Sydney, the city which stole George Michael's heart
The private world of George Michael has been, for the last two decades of his life at least, a very public affair.
There was the Texan art dealer Kenny Goss, whom many felt was the love of Michael's life; their relationship lasted 14 years and the pair remained close.
And there was the Australian-born hair stylist Fadi Fawaz, who has been in a relationship with Michael for the last few years.
But in 2010 the London-born pop singer was seduced by the most unexpected of things: the city of Sydney.
George Michael (R) with his then-boyfriend, Queensland-born Fadi Fawaz, in Sydney in 2012.Credit:Twitter/@fadifawaz
Michael's whirlwind visit to Sydney in 2010 was planned like most: an airline ticket, a fast turnaround and one glittering moment on the stage at the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras after-party.
For those who remember it, it was a star-studded lineup: Michael, Kelly Rowland, David Guetta and Adam Lambert.
And like most Mardi Gras parties it was a celebration of freedom and hedonism, anthems which resonated powerfully with Michael's songwriting.
After a scheduled show in Melbourne on March 3 that year, Michael should have been on an aeroplane back to London, but instead the then-46-year-old singer decided to stay in Sydney.
George Michael (in black, centre stage) at Sydney Mardi Gras, 2010.Credit:Mark Dickson
Exactly what stole his heart is difficult to pin down: the late Sydney summer, the city's stunning harbour, its vibrant gay community or simply the opportunity to exchange his high-profile London life for something a little more ordinary and anonymous.
Reflecting on his subsequent visits to Sydney, it seems he indulged in them all.
George Michael impersonators for the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival 2010 rehearse 28 historic years. Credit:Brendan Esposito
There were, of course, endless paparazzi shots and headlines in gossip columns about where he was, and who he was with. In London his circle of friends was a who's who of the famous and powerful; in Sydney he surrounded himself with a group of friends who were neither.
There were also yacht cruises around Sydney harbour, where it seemed every man he was photographed with was a new "mystery man". And visits to the Queensland home of his partner Fadi Fawaz's family.
George Michael's home at 333 Whale Beach Road, Palm Beach.Credit:domain.com.au
At one point he even exchanged his luxurious hotel for a serviced apartment and rented his own car; later he bought himself a holiday home – Palm Beach Villa – which is perched on Whale Beach and enjoys commanding views of the Barrenjoey Lighthouse.
Most famously, however, he used the dating app Grindr to meet men.
George Michael had an ongoing love affair with Sydney where he owned a holiday home.Credit:Getty Images
It must have seemed almost surreal to switch on a phone dating app and see the face of a global superstar staring back at you. And with the pseudonym "Back for Wood" no less.
But for Michael, there was almost something very ordinary about life in Sydney that made it appealing. In London he faced a paparazzi scrum daily, and seemed constantly to have to explain the various scandals which had, for a time, plagued his career.
The fabric of life in Sydney for the pop superstar was a stark contrast: long, quiet summers, a chance to live his life out and proud, and a wider community which seemed to embrace him without judgement.
Michael Idato is entertainment editor-at-large of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.