michael was voted 'Best British Male', at the MTV Europe Music Awards^[69] and the Brit Awards;^[70] and at The Ivor Novello Awards, he was awarded the prestigious title of 'Songwriter of The Year' for the third time.^[14] Michael performed a concert at Three Mills Studios, London, for MTV Unplugged.^[71] It was his first long performance in years, and in the audience was Michael's mother. The next year, she died of cancer.^[72]

[edit] 1998: Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael was Michael's first solo greatest hits collection released in 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 successful ballads, while the second CD, "For the Feet", consists mainly of his popular dance tunes.^[73] It was released through Sony Music Entertainment as a condition of severing contractual ties with the label.^[74]

The album is notable for containing a large number of compilation tracks and duets that had not 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".

Ladies & Gentlemen was an instant success, peaking at number one on the UK Albums Chart for 8 weeks.^[34] It has spent over 200 weeks in the UK Charts, and it is the 38 best-selling album of all time in the UK.^[75] It is certified 7 times platinum in the United Kingdom and Multi-Platinum in the United States, and it's George Michael's most commercially successful album in his homeland having sold more than 2.8 million copies.^[45] To date, the album has reached worldwide sales of approximately 15 million copies.^[76]

The first single of the album, "Outside" was a humorous song about his arrest for soliciting a policeman in a public restroom. "As", his duet with Mary J. Blige, was released as the second single in many territories around the world. Both singles reached the top 5 in the UK Singles Chart.^[34]

[edit] 1999: Songs from the Last Century

Songs from the Last Century is a studio album of cover tracks. It was released in 1999 and was the final George Michael album to be released through Virgin Records. To date, the album has peaked the lowest of his solo effort. The album debuted at number 157 on the American Billboard 200 albums chart, which was also the album's peak position.^[35] It was also his lowest-charting album in the UK, becoming his only solo effort not to reach number 1. It peaked at number 2 in the UK Albums Chart.^[34] It consists of old standards, plus new interpretations of more recent popular songs such as "Roxanne", "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"; and the Frank Sinatra classic "Where or When". Each of the 11 tracks was co-produced by Phil Ramone and George Michael.^[77]

[edit] 2000–2005: Patience

Michael began working on what would be his fifth studio album, spending two years in the recording studio. His first single "Freeek!", taken from the new album, was successful in Europe going to number one in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Denmark in 2002 and reaching the top 10 in the UK and the top 5 in Australia.^[78] It made 22 charts around the world. However, his next single "Shoot the Dog" proved to be highly controversial when released in July 2002. It was highly critical of George W. Bush and Tony Blair in the leadup to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[79] It reached number one in Denmark and made the top 5 in most European charts.^[80] However, in Britain it peaked at only number 12 in the UK Singles Chart.^[34]

On 17 November 2003, George Michael re-signed with Sony Music after a legal battle with the company led to his contract being sold to rival record companies Virgin Records and DreamWorks Records.^[74] When Michael's fifth studio album, Patience, was released in 2004, it went straight to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart,^[34] and became one of the fastest selling albums in the UK, selling over 200,000 copies in the first week alone.^[81] In Australia it reached number 2 on 22 March.^[82] It reached the Top 5 on most European charts, and peaked at number 12 in the United States, selling over 500,000 copies to earn a Gold certification from the RIAA.^[35] Critically acclaimed, it is considered the album of George Michael's comeback to the spotlight in the new millennium, selling around 7 million copies worldwide and spawning four (of six) new hit singles.^[83]

"Amazing", the first single from the album, became a number one hit in Europe.^[84] When Michael appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show on 26 May 2004, to promote the album, he performed "Amazing", along with his classic songs "Father Figure" and "Faith".^[85] On the show Michael spoke of his arrest, revealing his homosexuality, and his resumption of public performances. He allowed Oprah's crew inside his home outside of London.^[86] The second single taken off the album was "Flawless (Go to the City)", It was a dance hit in Europe as well as North America, reaching no.1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and became Michael's last number one single on the United States Dance chart.^[34] In November, Sony released another single – "Round Here". It was the least successful single taken from Patience when it stalled the UK charts at no. 32.^[34] In 2005, "John and Elvis Are Dead" was released as the final single from the album; it was released as a download single and was therefore unable to chart in the United Kingdom.^[87]

George Michael announced that Patience will be the last record on sale to the public.^[88] He told BBC Radio 1 on 10 March 2004 that future music that he puts out will be available for download, with fans encouraged to make a donation to charity.^[89]

[edit] 2005–2008: Twenty Five and concert tours

Twenty Five was George Michael's second greatest hits album, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his music career.^[90] Released in November 2006 by Sony BMG, it debuted at no.1 in the UK.^[91]

The album contains songs chiefly from George Michael's solo career but also from his earlier days in Wham! It comes in two formats: two CDs or a limited edition three-CD set. The 2-CD set contained 26 tracks, including four recorded with Wham! and three new songs: "An Easier Affair"; "This Is Not Real Love" (a duet with Mutya Buena, formerly of Sugababes, which peaked at No.15 in the UK Charts); and a new version of "Heal the Pain" recorded with Paul McCartney. The limited edition three-CD version contains an additional 14 lesser known tracks, including one from Wham! and another completely new song, "Understand".^[92]

Twenty Five was released in North America on 1 April 2008 as a 29-song, two-CD set featuring several new songs (including duets with Paul McCartney and Mary J. Blige and a song from the short-lived TV series Eli Stone)^[93] in addition to many of Michael's successful songs from both his solo and Wham! career. To commemorate the Twenty Five album, George Michael toured North America for the first time in 17 years, playing large venues in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, St. Paul/Minneapolis, Chicago and Dallas.^[94]

The DVD version of Twenty Five contains 40 videos on two discs, including seven with Wham!.^[95]

During the 2005 Live 8 concert, Michael joined Paul McCartney on stage, harmonising on The Beatles classic "Drive My Car". Michael was one of several remixers commissioned in 1990 to work on dance mixes for Bananarama's "Tripping on Your Love". Bananarama covered "Careless Whisper" for their Exotica album in 2001, and the track was also released as a single in France.

George Michael during a concert in Munich in 2006

In 2006, Michael started his first tour in 15 years, 25 Live. The tour began in Barcelona, Spain, on 23 September and finished in December at Wembley Arena in England. According to his website, the 80-show tour was seen by 1.3 million fans. On 12 May 2007 in Coimbra, Portugal, he began the European "25 Live Stadium Tour 2007", including London and Athens, and ending on 4 August 2007 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. There were 29 tour dates (as of 21 April 2007) across Europe. On 9 June 2007 Michael became the first artist to perform live at the newly renovated Wembley Stadium in London, where he was later fined £130,000 for overrunning the programme for 13 minutes.

On 25 March 2008 a third part of the 25 Live Tour was announced for North America. This part included 21 dates in the United States and Canada. This was Michael's first tour of North America in 17 years. Following news of Michael's North American tour, Twenty Five was released in North America on 1 April 2008 as a 29-song, 2-CD set featuring several new songs (including duets with Paul McCartney and Mary J. Blige and a song from the short-lived TV series, Eli Stone) in addition to many of Michael's successful songs from both his solo and Wham! career. In addition, a companion 2-disc DVD of 40 videos was also made available.

Michael 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 United States. In addition to performing on the show as himself and as "visions", each episode of the show's first season was named after a song of his. Michael appeared on the 2008 finale show of American Idol on 21 May singing "Praying for Time". When asked what he thought Simon will say of his performance, he replied "I think he'll probably tell me I shouldn't have done a George Michael song. He's told plenty of people that in the past, so I think that'd be quite funny."^[96][97][98]

On 1 December, Michael played a last concert in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, as part of the 37th National Day Celebrations.

2008–present: Latest projects[link]

George Michael during a concert in Nice in 2011.

On 25 December 2008, Michael released a new track "December Song" on his website for free. It was hoped that fans who download the song would donate money to charity. Though the song is not available any more on his website, it remains available on file sharing networks^[99] and on 29 October 2009 the BBC said that George Michael was to join the race for the UK Christmas number one as a remastered version of "December Song" would go on sale on 13 December. The popularity of the single was boosted by a promotional appearance that Michael made on The X Factor, where he performed the song with David Austin playing piano.

At the end of 2009, Michael announced, after months of speculation, that he would be performing shows in the Australian cities of Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, his first concerts in Australia since 1988.^[100] On 20 February 2010, Michael performed his first show in Perth at the Burswood dome to an audience of 15,000.^[101]

On 5 March 2010, Michael confirmed that he would be a guest performer at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras After Party, where he performed at 1 am, followed by Kelly Rowland at 3 am.^[102]

On 2 March 2011 Michael announced the release of his cover version of New Order's 1987 hit "True Faith" in aid of the charity Comic Relief.^[103] The Guardian called his version a "dreary run through a song that now sounds like it's being performed by a depressed Dalek" and questioned whether it was "the worst 'non-comedy' charity single of all time".^[104] Michael released a cover of Stevie Wonder's 1972 song, "You and I" on 15 April 2011, as an MP3 gift to Prince William and Catherine Middleton on the occasion of their wedding on 29 April 2011.

Although the MP3 was released for free download,^[105] Michael appealed that those who do download the special track that make a contribution to "The Prince William & Miss Catherine Middleton Charitable Gift Fund".^[106]

On 11 May 2011, the Symphonica Tour was announced. Only European dates were released. The first show on the tour was performed at the Prague State Opera House on 22 August.^[107] In November, he had to cancel the remainder of the tour though, as he became severely ill in Vienna, Austria.^[108]

In October 2011, Michael was announced as one of the final nominees for the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.^[109]

Michael told fans over Twitter in January 2012 that he did not think his vocal cords would be ready for performance "till the summer", and that the tour will probably take place in September of that year, and may include previously unheard songs.^[110] Michael also announced in an interview with OK! magazine in October 2011 that he is working on a dance influenced album.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Sexuality[link]

In a 2007 interview, Michael admitted that he had hidden the fact he was gay because of worries over what effect it might have on his mother.^[111]

Relationships[link]

Michael established a relationship with Anselmo Feleppa, whom he had met at the 1991 concert Rock in Rio. Feleppa died of a brain haemorrhage in 1993.^[112] 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.^[112]

In 1996, Michael entered into a long-term relationship with Kenny Goss, a former cheerleader coach^[113] and sportswear executive from Dallas.^[114] They had homes in London and Dallas.^[115] In late November 2005, it was reported that Michael and Goss would register their relationship as a civil partnership in the UK,^[116] but because of negative publicity and his upcoming tour, they postponed it to a later date.^[117][118] On 22 August 2011, the opening night of his Symphonica world tour, Michael announced that he and Goss had split two years earlier.^[119] Goss was present at Michael's British sentencing for driving under the influence of marijuana on 14 September 2010.^[120]

Anonymous sex[link]

Questions of Michael's sexual orientation persisted in public until 7 April 1998, when he was arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public toilet in a park in Beverly Hills, California. He was arrested by an undercover policeman named Marcelo Rodríguez, in a sting operation using so-called "pretty police."

In an MTV interview, Michael stated: "I got followed into the restroom and then this cop—I didn't know it was a cop, obviously—he started playing this game, which I think is called, 'I'll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I'm going to nick you!"^[121]

After pleading "no contest" to the charge, Michael was fined US$810 and sentenced to 80 hours of community service. Soon afterwards, Michael made a video for his single "Outside" which was obviously based on the public toilet incident and which featured men dressed as policemen kissing. Rodríguez 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. The court dismissed the case, but an Appellate court reinstated the case on 3 December 2002.^[122] The court then ruled Rodríguez, as a public official, could not legally recover damages for emotional distress.^[123]

After the incident, Michael became explicit about his sexuality and his relationship with Kenny Goss which began in June 1996.

On 23 July 2006. Michael was again accused of engaging in anonymous public sex, this time at London's Hampstead Heath.^[124] The anonymous partner was stated (wrongly, as it turned out) to be 58-year-old Norman Kirtland,^[125] an unemployed van driver.^[126] Despite stating that he intended to sue both the News of the World tabloid who supposedly photographed the incident and Norman Kirtland for slander, Michael stated that he cruises for anonymous sex^[127] and that this was not an issue in his relationship with partner Kenny Goss.^[128]

Drugs[link]

On 26 February 2006, Michael was arrested for possession of Class C drugs, an incident that he described as "my own stupid fault, as usual." He was cautioned by the police and released.^[129]

Michael was arrested in Cricklewood, North-West London, after motorists reported a car obstructing the road at traffic lights. He pleaded guilty on 8 May 2007 to driving while unfit through drugs.^[130] He was banned from driving for two years, and sentenced to community service.

During 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.^[131]

On 19 September 2008, Michael was arrested in a public toilet in the Hampstead Heath area of London for possession of Class A and C drugs. He was taken to the police station and cautioned for controlled substance possession.^[132]

On 5 December 2009, in an interview with The Guardian, Michael explained he had cut back on cannabis and now smokes only 'seven or eight' spliffs per day instead of the 25 he used to smoke.^[133]

In the early hours of Sunday 4 July 2010 Michael was returning from the Gay Pride parade. The singer was spotted on CCTV driving into the front of a Snappy Snaps store in Hampstead, North London and was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive.^[134][135] On 12 August, London's Metropolitan Police said he was "charged with possession of cannabis and with driving while unfit through drink or drugs".^[136] Michael had also been taking the prescription medication Amitriptyline.^[137][138]

On 24 August 2010 the singer pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in London after admitting driving under the influence of drugs^[139] and on 14 September 2010 at the same court, was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, a fine, and a five year ban from driving.^[140][141] Michael was released from Highpoint Prison in Suffolk on 11 October 2010, after serving four weeks.^[142] It was reported that Michael had also been taking the prescription medication, Amitriptyline,^[143][144] a sleeping pill.

Politics[link]

Michael wrote "Shoot the Dog", a song critical about the friendly relationship between the American and British governments and their involvement in the Iraq War.

During 2000, Michael joined Melissa Etheridge, Garth Brooks, Queen Latifah, the Pet Shop Boys, and k.d. lang, to perform in Washington, D.C. as part of 'Equality Rocks' – a concert to benefit the Human Rights Campaign.^[145]

During 2007, he sent the £1.45 million piano that John Lennon used to write "Imagine" around the United States on a "peace tour," having it on display at places where violence had taken place, such as Dallas' Dealey Plaza, where US President John. F. Kennedy was shot.^[1]

He devoted his concert in Sofia, Bulgaria, from his "Twenty Five Tour" to the Bulgarian nurses prosecuted in the HIV trial in Libya.^[146]

On 17 June 2008, Michael said he was thrilled by California's legalisation of same-sex marriage, calling the move "way overdue."^[147]

Charity[link]

During 1984, he sang as part of Band Aid on the charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for famine relief in Ethiopia. This single scored No.1 on the UK music charts over Christmas 1984, holding Michael's own song, "Last Christmas" by Wham!, at #2. 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.

In 2003 he paired up with Ronan Keating on the Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and won £32,000, after having their original £64,000 winnings halved after missing the £125,000 question.

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.

Michael is supporting a campaign to help raise US$32 million (GBP15 million) for terminally ill children.

Assets[link]

According to reports, between the years 2006 and 2008, Michael earned £48.5 million ($97 million)^[148] from the 25 Live tour alone, as well as earning millions more for private concerts that he periodically does, such as for Billionaire Vladimir Potanin and super rich fashion shop owner Sir Philip Green.^[148] According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2011, George Michael is worth £90 million in currency alone.^[149]

Memoirs[link]

In 1991 Michael released an autobiography titled "Bare" through Penguin Books, which he co-wrote with writer Tony Parsons. The over 200 page book covers various aspects of his life, including details of his relationship with a former girlfriend.^[150] On 16 January 2008, Michael signed a contract with HarperCollins for an autobiography which he is to write "entirely himself".^[151]

Health troubles[link]

On 26 October 2011, Michael had to cancel a performance at London's Royal Albert Hall due to viral infection. On 21 November 2011, Michael was admitted to hospital in Vienna after complaining of chest pains at a hotel two hours prior to him performing at a venue there for his Symphonica Tour. Michael was later confirmed to have suffered from pneumonia and until 1 December was in an intensive-care unit. While Michael appeared to be "in good spirits" and was responding well to treatment following his admittance, hospital officials said on 25 November, that Michael's condition had "worsened overnight". This development led to Michael's remaining 2011 dates, most of them in the United Kingdom, being cancelled and postponed.^[152] Michael's partner, celebrity hairstylist Fadi Fawaz, told press that Michael's health was improving "by the hour". On 1 December, doctors in the hospital Michael stayed in, announced that the singer was "steadily improving" and had moved out of the intensive care unit. On 21 December 2011, Michael was discharged from the hospital. On 23 December 2011, Michael made a public speech in London about how the staff at the Vienna General Hospital had saved his life and how he was so grateful that he was going to perform a concert for the staff. Whilst making the speech, he became emotional and became breathless.^[153] During the speech, he also mentioned he had undergone a tracheotomy.^[154]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1987: Faith
• 1990: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
• 1996: Older
• 1999: Songs from the Last Century
• 2004: Patience

Awards[link]

Tours[link]

See also[link]

	Book: George Michael
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• List of artists by total number of UK number-one singles
• List of best-selling music artists

References[link]