The Wayback Machine - http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham!
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Wham! - Last Christmas
Wham! - Club Tropicana
Wham! - I'm Your Man
Wham! - Everything She Wants
Wham! - Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)
Last Christmas - Wham -
Wham! - The Edge Of Heaven
George Michael - Careless Whisper
Wham! - Freedom
Wham - Wham Rap (Studio, TOTP)
Wham! - Young Guns (Go For It!)

Wham!

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RELEASE


ALBUMS

The Final
Released 2011

Fantastic
Released 1998

Make It Big
Released 1998


The Best Remixes
Released 1989


Make changes yourself !



Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:51
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
Music video by Wham! performing Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. (c) 1984 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
published: 25 Oct 2009
author: WhamVEVO
views: 9808125
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Wham! - Last Christmas
  • Order:
  • Duration: 4:38
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
Music video by Wham! performing Last Christmas. (c) 1984 Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Limited
published: 25 Oct 2009
author: WhamVEVO
views: 21862318
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - Last Christmas
Wham! - Club Tropicana
  • Order:
  • Duration: 4:31
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
Music video by Wham! performing Club Tropicana. (c) 1983 Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Limited
published: 25 Oct 2009
author: WhamVEVO
views: 2696875
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - Club Tropicana
Wham! - I'm Your Man
  • Order:
  • Duration: 4:00
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
Music video by Wham! performing I'm Your Man. (C) 1985 Sony Music Subsidiary BV
published: 25 Oct 2009
author: WhamVEVO
views: 1116542
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - I'm Your Man
Wham! - Everything She Wants
  • Order:
  • Duration: 6:37
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
Music video by Wham! performing Everything She Wants. (c) 1984 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
published: 25 Oct 2009
author: WhamVEVO
views: 3290193
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - Everything She Wants
Wham! - Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:30
  • Updated: 12 Nov 2012
Music video by Wham! performing Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?). (C) 1982 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
published: 15 Jan 2011
author: WhamVEVO
views: 212662
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)
Last Christmas - Wham -
  • Order:
  • Duration: 4:28
  • Updated: 12 Nov 2012
Wham - Last Christmas - Release Date December 1984 - Number 2 In The Uk Charts - From The Album (Make It Big) - Everything She Wants" / "Last Christmas" released as a double A-side in the UK - (re-issue)1985 1986 1997
published: 10 Jul 2007
views: 7599945
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Last Christmas - Wham -
Wham! - The Edge Of Heaven
  • Order:
  • Duration: 4:41
  • Updated: 11 Nov 2012
Wham! - The Edge Of Heaven
published: 23 Sep 2009
views: 216101
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - The Edge Of Heaven
George Michael - Careless Whisper
  • Order:
  • Duration: 5:02
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
Music video by George Michael performing Careless Whisper. (c) 1984 Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited
published: 25 Oct 2009
views: 13578384
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/George Michael - Careless Whisper
Wham! - Freedom
  • Order:
  • Duration: 5:23
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
Wham! - Freedom
published: 23 Sep 2009
views: 659460
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - Freedom
Wham - Wham Rap (Studio, TOTP)
  • Order:
  • Duration: 2:48
  • Updated: 10 Nov 2012
17th February 1983
published: 28 Mar 2010
author: PenarthJem
views: 11502
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham - Wham Rap (Studio, TOTP)
Wham! - Young Guns (Go For It!)
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:43
  • Updated: 12 Nov 2012
Music video by Wham! performing Young Guns (Go For It!). (c) 1982 Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Limited
published: 15 Jan 2011
author: WhamVEVO
views: 90956
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - Young Guns (Go For It!)
Wham Last Christmas (Full Version)
  • Order:
  • Duration: 6:45
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
Full version of the song for whams last christmas video, I edited the video a bit to fit the longer version of the song,
published: 24 Nov 2008
views: 841237
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham Last Christmas (Full Version)
Wham - Young Guns (Go For It) - TOTP 1982
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:21
  • Updated: 13 Nov 2012
1st ever appearance on Top of the Pops - 1982
published: 09 Dec 2008
author: 80smusicdude
views: 94980
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham - Young Guns (Go For It) - TOTP 1982

Make changes yourself !



Wham! Everything she wants Live in China 1984 Remastered
  • Order:
  • Duration: 6:24
  • Updated: 16 Oct 2012
Live Performance by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in 1984 in China taken from the VHS "Foreign Skies" audio and video digitally studio-remastered
published: 31 May 2010
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! Everything she wants Live in China 1984 Remastered
2 2. Wham - Careless whisper - Live - 1984 year [ HD ] - by Kolyo Belchev 1 -
  • Order:
  • Duration: 8:53
  • Updated: 17 Oct 2012
www.onbux.com www.virtapay.com 2 2. Wham - Careless whisper - ALBUM MAKE IT BIG - Live - 1984 year [HD] - by Kolyo Belchev 1 -
published: 20 May 2011
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/2 2. Wham - Careless whisper - Live - 1984 year [ HD ] - by Kolyo Belchev 1 -
George Michael and Wham! Live (1985) - Live Aid:
  • Order:
  • Duration: 6:15
  • Updated: 17 Oct 2012
"Don't let the sun go down on me" George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley, Kiky Dee and Elton John
published: 06 Apr 2007
author: Whamerica
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/George Michael and Wham! Live (1985) - Live Aid:
Wham! Careless whisper - Live
  • Order:
  • Duration: 7:35
  • Updated: 09 Oct 2012
Wham! - Live
published: 01 Feb 2009
author: BeccMoo
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! Careless whisper - Live
WHAM! - Careless Whisper
  • Order:
  • Duration: 8:32
  • Updated: 18 Oct 2012
This clip was taken from the WHAM! movie Foreign Skies.
published: 18 Jan 2007
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/WHAM! - Careless Whisper
WHAM YOUNG GUNS LIVE
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:55
  • Updated: 23 Sep 2012
WHAM 1982 YOUNG GUNS LIVE
published: 26 Nov 2009
author: ross25live
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/WHAM YOUNG GUNS LIVE
Wham!
  • Order:
  • Duration: 4:44
  • Updated: 13 Oct 2012
Top of the Pops, 1986. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley
published: 24 Sep 2007
author: Whamerica
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! "The Edge of Heaven" Live (1986)
Wham! - ♫ Freedom ♫ ( Live Terry Wogan Show - 1984 )
  • Order:
  • Duration: 4:01
  • Updated: 18 Sep 2012
Official Page: www.georgemichael.com "♪ ♫ ♪ George Michael and Wham! Fans ♪ ♫ ♪" : www.youtube.com ♪ ♫ ♪ Freedom ♪ ♫ ♪ "Freedom" was released in 1984, becoming the group's second UK #1 hit. Wham! had already enjoyed a successful 1984 by the time Freedom was issued in the autumn of the year. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go had given them their first UK #1 and had then reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. George had then gone to #1 with a solo single, Careless Whisper. Freedom, a largely uncontroversial song, was #1 in the UK for three weeks and featured on the album Make It Big, which was issued at the same time. Of Wham!'s four UK #1 singles, Freedom sold the fewest copies. Relesead: 1984 Cover hierarchy: Freedom by Wham! (October 22, 1984) Freedom by TrueBliss (September 1999) Freedom by Dick Brave & the Backbeats (2003) PS - This is in playback.
published: 17 Mar 2007
author: PintinhasIB
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - ♫ Freedom ♫ ( Live Terry Wogan Show - 1984 )
Wham! -
  • Order:
  • Duration: 5:06
  • Updated: 15 Oct 2012
George Michael sings "Blue" as he fronts Wham! at a massive concert in China, 1985.
published: 09 May 2008
author: solafire
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - "Blue" (Live in China)
George Michael & Wham - Careless Whisper, Live In China - HQ Sound
  • Order:
  • Duration: 8:28
  • Updated: 17 Oct 2012
This clip was taken from the WHAM! movie Foreign Skies. George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley as WHAM! in China - 1986 hq audio - digitally remastered
published: 01 Sep 2011
author: MaxiLinder
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/George Michael & Wham - Careless Whisper, Live In China - HQ Sound
Wham! - ♫ Everything She Wants ♫ ( Live In China - 1985 )
  • Order:
  • Duration: 6:17
  • Updated: 25 Aug 2012
Official Page: www.georgemichael.com "♪ ♫ ♪ George Michael and Wham! Fans ♪ ♫ ♪" : www.youtube.com ♪ ♫ ♪ Everything She Wants ♪ ♫ ♪ "Everything She Wants" was released in 1984 on Epic Records. A five-minute song (there also exists a six-and-a-half-minutes-long version with an added bridge), "Everything She Wants" was written from the angle of a man rapidly approaching desperation at the material demands of his partner which seem to be coming to a head, despite the amount of work he did to keep them. In a twist, the second verse took the story a step further by revealing that the woman was pregnant but the man could not find any happiness in the announcement because of the extra pressure a baby would put upon him. The presence of the Band Aid project meant that the double A-side peaked at number two in the UK singles chart, although in the process it became the biggest selling record not to get to number one. However, in the USA, the song did reach the summit of the Billboard Hot 100, and became the third number-one song in a row from 1984's Make It Big album. Wham! would go on to have two more number-one hits in the UK before splitting at their height in 1986. Although Michael bemoaned much of Wham!'s material as he began his solo career, "Everything She Wants" remained a song of which he was proud, and he continued to perform it in his shows.
published: 08 Mar 2007
author: PintinhasIB
http://web.archive.org./web/20121113214953/http://wn.com/Wham! - ♫ Everything She Wants ♫ ( Live In China - 1985 )
Live Performance by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in 1984 in China taken from the VHS "Foreign Skies" audio and video digitally studio-remastered
published: 31 May 2010
3:51
Wham! - Wake Me Up Be­fore You Go-Go
Music video by Wham! per­form­ing Wake Me Up Be­fore You Go-Go. (c) 1984 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTER...
pub­lished: 25 Oct 2009
au­thor: WhamVE­VO
4:38
Wham! - Last Christ­mas
Music video by Wham! per­form­ing Last Christ­mas. (c) 1984 Sony BMG Music En­ter­tain­ment (UK)...
pub­lished: 25 Oct 2009
au­thor: WhamVE­VO
4:31
Wham! - Club Trop­i­cana
Music video by Wham! per­form­ing Club Trop­i­cana. (c) 1983 Sony BMG Music En­ter­tain­ment (UK)...
pub­lished: 25 Oct 2009
au­thor: WhamVE­VO
4:00
Wham! - I'm Your Man
Music video by Wham! per­form­ing I'm Your Man. (C) 1985 Sony Music Sub­sidiary BV...
pub­lished: 25 Oct 2009
au­thor: WhamVE­VO
6:37
Wham! - Ev­ery­thing She Wants
Music video by Wham! per­form­ing Ev­ery­thing She Wants. (c) 1984 SONY BMG MUSIC EN­TER­TAIN­MEN...
pub­lished: 25 Oct 2009
au­thor: WhamVE­VO
3:30
Wham! - Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)
Music video by Wham! per­form­ing Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?). (C) 1982 SONY BMG MUSIC EN...
pub­lished: 15 Jan 2011
au­thor: WhamVE­VO
4:28
Last Christ­mas - Wham -
Wham - Last Christ­mas - Re­lease Date De­cem­ber 1984 - Num­ber 2 In The Uk Charts - From The ...
pub­lished: 10 Jul 2007
4:41
Wham! - The Edge Of Heav­en
Wham! - The Edge Of Heav­en...
pub­lished: 23 Sep 2009
5:02
George Michael - Care­less Whis­per
Music video by George Michael per­form­ing Care­less Whis­per. (c) 1984 Sony Music En­ter­tain­me...
pub­lished: 25 Oct 2009
5:23
Wham! - Free­dom
Wham! - Free­dom...
pub­lished: 23 Sep 2009
2:48
Wham - Wham Rap (Stu­dio, TOTP)
17th Febru­ary 1983...
pub­lished: 28 Mar 2010
au­thor: Pe­narth­Jem
3:43
Wham! - Young Guns (Go For It!)
Music video by Wham! per­form­ing Young Guns (Go For It!). (c) 1982 Sony BMG Music En­ter­tain...
pub­lished: 15 Jan 2011
au­thor: WhamVE­VO
6:45
Wham Last Christ­mas (Full Ver­sion)
Full ver­sion of the song for whams last christ­mas video, I edit­ed the video a bit to fit t...
pub­lished: 24 Nov 2008
au­thor: John Mc Grath
3:21
Wham - Young Guns (Go For It) - TOTP 1982
1st ever ap­pear­ance on Top of the Pops - 1982...
pub­lished: 09 Dec 2008
Vimeo results:
2:41
WHAM!
Shot over the past few days in Seat­tle. Rid­ers: Tyler the sit­u­a­tion John­son Zlog Zach Hof...
pub­lished: 22 Feb 2010
au­thor: chris clappe
2:15
Craig­Passero Wham-Cam editt
Guess clips Feat. Pe­ter­man...
pub­lished: 02 Jul 2010
au­thor: Wham­mo
18:18
TJD SP Mix­tape Vol­ume III
This is the third TJD Skatepark web video. Most of the footage was filmed in win­ter 2010 -...
pub­lished: 03 Feb 2011
au­thor: Jeff Du­Paul
4:29
George Michael - Wham - Last Christ­mas [1985]
pub­lished: 18 Oct 2010
au­thor: hunterh

Youtube results:
3:44
If You Were There - Wham!
"If You Were There", which orig­i­nal­ly ap­peared on the Album "Make it Big", re­leased in 198...
pub­lished: 02 Apr 2007
au­thor: Lord­Lam­post
3:11
Wham! - Bad Boys 1983
Wham! - Bad Boys 1983 Dear Mummy , dear Daddy you have plans for me Oh yeah, I was your on...
pub­lished: 11 Oct 2008
au­thor: fritz51318
4:23
Wham - Last Christ­mas (with lyrics :D)
Wham - Last Christ­mas ;D here is my video for Last Christ­mas by Wham! :D i hope you like i...
pub­lished: 28 Nov 2008
au­thor: Lakrids­bamse
3:23
Wham! - Bad Boys
Music video by Wham! per­form­ing Bad Boys. (c) 1983 SONY BMG MUSIC EN­TER­TAIN­MENT (UK) Limit...
pub­lished: 16 Jan 2011
au­thor: WhamVE­VO
Live Performance by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in 1984 in China taken from the VHS "Foreign Skies" audio and video digitally studio-remastered
published: 31 May 2010
6:24
Wham! Ev­ery­thing she wants Live in China 1984 Re­mas­tered
Live Per­for­mance by George Michael and An­drew Ridge­ley in 1984 in China taken from the VHS...
pub­lished: 31 May 2010
8:53
2 2. Wham - Care­less whis­per - Live - 1984 year [ HD ] - by Kolyo Belchev 1 -
www.​onbux.​com www.​virtapay.​com 2 2. Wham - Care­less whis­per - ALBUM MAKE IT BIG - Live - 1...
pub­lished: 20 May 2011
au­thor: kolyo belchev
6:15
George Michael and Wham! Live (1985) - Live Aid:
"Don't let the sun go down on me" George Michael, An­drew Ridge­ley, Kiky Dee ...
pub­lished: 06 Apr 2007
au­thor: Whamer­i­ca
7:35
Wham! Care­less whis­per - Live
Wham! - Live...
pub­lished: 01 Feb 2009
au­thor: Bec­c­Moo
8:32
WHAM! - Care­less Whis­per
This clip was taken from the WHAM! movie For­eign Skies....
pub­lished: 18 Jan 2007
3:55
WHAM YOUNG GUNS LIVE
WHAM 1982 YOUNG GUNS LIVE...
pub­lished: 26 Nov 2009
au­thor: ross25live
4:44
Wham! "The Edge of Heav­en" Live (1986)
Top of the Pops, 1986. George Michael and An­drew Ridge­ley...
pub­lished: 24 Sep 2007
au­thor: Whamer­i­ca
4:01
Wham! - ♫ Free­dom ♫ ( Live Terry Wogan Show - 1984 )
Of­fi­cial Page: www.​georgemichael.​com "♪ ♫ ♪ George Michael and Wham...
pub­lished: 17 Mar 2007
au­thor: Pintin­hasIB
5:06
Wham! - "Blue" (Live in China)
George Michael sings "Blue" as he fronts Wham! at a mas­sive con­cert in China, 19...
pub­lished: 09 May 2008
au­thor: so­lafire
7:30
George Michael & Wham! "Ev­ery­thing she wants" (live, 1987)
Stand By Me Ben­e­fit Con­cert Live At Wem­b­ley 1987...
pub­lished: 12 Nov 2007
au­thor: Whamer­i­ca
2:28
George Michael and Wham! Live (1987)
Ev­ery­thing she wants...
pub­lished: 06 Apr 2007
au­thor: Whamer­i­ca
8:28
George Michael & Wham - Care­less Whis­per, Live In China - HQ Sound
This clip was taken from the WHAM! movie For­eign Skies. George Michael & An­drew Ridgel...
pub­lished: 01 Sep 2011
au­thor: Max­iLin­der
6:17
Wham! - ♫ Ev­ery­thing She Wants ♫ ( Live In China - 1985 )
Of­fi­cial Page: www.​georgemichael.​com "♪ ♫ ♪ George Michael and Wham...
pub­lished: 08 Mar 2007
au­thor: Pintin­hasIB
7:48
Wham! - I'm Your Man (Live at Brix­ton Acade­my)
...
pub­lished: 31 Mar 2010
Vimeo results:
2:41
WHAM!
Shot over the past few days in Seat­tle. Rid­ers: Tyler the sit­u­a­tion John­son Zlog Zach Hof...
pub­lished: 22 Feb 2010
au­thor: chris clappe
2:15
Craig­Passero Wham-Cam editt
Guess clips Feat. Pe­ter­man...
pub­lished: 02 Jul 2010
au­thor: Wham­mo
18:18
TJD SP Mix­tape Vol­ume III
This is the third TJD Skatepark web video. Most of the footage was filmed in win­ter 2010 -...
pub­lished: 03 Feb 2011
au­thor: Jeff Du­Paul
4:29
George Michael - Wham - Last Christ­mas [1985]
pub­lished: 18 Oct 2010
au­thor: hunterh

Youtube results:
3:16
Wham! Love Ma­chine Live in China 1984 Re­mas­tered
Per­for­mance by George Michael and An­drew Ridge­ley in 1984 in China taken from the VHS &quo...;
pub­lished: 01 Jun 2010
5:49
Wham! - Last Christ­mas (Live at Wem­b­ley)
George Michael was only 22 when he wrote this fu­ture clas­sic, a song which be­came best-sel...
pub­lished: 04 May 2010
4:39
Wham! - Cred­it Card Baby (live at Wem­b­ley)
Wham! per­form­ing "Cred­it Card Baby", 7th track on their best-sell­ing album "...;
pub­lished: 11 Jul 2010
8:32
Wham - Care­less Whis­per (Live In China)
Dis­claimer: "I have no claim on this video. All rights re­served by copy­right own­ers&q...;
pub­lished: 05 Nov 2011
au­thor: Wham­BamGM
Photo: AP / Mohammad Hussain
American citizens, hold a banner during a peace march organized by Pakistan's cricket star turned politician Imran Khan's party, not pictured, in Tank, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012.
WorldNews.com
11 Nov 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling Acts of terror that strikes fear in the hearts and minds of people, such as unexpected and secretive deadly drone strikes, are always wars against hope....



Photo: AP / Mónica G. Prieto
In this Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 photo, Syrians carry their rubbish to a mountain of garbage in a roundabout in Aleppo, Syria. Due the heavy fighting and shelling, the garbage collection system collapsed weeks ago.
Al Jazeera
12 Nov 2012
NATO is ready to help member state Turkey as the 20-month conflict in Syria is increasingly spilling across the border, the alliance's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said. "Turkey can rely on NATO...



Photo: USAF
Aerial view of the Antarctic coastline from a C-141C Starlifter returning to Christchurch, New Zealand, during Operation DEEP FREEZE 2001.
The Daily Telegraph
12 Nov 2012
The amount of ice in the Arctic may be at a record low but Antarctic sea ice is increasing, according to a new study. Antarctic sea ice cover has increased under the effects of climate...



Photo: AP / Lefteris Pitarakis
Greek riot police officers, right, push the last remaining protesters off the street, following an anti-austerity rally in front of the Parliament in central Athens, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012.
CNBC
12 Nov 2012
As the Euro group of finance ministers meet in Brussels on Monday to decide whether to grant Greece a further tranche of aid that could prevent imminent financial catastrophe for Greece, one economist...



Photo: AP / Matt Dunham
File - Abu Qatada is driven away after being refused bail at a hearing at London's Special Immigration Appeals Commission, which handles deportation and security cases, in London, Tuesday, April 17, 2012.
The Daily Telegraph
13 Nov 2012
Abu Qatada, the extremist cleric, will be back on the streets of Britain today and allowed to roam free for eight hours a day after a court ruled he cannot be deported. Abu Qatada Photo: AP...





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Wham!
Wham! in 1985
Wham! in 1985
Background information
Also known as Wham! UK
Origin Bushey, England
Genres Post-disco, blue-eyed soul, dance-pop, New Wave
Years active 1982–1986
Labels Innervision Records
Columbia Records
Associated acts The Executive!, Pepsi and Shirlie
Past members
George Michael
Andrew Ridgeley

Wham! were a British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s.[1] They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band.

Wham! sold 25 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to 1986.[2]

Contents

History[link]

Michael and Ridgeley met at Bushey Meads Comprehensive School in Bushey near the suburb of Watford in Hertfordshire, England, UK. At first they performed in a short-lived ska band called The Executive, alongside three of their former school friends David (Austin) Mortimer, Harry Tadayon and Andrew Leaver. When this group split, Michael and Ridgeley eventually formed Wham!, signing with Innervision Records, a contract they later sued to be released from. Once that situation was resolved, they signed with CBS (Columbia Records in the United States and Canada, and Epic Records for the rest of the world).

Michael took on the majority of roles and responsibilities within the band—composer, producer, singer, and occasional instrumentalist. Ridgeley convinced[3]a reluctant[4] Michael that Wham! needed to change their image and their sound frequently, from the leather-clad moody singers of "Bad Boys" and "Young Guns (Go for It!)" to the more fashionable pop superstars of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go".

Still teenagers, they promoted themselves as hedonistic youngsters, proud to live a carefree life without work or commitment. This was reflected in their earliest singles which, part-parody, part-social comment, briefly earned Wham! a reputation as a dance protest group.

The début record to be released by the band was "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" in June 1982. It was one of the first singles by a British group to include rapping, and was a double A-side including the Social Mix and the Anti-Social Mix. The record was not playlisted by BBC Radio 1 in the UK, partly because of the profanity in the Anti-Social Mix. Separate videos were recorded for each set of lyrics. "Wham! Rap" did not chart for the group, but in October 1982 "Young Guns (Go for It!)" was issued. An appeal from one youthful lad to his friend to not throw his life away so early on marriage, it also stalled outside the UK Top 40. But soon, Wham! got lucky when the BBC programme Top of the Pops scheduled them. An important weekly BBC chart show on television, it had to look outside the Top 40 to fill a gap created by an act which had unexpectedly pulled out of the show. Nearest to the 40 mark and still climbing, Wham! was summoned, and a phenomenon immediately began. The Top of the Pops performance of "Young Guns" is still considered a watershed moment in the group's history—critical acclaim is given for the 'nightclub' feel of the dance routine by all four of the performers.

Increasing success[link]

Wham!'s first manager was Bryan Morrison. The effect of Wham! on the public, especially teenage girls, was felt from the moment they finished their début performance of "Young Guns (Go for It!)" on Top of the Pops. Michael wore espadrilles, an open suede jacket, and rolled-up denim jeans. Ridgeley stood behind him, flanked by backing dancers Dee C. Lee and Shirlie Holliman.

The performance was as much one of acting as it was of singing, with Michael playing the part of the pleading good-time lad, and Ridgeley the guy who had been drawn into commitment. Afterwards, the song shot into the Top 40 at #24 and peaked at #3 in December. The following year (1983), Dee C. Lee began her work with Paul Weller of The Style Council, and was replaced by Pepsi Demacque. Holliman and Demacque would later record as Pepsi & Shirlie.

Wham! followed up "Young Guns (Go for It!)" with the reissue "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)", a song about the joys of a leisurely life on the dole; "Bad Boys", about a strained relationship between a rebellious teenage boy and his worried parents; and "Club Tropicana", a satire of the media's fascination with the elitist London club scene. Each single was accompanied by a memorable music video.

By the end of 1983, Wham! was rivalling Duran Duran and Culture Club as Britain's biggest pop act.[citation needed] Notoriety and column inches were duly achieved with their antics of placing shuttlecocks down their shorts during performances on their first tour, the Club Fantastic Tour.[citation needed] Their début LP Fantastic reached #1 at this time as well.[citation needed]

It wasn't long after this that Ridgeley became conscious of legal problems with their initial contract at Innervision.[citation needed] While the legal battle raged (perhaps to raise much-needed funds for the fight[citation needed]), Innervision released a medley of non-single album tracks from Fantastic, entitled "Club Fantastic Megamix". Wham! publicly denounced the move, and urged fans not to buy it.[citation needed] After all the legal wrangling, Innervision admitted there were royalty discrepancies with Wham!'s contract,[citation needed] the fall-out of which led to the bankruptcy and eventual dissolution of Innervision altogether.[citation needed]

Driven by Ridgeley,[citation needed] the duo changed their image, and Wham! returned in May 1984 with an updated, cutting-edge pop image quickly copied[by whom?] by other pop bands.[citation needed] In a process begun by the video to "Club Tropicana" on the previous album, Ridgeley changed the band's look from "moody in leather jackets" to smiles and fashionable clothing, with a view to promoting themselves more as hedonistic sex symbols than spokesmen for a disaffected generation, as previously done.[citation needed]

Fittingly enough, these changes propelled the next single (a pop standard[citation needed]) to the top of the charts around the world.[citation needed] "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", an infectiously[citation needed] catchy song Michael wrote whose inspiration was a note left by Ridgeley to his parents.[citation needed] The note was mistakenly written by Ridgeley as "don't forget to wake me up up before you go go".[citation needed] Since he had accidentally written the word "up" twice, Ridgeley decided to compound the error and write "go" twice, as well.[citation needed] It became their first UK #1 and rose to that position in the USA as well,[citation needed] accompanied by a memorable[citation needed] video of the duo, plus the ubiquitous[citation needed] Pepsi and Shirlie, wearing Katharine Hamnett T-shirts with the slogans "CHOOSE LIFE" and "GO GO".

The next single "Careless Whisper" was issued as a George Michael solo piece, yet unlike any Wham! single since "Wham Rap!", it was credited as co-written by Ridgeley.[citation needed] The song, about a remorseful two-timer,[citation needed] had more emotional depth[citation needed] than previous releases, and quickly reached #1,[citation needed] marking a new phase as George Michael tried to somewhat distance himself from Wham!'s playboy image.[citation needed] In the U.S.—so as not to confuse American listeners just being exposed to Wham!—the single was billed as Wham! featuring George Michael.[citation needed] In the autumn of 1984, Wham! returned as a duo with "Freedom", another UK chart-topper[citation needed] with George Michael presented as a broken-hearted romantic,[citation needed] and the first single for quite some time to reach #1 in the UK without an accompanying video.[citation needed] It has been said[by whom?] that this was because the first video was canned due to its poor quality; a video was subsequently edited together from footage of Wham!'s historic China tour in time for "Freedom's" U.S. single release.[citation needed] The group by then had achieved three number-one singles in a row.[citation needed] In November, they released their second album, Make It Big, which quickly climbed to #1 on the album charts,[citation needed] and the band set off on an arena tour at the end of 1984.

"Last Christmas" became the highest-selling single ever to peak at #2 in the UK charts.[citation needed] As such, Wham! donated all their royalties[citation needed] to the Ethiopian famine appeal to coincide with the fund-raising intentions of Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", the song which kept them out of the top spot.[citation needed] Nevertheless, Band Aid's success meant that Michael had achieved #1 status within three separate entities in 1984—as a solo artist, as one half of a duo, and as part of a charity ensemble.[citation needed]

Several months after their UK releases, their three U.S. number-one singles in a row (and their only number ones) were "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (closely coinciding with Make It Big's release), "Careless Whisper", and "Everything She Wants". "Freedom" hit number three. At the end of 1985, the U.S. Billboard charts listed "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" as the number-three song and "Careless Whisper" as the number-one song of the year.

China and Live Aid[link]

In April 1985, Wham! took a break from recording to embark on a lengthy world tour, including a ground-breaking 10-day visit to China, the first by a Western pop group.[5] The China excursion was a publicity scheme devised by Simon Napier-Bell (one of their two managers—Jazz Summers being the other). It culminated in a concert at the Workers' Gymnasium in Beijing in front of 10,000 people. Director Lindsay Anderson documented the tour in his film Foreign Skies.

Sporting a beard, Michael appeared with Ridgeley onstage at Live Aid (although they did not perform as Wham!). Michael sang "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with Elton John while Ridgeley joined Kiki Dee in the row of backup singers. In September, Wham! released "I'm Your Man" which went to #1 in the UK charts.

Michael claimed to have begun a relationship with model/makeup artist Kathy Yeung around this time, and Ridgeley began one with Keren Woodward of Bananarama. Ridgeley also took up the hobby of rally driving, famously[citation needed] crashing one car before the end of 1985. "Last Christmas" was re-issued for the festive season and again made the UK Top 10, peaking at #6, while Michael took up offers he was starting to receive to add his voice to other artists' songs. He performed backing vocals for David Cassidy and for Elton John on his successful singles "Nikita" (a UK #3) and "Wrap Her Up" (a UK #12), on which he sang co-lead vocals.

Demise[link]

Michael desired to create music targeted to a more sophisticated audience than the duo's primarily teenage fan-base. Therefore, Michael and Ridgeley officially announced the breakup of Wham! in the spring of 1986, but that a farewell single and album would be forthcoming, along with a final concert at Wembley Stadium on 28 June 1986, called The Final. British pop group Five Star declined George's invitation to be the supporting act, saying they needed to concentrate on their own career at the time.

The farewell single was "The Edge of Heaven", which reached #1 in June 1986. "Where Did Your Heart Go?" was the group's final single in the United States. The song, originally recorded by art-rock ensemble Was (Not Was), was a gloomy and sombre affair. The duo's last album was a double-LP collection of all the singles to date, including some extended versions, and was also called The Final (released in North America as the severely pared-down Music from the Edge of Heaven with alternate tracks). Wham! then bade goodbye to their fans (73,000 of whom attended the eight-hour event) and each other with an emotional embrace at the end of the show. The band had been together five years, selling close to 20 million albums and 10 to 15 million singles. Foreign Skies, the documentary of their tour of China, received its world premiere as part of the festivities, making it the most highly-attended film première in history.

Post-Wham![link]

For several years after becoming a solo artist, George Michael spoke in public negatively about his time in Wham!, partly because of the intense negativity of media coverage on partner Ridgeley. Michael complained of the constant pressure he felt, and he claimed that the duo had been mistreated financially. He also spoke disparagingly about the Wham! repertoire, especially the songs from the first album.

However, his perspective on the era has softened somewhat in recent years. He still performs "I'm Your Man" and "Everything She Wants", one of the more critically acclaimed songs from the Wham! era, at his solo concerts. He and Ridgeley have had a few reunions.

Ridgeley moved to Monaco after Wham!'s break-up and tried his hand at Formula Three motor racing. Meeting with little success, Ridgeley moved to Los Angeles to pursue his singing/acting career, the failure of which caused him to return to England in 1990. Regardless, CBS Records, having taken up the option on Wham!'s contract that specified solo albums from Michael and Ridgeley, released a guitar-and-drum-driven solo effort from Ridgeley, Son of Albert, in 1990. His brother Paul—a frequent percussionist for Bananarama—played drums on the album. Singles included "Shake" and "Red Dress." CBS declined the option of a second album.

On 21 November 2009, there was a Wham!-themed night on television's The X Factor. Michael later appeared on the show's final episode, performing a duet of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with finalist and eventual winner Joe McElderry.

Discography[link]

References[link]

  1. ^ Rettenmund, Matthew (1996-10-15). Totally awesome 80s. St. Martin's Press. pp. 60–. ISBN 978-0-312-14436-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=Q7rELTyAeAsC&pg=PT60. Retrieved 6 May 2011. 
  2. ^ The music industry: The end of vinyl? J Qualen, 1985, Routledge.
  3. ^ The musical messages of Madonna and George Michael and how they relate to love, dating, relationships, and sex: an honors thesis (HONRS 499)[PDF] from bsu.edu.J.E. Nuerge - 2011 - cardinalscholar.bsu.edu
  4. ^ Totally awesome 80s M Rettenmund - 1996 - books.google.com
  5. ^ " Big in Japan": Orientalism in 1980s British Pop Music. LY McCarty - The Mid-Atlantic almanack: the journal of the Mid- … - The Association

External links[link]

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The Edge
Background information
Birth name David Howell Evans
Born (1961-08-08) 8 August 1961 (age 50)
Barking, Essex, England, United Kingdom
Origin County Dublin, Ireland
Genres Rock, post-punk, alternative rock
Occupations Musician, songwriter, activist
Instruments Guitar, vocals, keyboards, piano, bass guitar
Years active 1976–present
Labels Island, Mercury
Associated acts U2, Passengers
Website www.u2.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Explorer
Fender Stratocaster
Gibson Les Paul
Fender Telecaster
Gretsch Country Gentleman
Gretsch White Falcon
Rickenbacker 330/12

David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), more widely known by his stage name The Edge (or just Edge),[1] is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record. As a guitarist, The Edge has crafted a minimalistic and textural style of playing. His use of a rhythmic delay effect yields a distinctive ambient, chiming sound that has become a signature of U2's music.

The Edge was born in England to a Welsh family, but was raised in Ireland after moving there as an infant. In 1976, at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, he formed U2 with his fellow students and his older brother Dik. Inspired by the ethos of punk rock and its basic arrangements, the group began to write its own material. They eventually became one of the most popular acts in popular music, with successful albums such as 1987's The Joshua Tree and 1991's Achtung Baby. Over the years, The Edge has experimented with various guitar effects and introduced influences from several genres of music into his own style, including American roots music, industrial music, and alternative rock. With U2, The Edge has also played keyboards, co-produced their 1993 record Zooropa, and occasionally contributed lyrics. The Edge met his second and current wife, Morleigh Steinberg, through her collaborations with the band.

As a member of U2 and as an individual, The Edge has campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes. He co-founded Music Rising, a charity to support musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. He has collaborated with U2 bandmate Bono on several projects, including songs for Roy Orbison and Tina Turner, and the soundtracks to the musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and the Royal Shakespeare Company's London stage adaptation of A Clockwork Orange. In 2011, Rolling Stone magazine placed him at number 38 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Contents

Personal life[link]

The Edge at a U2 concert in Anaheim (2005)

David Howell Evans was born at the Barking Maternity Hospital,[2] Essex, England to Welsh parents Garvin and Gwenda Evans.[1] When he was one, his family moved to County Dublin, Ireland where he attended St Andrew's National School. He received piano and guitar lessons and often performed with his brother Dik Evans before they both answered an advertisement posted by Larry Mullen, Jr. at their school, Mount Temple Comprehensive School, seeking musicians to form a band.[3] The band accepted both of them. This band went through several incarnations before emerging as U2 in March 1978 (Dik Evans left the band just before the name change).[3] U2 began performing in various venues in Ireland and eventually began developing a following. Their debut album, Boy, was released in 1980.

In 1981, leading up to the October tour, Evans came very close to leaving U2 for religious reasons, but he decided to stay.[3] During this period, he became involved with a group called Shalom Tigers, in which bandmates Bono and Larry Mullen Jr. were also involved.[4] Shortly after deciding to remain with the band, he wrote a piece of music that later became "Sunday Bloody Sunday".[3] The Edge married his high school girlfriend Aislinn O'Sullivan on 12 July 1983.[5] The couple had three daughters together: Hollie in 1984, Arran in 1985 and Blue Angel in 1989.[4] The couple separated in 1990, but were unable to get officially divorced because of Irish laws regarding marriage annulment; divorce was legalised in 1995 and the couple were legally divorced in 1996.[4]

In 1993, The Edge began dating Morleigh Steinberg, a professional dancer and choreographer employed by the band as a belly dancer during the Zoo TV Tour. They had a daughter, Sian (born 1997), and a son, Levi (born 25 October 1999),[4] before marrying on 22 June 2002.[4] He appeared in the 2009 music documentary film It Might Get Loud.[6] The Edge has been criticized for his efforts to build five luxury mansions on a 156 acre plot of land in Malibu, California.[7] The California Coastal Commission voted 8-4 against the plans, with the project described by the commission's executive director, Peter Douglas, as "In 38 years...one of the three worst projects that I've seen in terms of environmental devastation...It's a contradiction in terms – you can't be serious about being an environmentalist and pick this location."[7] The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy agreed to remain neutral on the issue following a $1 million donation from The Edge and a commitment from The Edge to designate 100 acres of the land as open space for public footpaths.[7]

Music style[link]

"Notes actually do mean something. They have power. I think of notes as being expensive. You don't just throw them around. I find the ones that do the best job and that's what I use. I suppose I'm a minimalist instinctively. I don't like to be inefficient if I can get away with it. Like on the end of 'With or Without You'. My instinct was to go with something very simple. Everyone else said, 'Nah, you can't do that.' I won the argument and I still think it's sort of brave, because the end of 'With or Without You' could have been so much bigger, so much more of a climax, but there's this power to it which I think is even more potent because it's held back... ultimately I'm interested in music. I'm a musician. I'm not a gunslinger. That's the difference between what I do and what a lot of guitar heroes do."

—The Edge in 1991.[8]

Guitar playing[link]

As a guitar player, The Edge has a sound typified by a low-key playing style, a chiming, shimmering sound (thanks in part to the sound of VOX AC-30s) that he achieves with extensive use of delay effects and reverb. The feedback delay is often set to a dotted eighth note (3/16 of a measure), and the feedback gain is adjusted until a note played repeats two or three times.[citation needed]

On 1987's The Joshua Tree, The Edge often contributes just a few simple lead lines given depth and richness by an ever-present delay. For example, the introduction to "Where the Streets Have No Name" is simply a repeated six-note arpeggio, broadened by a modulated delay effect. The Edge has said that he views musical notes as "expensive", in that he prefers to play as few notes as possible. He said in 1982 of his style,

"I like a nice ringing sound on guitar, and most of my chords I find two strings and make them ring the same note, so it's almost like a 12-string sound. So for E I might play a B, E, E and B and make it ring. It works very well with the Gibson Explorer. It's funny because the bass end of the Explorer was so awful that I used to stay away from the low strings, and a lot of the chords I played were very trebly, on the first four, or even three strings. I discovered that through using this one area of the fretboard I was developing a very stylized way of doing something that someone else would play in a normal way."[9]

Many different influences have shaped The Edge's guitar technique.[citation needed] His first guitar was an old acoustic guitar that his mother bought him at a local flea market for only a few pounds; he was nine at the time. He and his brother Dik Evans both experimented with this instrument.[9] He said in 1982 of this early experimentation, "I suppose the first link in the chain was a visit to the local jumble sale where I purchased a guitar for a pound. That was my first instrument. It was an acoustic guitar and me and my elder brother Dik both played it, plonking away, all very rudimentary stuff, open chords and all that."[9] The Edge has stated that many of his guitar parts are based around guitar effects. This is especially true from the Achtung Baby era onwards, although much of the band's 1980s material made heavy use of echos.

Vocals[link]

The Edge in June 2005

The Edge also supplies the backing vocals for U2. U2's 1983 live album and video release, Under a Blood Red Sky and Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky are good reference points for his singing (as are the live DVDs from the Elevation Tour, U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle and Elevation 2001: Live from Boston). For example, he sings the chorus to "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (Bono harmonizes on the final 'Sunday'). U2 used this tradeoff technique later in "Bullet the Blue Sky" as well. His backing vocals are sometimes in the form of a repeated cry; examples of songs that use this approach include "Beautiful Day", "New Year's Day" and "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)". Another technique he uses in his backing vocals is the falsetto, in songs such as "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own", "A Man and a Woman", "The Wanderer", live versions of "The Fly", and "Window in the Skies".

The Edge sings the lead vocal on "Van Diemen's Land" and "Numb", the first half of the song "Seconds", dual vocals with Bono in "Discotheque", and the bridge in the song "Miracle Drug".[4] He also sings the occasional lead vocal in live renditions of other songs (such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" during the PopMart Tour and "Party Girl" during the Rotterdam Zoo TV show when it was Bono's birthday).[10] He also plays a solo acoustic version of the song "Love is Blindness" that is featured in the documentary film From the Sky Down.

Other instruments[link]

He has played piano and keyboards on many of the band's songs, including "I Fall Down", "October", "So Cruel", "New Year's Day", "Running to Stand Still", "Miss Sarajevo", "The Hands that Built America", and "Original of the Species" and others. He plays the organ on "Please". In live versions of "New Year's Day", "The Unforgettable Fire", "Your Blue Room", and "Moment of Surrender", he plays both the piano and guitar parts alternately. In most live versions of "Original of the Species," piano is the only instrument played during the song. Although The Edge is the band's lead guitarist, he occasionally plays bass guitar, including the live performances of the song "40" where The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton switch instruments.

Solo recordings[link]

In addition to his regular role within U2, The Edge has also recorded with such artists as Johnny Cash, B. B. King, Tina Turner, Ronnie Wood, Jay-Z, and Rihanna. The Edge connected with Brian Eno and Lanois collaborator Michael Brook (the creator of the infinite guitar, which he regularly uses), working with him on the score to the film Captive (1986). From this soundtrack the song "Heroine", the vocal of which was sung by a young Sinéad O'Connor was released as a single.

He also created the theme song for season one and two of The Batman. He and fellow U2 member, Bono, wrote the lyrics to the theme of the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye. The Edge, along with bandmate Bono, recently composed a musical adaptation of Spider-Man. On May 25, 2011, a single titled Rise Above 1: Reeve Carney Featuring Bono and The Edge was released digitally.[11] The music video was released on July 28, 2011.[12]

Musical equipment[link]

Edge's 1964 Vox AC30 on stage in Foxborough for the U2 360° Tour.

The Edge plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano, bass guitar (on "40" and "Race Against Time") and lap steel guitar. Compared to many lead guitarists, The Edge is known for using many more guitars during a show. According to his guitar tech Dallas Schoo, a typical lead guitarist uses four or five different guitars in one night, whereas The Edge takes 45 on the road, and uses 17 to 19 in one 2.5-hour concert. He is estimated to have more than 200 guitars in the studio.[citation needed]

Philanthropy[link]

In 2005, The Edge along with Bob Ezrin and Henry Juszkiewicz co-founded Music Rising, a charity that helped provide replacement instruments for those that were lost in Hurricane Katrina. The instruments were originally only replaced for professional musicians but they soon realized the community churches and schools needed instruments as well. The charity's slogan is "Rebuilding the Gulf Region note by note" and has so far helped over a hundred musicians who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Edge also serves on the board of the Angiogenesis Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving global health by advancing angiogenesis-based medicine, diets, and lifestyle.[13]

See also[link]

References[link]

Footnotes
  1. ^ a b McCormick (2006), p. 21
  2. ^ Dunphy (1988), p. 70
  3. ^ a b c d McCormick (2006), pp. 117–120
  4. ^ a b c d e f "The Edge biography (@U2)". http://www.atu2.com/band/edge/. Retrieved 9 September 2007. 
  5. ^ McCormick (2006), p. 144
  6. ^ "It Might Get Loud". http://www.sonyclassics.com/itmightgetloud/. Retrieved 20 March 2010. 
  7. ^ a b c "U2 star's plans push Malibu over the edge". The Independent. 18 June 2011. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/u2-stars-plans-push-malibu-over-the-edge-2299306.html. 
  8. ^ Flanagan (1996), p. 43
  9. ^ a b c "On the Edge of Success". U2 Magazine No. 3. 1 May 1982. http://u2_interviews.tripod.com/id16.html. Retrieved 6 November 2007. 
  10. ^ "U2 Rotterdam, 10 May 1993, Feyenoord Stadion, ZOO TV Tour – U1". http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/show355.html. 
  11. ^ Rise Above 1 by Reeve Carney feat. Bono and the Edge | Rolling Stone Music | Album Reviews. Rollingstone.com (2011-05-26). Retrieved on 2011-07-29.
  12. ^ 'Spider-Man' star Reeve Carney in new video with Bono, the Edge Latimes.com (2011-07-28) Retrieved on 2011-07-29.
  13. ^ "The Angiogenesis Foundation: People". http://www.angio.org/about-people-bod.php. Retrieved 12/7/2009. 
Bibliography

External links[link]

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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Edge

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.


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]

Contents

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]

Awards[link]

Tours[link]

See also[link]

References[link]

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External links[link]

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