George Michael

The definitive biography of George Michael, offering an expansive look at the troubled life of the legendary singer, songwriter, and pop superstar George Michael was an extravagantly gifted, openhearted soul singer whose work was both pained and smolderingly erotic. He was a songwriter of true craft and substance, and his music swept the world, starting in the mid-1980s. His fabricated image—that of a hypermacho sex god—loomed large in the pop culture of his day. It also hid—for a time—the secret he fought against revealing: Michael was gay. Soon his obsession with fame would start to backfire. As one of the industry’s most privileged yet tortured men began to self-destruct, the press showed little sympathy. George Michael: A Life explores the compelling story of a superstar whose struggles, as well as his songs, continue to touch fans all over the world. Acclaimed music biographer James Gavin traces Michael’s metamorphosis from the shy and awkward Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou into the swaggering, dominant half of the leading British pop duo of the 1980s Wham!; he then details Michael’s sensational solo career and its subsequent unraveling. With deep analysis of the creative process behind Michael’s albums, tours, and music videos, as well as interviews with hundreds of his friends and colleagues, George Michael: A Life is a probing, definitive portrait of a pop legend.

It's that time of year again . . . Turn up 'Last Christmas', get the mince pies out and head back to the 80s in the remarkably honest and fascinating autobiography from one half of the world's greatest pop duo THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'I couldn't put it down. Such a fantastic book' Chris Evans, Virgin Radio ________ School mates. Band mates. Soul mates . . . When Andrew Ridgley took George Michael, the new boy at school, under his wing, he discovered a soul mate. In Wham! George and Me, Andrew tells the story of how they rode a rollercoaster of success around the world while making iconic records and surviving superstardom with their friendship intact. It is a memoir of love, music, the flamboyant 1980s and living in a pop hurricane. No one else can ever tell their story - because no one else was there . . . For the first time, Andrew Ridgeley tells the inside story of Wham!, his life-long friendship with George Michael and the formation of a band that changed the shape of the music scene in the early eighties. ________ 'A joyous celebration of the Wham! years. For anyone who was a teenager in the early 1980s, it will take you on a nostalgia trip. It's an honest but affectionate account of a remarkable duo who remained true to their origins and their friendship throughout it all' Daily Express 'As infectious as their music' Daily Mirror 'A remarkably generous memoir. In more than one sense, the biography of a friend' Spectator 'A great story' Saturday Live, Radio 4 'A lovely book. A love letter to George' Graham Norton, BBC One 'Charming, heartfelt . . . there's a real poignancy to Ridgeley's description of Wham!'s glory days' Sunday Times

George Michael is one of the world's top pop music vocalists. This book tells how the boy from a working class background made it to the top of the music charts in countries all over the world. It tells the story of George's involvement with the group Wham and of the $3 million deal with the Coca Cola company. George's songs, his music, his craft as well as his family, friends and life on and off the road are all included. His observations amd comments on other musical stars are also quoted.

George Michael is an enigma. While he is one of the most open and vocal pop superstars on the planet, he also fiercely protective of his privacy. From the formation of Wham! In 1981 he immediately found fame and fortune beyond his wildest dreams. His music formed the soundtrack to the 1980s and he achieved all of this despite growing up in a dysfunctional family where his father openly proclaimed that George had no talent. Wham! split in 1986 but Michael went on to greater things as a solo artist. Along the way he has been embroiled in several controversies, but in refreshing contrast to other superstars, he has been happy to address his issues head-on in the media. Rob Jovanovic's biography tackles all the issues that formed George Michael and his place as a cultural icon. It also, for the first time, analyses Michael's musical output and groundbreaking videos.

A compilation of quotations taken from interviews with George Michael. Michael's thoughts and insights on Wham , his solo career, and the 1994 CBS court case decision, are included.

George Michael was an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist who rose to fame as a member of the music duo Wham! and later embarked on a solo career. Michael has sold over 115 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His first solo single "Careless Whisper" reached number one in over 20 countries, including the US. Michael's debut solo album Faith was released in 1987, staying at number one on the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks, and winning Album of the Year at the 31st Grammy Awards. Three years later Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990) was released which included the Billboard Hot 100 number one "Praying for Time." "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," a 1991 duet with Elton John, was also a transatlantic number one. Michael, who came out as gay in 1998, was an active LGBT rights campaigner and HIV/ AIDS charity fundraiser. His most famous songs were with Wham! and as a solo artist, but he also collaborated with such musical royalty as Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Queen, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Paul McCartney, and Beyonce. This is his story.

The unexpected death of George Michael on Christmas Day, 2016 brought to a close the life of one of the UK’s most loved pop icons. Careless Whispers is the gripping story of this musical legend – A record-shattering singer, songwriter and producer whose 30-year career saw him become one of the best-selling artists of all time. Revised and updated to encompass his final few years and the outpouring of love in his wake, this celebratory Omnibus Enhanced edition also includes a Digital Timeline of George Michael’s career, packed with live performances, music videos, interviews and more. This revealing biography digs deep into George Michael’s career, from the formation of Wham! to his success as a solo artist and, eventually, the final projects before his tragic passing. Within this larger-than-life tale, Robert Steele also explores his closely-guarded private life, including the death of his partner in 1993, the drug and sex scandals that sent him to prison in 2010 and the circumstances surrounding his death, as well as details of his astonishing philanthropy which were never revealed during his lifetime. Careless Whispers is an essential and inspiring read of a true musical icon like no other.