Famous singer born in 1963, in London. He was the smaller one in the family. He had two older sisters. His father is an emigrant from Cyprus. And his mother is a native Englishwoman. My father ran a restaurant that specialized in Greek cuisine. And my mother was dancing. Due to the fact that the parents were constantly busy, the older sisters were involved in raising the boy. As a child, George was a completely homely child. He wore glasses, his body was not at all athletic, and in addition to all these shortcomings, he was also forced to play the violin. His peers did not like him and often attacked him. As George Michael said, his childhood biography was, to put it mildly, not the best. Since childhood, he really dreamed of becoming a musician, but playing the violin did not bring him much pleasure. More due to the fact that he was left-handed. He tried to repeat the sounds he heard on TV. But the father did not like his son’s hobby at all. On the contrary, the mother supported her son and even gave him a voice recorder that he could record. He studied mainly from Elton John's songs.
A long time ago, almost from the very peak of his career, there were rumors about the singer’s gay orientation. Michael himself was very worried about his family because of these rumors. Because these were far from rumors. In the early 90s, he had an affair with a famous designer, from whom he became infected HIV infection. All the rumors that existed were practically confirmed in his album. At the same time, the singer himself began to change. Strange clothes appeared in his wardrobe, and his hairstyles became even stranger. He took his mother's death very hard. George Michael's personal life was confirmed when he himself announced that he was gay. And it is clear that the singer did not have children. In 2016, the musician died at home. The cause was given as a heart attack, but the real reason It's unlikely that they will ever open.
George Michael. Was he married?
The musician was never married. And even in his youth he did not have affairs with women. And this is understandable, since he himself publicly admitted his gay orientation. It is true that he had affairs with men. And the press wrote about this more than once. So the question, George Michael, was he married, can be answered with confidence, no.
George Michael. Children
Due to the fact that he had no relationships with women, he has no children. Yes, now there are families with non-traditional orientations who have children and raise them like everyone else. But that doesn't concern George. He had no children, not his own, not adopted ones. So the headlines in the press, George Mike, children, remained only in the dreams of fans. It is a pity when a person does not have procreation.
George Michael Family
For him there was only one family, the one in which he was born. He considered his friends to be family. But George Michael’s real family, which includes his beloved wife and children, never appeared.
The beginning of a musical career
It all started with the fact that instead of school, George and his new friends entertained subway passengers by performing famous songs The Beatles. And they even performed their own songs. Soon a group called The Executive emerged. But, unfortunately, their group did not live long. During their existence, they recorded only one hit. The beginning of his musical career was very rapid. And although the group could not survive for long, the guys laid a foundation for themselves, which became the beginning.
Creation of the duo Wham
Soon the guys created a duet. For its existence, they had to sign a contract with a very famous label in those days. For their duet, while still in the first group, the guys recorded quite a few hits that were discovered only in Wham. In fact, the name George Michael is the singer's pseudonym. It was taken during the creation of the duo Wham. Their image was of rich, carefree guys who decided for themselves how to live this life. Were the kings of this life. Their songs were intended exclusively for youth. Soon their first album was recorded. After such stunning success, the guys decided to change the label. They signed a contract with a more promising one. Already there they began to receive huge amounts of money, which they had not allocated in the past. Soon, the duo had a break. It lasted almost a year. Gradually their image began to change. And everyone worked on new songs.
George Michael's solo career
There were disagreements in the team because of the producer. He saw the guy as a bully and gave him that image. But in fact, Michael was a romantic at heart, and he really wanted to convey the state of his soul to his fans. All these quarrels led to the collapse of a very popular group. Their latest album became very popular. George Michael's solo career began in 1984, he performed only one song. He was able to perform fully only after his group officially broke up. Then he recorded his first solo album, which became quite popular. And he received almost all the music awards. His new creation did not bring much success to the singer. But the artist believed that it was not he who was to blame for this, but his label, with which he signed a contract. He even sued them, but lost. Because of this failure, the singer stopped writing for a long time, until the moment when the contract with the label ended. It was then that his success began to go downhill. But after six long years he managed to release an album that was not very popular.
British singer George Michael has died. Cause of death British singer George Michael could have suffered from heart failure, reports informvest.net citing Billboard.
George Michael died at home at the age of 53. Police said there were "no suspicious circumstances" in the incident.
His colleagues Elton John, Mark Ronson, Liam Gallagher, Ryan Adams, as well as London Mayor Sadiq Khan and British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn have already expressed their condolences over the musician’s death.
The singer's manager, Michael Lippman, told Billboard that he learned of George Michael's death on Christmas morning Sunday. He was informed that the musician was found "lying peacefully in bed."
According to Lippman, violent death singer is excluded. However, he added that the version of heart failure came as a surprise to him.
Few people know, but in fact, George Michael is Greek. His real name is Yorgos Kyriakos Panayiotou. However, George Michael was born in Britain, in London on June 25, 1963, in the family of a naturalized Greek. He lived in London all his life.
His music career began in 1981, when he and his school friend Andrew Ridgeley created The group Executives. However, they became famous when they renamed their duet Wham! Their main feature was the stage image of rich rakes living life to the fullest.
In 1986, the group broke up, and George Michael announced that he intended to start solo career and write serious, adult music. Released under the Wham brand! The first solo song Freedom attracted everyone's attention to Michael. The first solo album, entitled Faith, sold 16 million copies, and at the end of the year, Billboard magazine became the best-selling disc in the United States.
The second album was much less commercially successful than Faith. George Michael accused record label Sony of not investing enough money in promoting the album. This led to a lawsuit between the singer and the company, which Michael lost. Then the singer refused to release albums until his contract with Sony ended. And only in 1996, Michael’s third solo album, Older, was released on Virgin Records, which enjoyed great success.
Since then, the musician has become a very popular figure in Western music tabloids - as one of the most scandalous famous singers. So, in 1998, Michael was detained by the police after attempting to harass him with sexual intentions in a public toilet. young man. The man was a plainclothes policeman. The singer was forced to admit that he is homosexual.
In October 2006, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs. In 2008 he was cautioned for possession of class A drugs, including cocaine.
That same year, Michael was arrested again for having sex in public. It happened in Hampstead Heath Park, London, and his partner was a 58-year-old unemployed van driver.
George Michael: cause of death, biography of the singer, latest photos, interesting facts on informvest.net
On the night of January 1, 2007, George Michael earned a record fee of three million dollars for just one concert at the villa of oligarch Vladimir Potanin near Moscow.
George Michael: cause of death, biography of the singer, latest photos, interesting facts. In September 2010, Michael received an eight-week prison sentence following an incident in which he crashed his Range Rover into a shop in north London. The singer was arrested after crashing his car into a photography shop in north London's Hampstead. George Michael again pleaded guilty to drug possession, for which he was sentenced to prison as well as a fine.
George Michael: cause of death, biography of the singer, latest photos, interesting facts on informvest.net
The sudden death of George Michael, who died right in Catholic Christmas, literally shocked the world community. Representatives of the world show business immediately reacted to the death of the popular artist and declared their grief.
The world remembered legendary singer George Michael is a scandalous and brilliant person. The press has repeatedly discussed his sex scandals and police antics, drug addiction and homosexuality, while fans carefully collect records and records of his hits that conquered the whole world. Lime collected 10 interesting facts only close people talk about the life of pop music legend George Michael.
1. Greek by birth, George (real name Yorgos Kyriakos Panayiotou) chose the name Michael as his pseudonym because he liked the name of his friend's father childhood. The first twenty thousand copies of his album "Wham Rap!" came out with his real name on the cover - George Panayiotou. And at this stage he realized that it was time to choose a sonorous pseudonym and named himself in honor of a certain Michael Mortimer, the father of his friend.
2. George showed an interest in music from childhood: he bought his very first record at only 10 years old, and it was an album by Carly Simone. A the very first concert, which George was lucky enough to attend, was Sir Elton John's at Earls Court in 1975 - George Michael was only 12 years old and then he did not know that much later, in 1991, they would record the duet song Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.
3. The singer did not immediately think about a musical career: at the age of 12, George Michael dreamed of becoming a pilot, however, vision problems did not give him the opportunity to become a long-haul navigator, as doctors discovered he was color blind - much to his disappointment and fortunately for his million-strong army of fans and the world of music in general.
4. During his school years, young George Michael was an exemplary student for some time, before he was overcome by a passion for music and his studies faded into the background. The boy was easily given all the subjects, but he had a favorite one, with which he even thought about connecting his future. This subject was mathematics. George's interest in this subject was also fueled by falling in love with a young math teacher, which he constantly dreamed about right in her lessons.
5. During his school years, George Michael, by his own admission, was a terrible dancer and was embarrassed to go to discos. His best friend took up teaching him to dance, and as a result, not a trace remained of his former shyness and clumsiness.
6. Before he started playing drums in his first band, young George dreamed of becoming a professional DJ.
7. C school years the singer did not disdain any work to earn a pretty penny, and grew up to be a fairly independent and responsible guy. IN early childhood George Michael worked as a babysitter at the neighbors. Later, the singer for some time worked as a construction worker, a DJ and even a ticket taker in a cinema.
8. George Michael began to show interest in men in his youth, but he dated girls - according to him, he was attracted to the female sex, but he did not see himself in serious relationship with them, because emotionally he was gay, which I realized quite early. The singer hid the fact of his homosexuality for a very long time only because he did not know how his mother would react.
9. In addition to the talent of a composer, he also has businessman talent: He inherited his commercial spirit from his father. George had an excellent eye for works of art and invested his money in buying paintings, which over time doubled or even tripled in price. George Michael also knew a lot about real estate: he was left with houses in different corners worlds, which he at one time bought quite profitably and rented out for a tidy sum. George's investment portfolio also includes exclusive beauty salons, restaurants, a football team, perfume and fashion lines and a vodka brand.
10. George Michael is one of those who did not change with the acquisition of high status and money towards people and was very generous with those around him. One of George's managers once said that if you don't have a car and you accidentally tell George about it, you'll have one the next day. In addition to relatives and friends, George did not forget about those who needed help and was actively involved in charity work, supporting various foundations.
Let us remind you that the legendary British singer George Michael died at the age of 54, according to preliminary data, from heart failure. For my creative career he released six solo albums and received many music awards, including three Grammy Awards and five MTV Awards.
George Michael is the most successful British musician who released his first album under his real name: George Panayiotou. But he gained worldwide fame thanks to the pseudonym George Michael. His debut solo album brought him the prestigious Grammy award and the doors to show business opened for the 25-year-old musician.
His hits were covered by many world stars. Over the course of his career, about one hundred million records have been sold. Last time he performed on stage four years before his death in his native London, but before that he announced his farewell concert several times.
He was the idol of many, despite the fact that his name was associated with scandalous stories. George Michael knew how to fuel rumors about himself: he was one of the first artists to declare his drug addiction and did not hide his fees. He left his fortune of $120 million and three magnificent houses in the UK to godchildren, relatives and a loved one. He died of a heart attack on his estate in all alone at 53 years old. The world still listens to his music and admires his brilliant talent.
George Michael's transformation
Michael George was the third child of a Cypriot family Greek origin Kyriakos Panayiotou and Englishwoman Leslie Harrison. His place of birth was the town of Finchley, where he was born on June 25, 1963. Iorgos was raised by his two older sisters Melanie and Yoda. Parents disappeared at work: father worked restaurant business, mother was a dancer. Since childhood, he saw brilliant shows and dreamed of being on stage.
He never doubted that he would definitely become a star, although he grew up as a modest, even shy child. He wore glasses, could not distinguish many shades of colors, and was left-handed. At school he was teased, but he did not dare to fight back, most often he ran home, where a violin and such exciting activities were waiting for him. He listened to the radio and played melodies by ear until his mother gave him a voice recorder. He knew all the songs by Queen and Elton John.
Moving from the north of Great Britain to the southeast to the city of Hartford in 1975 played a huge role in his life. He went to new school and there he met the conqueror of women’s hearts and merry fellow Andrew Ridgeley. He will imitate him in everything and will also learn to please girls by losing a few extra pounds and changing his glasses to contact lenses. They will create a school music group, will skip classes to perform their songs on the subway. Six years later they will record their first hit, and the British will call their duet WHAM phenomenal. He created a gentle melody and the most successful commercial single “Careless Whisper” at the age of 17, although it would sound throughout the world much later.
George Michael's mother will be one of the enthusiastic listeners of his works and will support him in everything. His father will be against his decision to study music rather than go to university. He was sure that his son could not sing.
Parents will begin to notice the peculiarity of personal relationships: the father will show his sharp negative attitude, and the mother will warn about the fate of her family members. Her homosexual brother committed suicide by turning on a gas burner on George's birthday. He confesses to them that he is gay in his letter. It won't be a shock to the mother. George often said in his interviews that he and his mother had the same views, similar hobbies and temperament. They were for real close. Only after his mother's death in 1997 would George understand her fears: he would become depressed and think about suicide. A year after this, he publicly admits his unconventional orientation and this will attract the attention of the world's tabloids. Songs and concerts will become secondary for his audience, many fans will turn away from him for a long time.
In March 2004, his album “Patience” will become the leader of the charts in the UK. It will also include the song “My Mother Had a Brother”, dedicated to the deceased Uncle Colin.
The peak of George Michael's popularity
25-year-old Michael George is on a triumphant tour around the world four years after the breakup of his duet with Ridgeley. Their main hits won the hearts of listeners. Seven singles remained at the top of the British charts for two years.
In the spring of 1985, they went on a tour of China, becoming the first musicians who managed to visit the communist country by hook or by crook. Michael was very unhappy with this trip. His unflattering statements about political system, the government and the closed culture of China. He doesn't set foot there anymore.
WHAM's albums ended with "The Final". She broke sales records British performers: Forty million pieces disappeared into the world market. A year later, the composition won the hearts of Americans, the disc received a Grammy Award.
The farewell performance at Wembley Stadium attracted more than 70 thousand spectators.
Ridgeley was not offended: he had been interested in racing for a long time, and was glad to devote himself to this sport and the beauty Karen Woodward. In 1986, the duo broke up.
George’s solo career was going uphill: his debut album “Faith” became the best-selling album, and the singer was awarded another Grammy statuette. Inspired, Michael planned a grandiose tour that became one of the main events in pop music. The superstar received awards and fees.
“Listen without Prejudice” - the 1990 album - did not live up to expectations. Michael expected big sales. He blamed the commercial failure on Sony, with which he had a contract. He lost the court proceedings, but stood up and ended all relations with her before the end of the contract. But he didn’t waste time: he composed and performed in joint concerts with Elton John and other stars.
Having paid $40 million to Sony, one of the British labels releases the musician and enters into a new agreement with him. In 1996, “Older” was released, eclipsing the hits of the decade in popularity.
A public statement about gayness dramatically changes interest in the star’s work. He takes a time out and retreats into himself.
For more than two years they have been playing his old songs and waiting for his return. It will take place in the spring of 2001. Michael will offer an album that immediately gained popularity. It will be marked by another event: the most expensive video will be shot for the song Freeek. Its price of $1.5 million is still considered the ceiling in the history of the music business.
Then his Patience is released - his fifth studio album, which has not left the top positions for two years. After this, George Michael announced that he would post songs online for download absolutely free.
In 2005, a documentary about his life, “George Michael: The Other Story,” was shown. His family spoke about him: his father and sisters, friends, colleagues, stars. George Michael walks the streets where he spent his childhood and youth, talking about that time, about creativity, about dreams.
Quarter of a century creative activity was marked by the release of the hits album “25”. France, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine and four more European countries applauded their favorite in 2006.
He will release two more singles - in 2009 and 2012.
A significant event will be George's participation in the closing of the 30th Summer Olympic Games in London, where he will perform two songs: “White Light” and “Freedom”.
George Michael's Last Residence
The press actively followed the star’s personal life, and he took all the attacks against him to heart. At the age of 28, the singer had an affair with Anselmo Feleppa. Six months later, the partner found out that he had AIDS. George tested positive for HIV. After two years of relationship, Feleppa died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Michael was deeply affected by this story, became depressed and contemplated suicide. He radically changed his image, began to wear short hair and leather clothes. He will write a song in memory of his friend.
A long affair, which began in 1996 with Kenny Goss, almost brought them down the aisle. Michael quite seriously said that they would get married. But this did not happen. The police too often brought the singer to trial for various offenses, including those related to drug use and possession. He regularly paid fines and once failed to avoid prison. True, he was given only two weeks, but this was enough to avoid being included in incident reports for some time. Goss said that he was tired of the difficult relationship, but what really happened there is unknown. They rarely appeared in public and hid their relationship.
In 2004, the celebrity agreed to participate in “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and even showed off her abode - an estate in Oxfordshire. He and the cameraman walked almost the entire house, but there was not a soul there. Fireplace, armchairs, kitchen, dining room, wooden beams on low ceilings, a fountain in the apple orchard - everything the owner likes.
At 43 years old, George Michael will tell reporters that he was always afraid of contracting the “plague of the 20th century”, that in his youth he had experience of close communication with girls and dispelled rumors that he slept with his school friend Andrew: no, they are just friends. The interview was very frank and came out on the eve of his performance at Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of thousands of spectators.
At 44, George Mike went to Moscow, where he celebrated New Year 2007 in the company of oligarch Vladimir Potanin. The private hour-long concert cost the billionaire $3 million. But this does not mean that the singer is greedy for money. The day before, for example, he sang for nurses in London completely free of charge. And he was no stranger to charity: he donated both to organizations and privately.
George Michael was preparing to go on tour to show the public his best creations and perform new ones in 2011. But he only managed to give a couple of shows when his health failed. He was taken to hospital in Vienna, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia and put on a ventilator. The treatment was difficult, the singer could be left without a voice. But he recovered and a year later he wrote the hit “White Light” about it, thanking everyone who worried and prayed for him. The concert in Switzerland nevertheless took place a year later: it was for this time that the tour was postponed.
But the most odious person in the life of George Michael is Fuddy Fawaz. It was this man who became the last boyfriend of the 45-year-old singer. He was next to him near the hospital bed in Vienna and, as the newspapers wrote, he was very worried about his friend’s health. Social media are swarming with their personal photographs: the paparazzi have stopped hunting them, all the shots were taken by Fuddy. More than a hundred pictures from their joint vacation on a yacht a year after they met were posted online. It was rumored that the new passion was a stylist who worked in different projects with models, on TV and even appeared in a porn film. That he is ten years younger than George Michael and that not everything has been so rosy in their relationship lately.
It is known that in 2015 the singer was determined to get rid of drug addiction and underwent treatment in a clinic in Switzerland. Those close to him do not comment on these decisions, and he himself did not speak out on this matter.
He died at home in Oxfordshire. Cause of death: heart attack. It was discovered by Faddy Fawaz on December 25, 2016. George Michael is buried next to his mother.
Biography
George Michael was born on June 25, 1963 in London to a Cypriot father and an English Jewish mother. His musical career began in 1981, when he formed a band with his school friend Andrew Ridgeley "The Executives". The group was unable to achieve success, and then Michael and Ridgeley decided to perform as a duo, adopting the name “Wham!”
"Wham!" period
They adopted the stage image of rich rakes professing a hedonistic lifestyle, which was demonstrated to the fullest in the video clips for their debut singles “Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" and "Young Guns (Go For It)". Despite the huge commercial success of the songs "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" and "Last Christmas", the group broke up in 1985. Latest singles "Wham!" - "Careless Whisper" and "A Different Corner" were actually performed by George Michael.
The beginning of a solo career
After the breakup of Wham! the singer stated that he intends to start a solo career and write more serious, adult music. Released under the brand name “Wham!” The upbeat song “Freedom” brought Michael into the spotlight as one of the most talented and fashionable figures of his generation. Fans were eagerly awaiting the release of their idol's first solo album. This album - entitled "Faith" - arrived in record stores on October 30, 1987. In the wake of hysteria caused by the release of the funk-style record, more than 16 million copies were sold, and at the end of the year, Billboard magazine named it the best-selling disc in the United States.
The second album “Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1" brought Michael two more hits: "Freedom!" 90" and "Praying For Time", but overall was much less commercially successful than "Faith". George Michael accused the Sony record label of investing there was not enough money to advertise the album, which led to a lawsuit between the singer and Sony, which Michael lost. Then the singer refused to release albums until his contract with Sony ended. During the long break between albums, the singer released a single. "Too Funky", included in the collection "Red Hot And Dance", and the duet "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" with Elton John, and also takes part in the Queen concert dedicated to the memory of Freddie Mercury.
Return to show business
In 1996, Michael's third solo album, Older, was released on Virgin Records, which was more successful in Europe than in the United States, where Michael's era of popularity had already passed. Songs such as “Jesus To A Child” and “Fastlove” reached number 1 in the UK. In 1998, Michael was detained by police who found him masturbating in a public restroom with DJEHOT. The singer was forced to admit that he had a homosexual orientation, which at first had a rather deplorable effect on the sales figures of his records. The same year a collection was published greatest hits"Ladies And Gentlemen: The Best Of George Michael", which contained new song“Outside” on the theme of his forced coming out. The same album includes the song "As" Stevie Wonder, which George Michael performed with American singer Blige, Mary Jay.
In 1999, Michael released an album of cover versions of his favorite songs, Songs From The Last Century.
In 2003, George Michael tried to regain his former popularity by releasing his first single in five years, “Freeek!”, which was accompanied by an expensive video clip. These investments were not justified, as the single did not reach number one even in home country. The soon-to-be followed album, Patience, debuted in the UK at number 1. The political composition “Shoot The Dog” was released as a single from it - a satire on George W. Bush and Tony Blair, whom Michael accused of starting the war with Iraq. In 2006, the video for the new song “An Easier Affair” premiered on MTV.
Current events
In 2005, the premiere took place at the Berlin International Film Festival. documentary film"George Michael: A Different Story", for which the singer wrote the script.
On November 11, 2006, the best hits album “Twenty Five” was released, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the singer’s creative activity. In addition, for the first time in 15 years, George Michael went on a world tour.
On the night of January 1, 2007. J. Michael earned a record fee of three million dollars for just one concert at the villa of oligarch Vladimir Potanin near Moscow.
In 2007, George Michael announced the continuation of his tour, during which he gave concerts for the first time in Moscow and Kyiv.
09/14/2010 - London's Highbury Corner District Court sentenced popular British singer George Michael to eight weeks' imprisonment for driving under the influence of drugs and a fine for possession of cannabis. The singer was arrested on July 4 when he crashed his car into a photography shop in north London's Hampstead. At a court hearing in late August, George Michael pleaded guilty to drug possession, for which he was sentenced to imprisonment for 2 months, as well as a fine of 1 thousand 250 pounds sterling. In October 2010, the singer was released after four weeks in prison. In May 2011, the singer announced a new tour, which began on August 22 in the Czech city of Prague. The concert program will be special and use Czech national orchestra. 60 concerts are planned before the end of the year, all of them will take place in Europe.