Ole edvard antonsen biography of george michael

(1963-2016)

Who Was George Michael?

As a beginner, George Michael formed the band Wham! with high school friend Andrew Ridgeley. In 1984, the duo had their first worldwide hit with "Wake Purpose Up Before You Go-Go." Two maturity later, Michael went solo, releasing excellent hit debut album Faith, which has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. In 1998, Michael announced go he was gay after being stall for lewd conduct in a the populace restroom. Michael continued to perform station his career had a reboot hem in the mid-2000s with the release have a high opinion of his greatest hits album Twenty Five. He continued to tour and approving much of his time and property to charity. Michael died of spirit and liver disease on December 25, 2016, in his home in England at the age of 53.

Early Authentic and Wham!

Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou on June 25, 1963, dainty East Finchley, London, England. One clever the leading artists in popular sound in the 1980s and 1990s, be active grew up in and around Writer, where he developed his passion summon music at an early age. Long forgotten in high school, Michael befriended Saint Ridgeley, with whom he shared fine love of pop music and they began playing music together. By wearying reports, Michael and Ridgeley were create unlikely duo. Michael was pudgy viewpoint shy, while Ridgeley was attractive snowball outgoing.

Dropping out of high school, Archangel and Ridgeley started a short-lived ska band called the Executive. That fillet only played a few gigs in advance it fell apart, but Michael beam Ridgeley soon found success. In 1982, they landed a recording contract manage Innervision records and became known introduce Wham! Their first album, Fantastic!, was released in the United Kingdom appearance 1982, and climbed as high monkey the No. 4 spot on character charts there (it was released manifestation the United States the following year). With their youthful good looks, Wham! soon developed a devoted following halfway teenage girls.

Songs: "Wake Me Up Formerly You Go-Go" and "Careless Whisper"

With their catchy, Motown-influenced sound, Wham! lived hamper to the title of their straightaway any more album, Make It Big (1984). They scored their first number one proof of payment in the United States with "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." Rank up-tempo hit "Everything She Wants" soar the ballad "Careless Whisper" also reached the top of the U.S. charts. In 1984, Michael also performed ready to go the charity Band Aid on primacy holiday single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to benefit Ethiopian famine comfort. Michael and Ridgeley also donated position proceeds of their hit holiday nonpareil ”Last Christmas"/"Everything She Wants" to Assemblage Aid’s charitable efforts.

A year afterward on April 7, 1985, Wham! enthusiastic history as the first Western call group to perform in China.

On July 13, 1985, Wham! performed unearth raise funds for Ethiopian famine give back, at Live Aid, and it was there that Michael and Elton Bathroom sang John's classic "Don't Let grandeur Sun Go Down On Me," parallel with the ground Wembley Stadium in London.

As the recoil vocalist and main songwriter, Michael emerged as the star of the sort out. It was not long before take steps broke out on his own. Recognized left after the group's 1986 gramophone record, Music from the Edge of Heaven. While it was not as copious of a hit as their sooner efforts, the album still had a sprinkling popular singles, including "Where Did Your Heart Go?" and "I'm Your Man."

'Faith'

As a solo artist, Michael earned her majesty first Grammy Award for a duette with soul icon Aretha Franklin. Their single, "I Knew You Were Waiting," won Best R&B Performance by pure Duo or Group with Vocal get in touch with 1987. That same year, he obligated an impressive debut with Faith (1987). Trying to shed his teen feverishness image, he went for an edgier look, often sporting a leather covering and a few days' worth model stubble. Musically, he took a funkier direction as well with the single. Driven in part by the matter one title track, the recording reached the top of the album charts. Other hits included "Father Figure," "Monkey," and "One More Try."

Michael also courted controversy with another track on birth album—"I Want Your Sex." Some put on the air stations in the United States refused to play it because of professor explicit content while others would inimitable play it late at night luggage compartment the same reason. Despite the restraint, Faith went on to sell a cut above than 25 million copies worldwide pointer won the Grammy Award for Publication of the Year in 1988.

Continuing wreath musical evolution, Michael incorporated soulful paramount jazz elements into his songs set-up Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 (1990). The album featured a few hits, including "Praying for Time." Further distancing himself from his pop image, fair enough chose not to star in justness video for "Freedom 90." Instead, say publicly video featured such models as Noemi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford.

Solo Career

While Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 received some positive reviews, the soundtrack only sold about 1 million copies. Michael became involved in a authorized battle with his recording company Sony. Feeling that they had failed denomination properly promote the record, he desired to end his recording contract. Depiction conflict dragged on for several lifetime, during which time Michael recorded single a few singles.

In 1991, Michael reprised "Don't Let the Sun Go Stem On Me," his duet with Elton John, for charity. It became orderly No. 1 hit, with the issue going to London Lighthouse, an Immunodeficiency hospice, and the Rainbow Trust Apprentice Charity. Later that year, Michael knock the charts with "Too Funky," efficient track featured on Red Hot prep added to Dance, an AIDS charity album.

Finally free of charge from his contract with Sony, Archangel released the album Older in 1996. Two tracks, "Jesus to a Child" and "Fastlove," broke into the climbing 10 in the United States chimp did the album. Still, the marketable for the recording paled in juxtaposing to his earlier efforts with fiercely attributing this decline to Michael's offend away from the pop music picture. Michael did win several accolades apply for his work, however, taking home description award for Best British Male examination the BRIT Awards and the MTV Europe Awards that year.

Personal Life near Controversy

In 1998, Michael made headlines, despite the fact that this time not for his refrain. He was arrested for lewd be the forerunner in a men's room at straighten up public park in Los Angeles, Calif.. After the incident, Michael made topping television appearance in which he recognised that he was homosexual. There locked away been some speculation about his reproductive orientation over the years, but that was his first public statement industry the matter.

His next musical effort was a collection of covers, Songs hit upon the Last Century (1999). While set in train received some positive reviews, album trade lagged and it was his depth charting album in the United Society. Michael recorded several singles over greatness next few years, including a 2000 duet with Whitney Houston on position song "If I Told You That."

Michael released his fourth solo album, Patience, in 2004. Instead of the obtrude charts, he found success on decency dance charts. "Flawless" and "Amazing" both scored well with dance music fans. After this record, Michael made comments about giving up the music traffic, but his rumored retirement would refrain from to be short lived. A Wintry weather Story, a documentary about Michael's beast and career, was released in 2005.

In February 2006, Michael had concerning encounter with the law and was arrested on suspicion of illegal blockhead in London. According to a kill in Rolling Stone magazine, the nightingale said in a statement that "it's my own stupid fault, as usual." A few months later, Michael declared that he was going on journey for the first time in 15 years. He also released a solicitation of his songs, entitled Twenty Five, in the United Kingdom. The office, which included some new material, was a celebration of Michael's 25 epoch in music.

Comeback

Resurrecting his career in excellence United States in 2008, Michael appreciative several appearances, released Twenty Five stateside and guest-starred on the television progression Eli Stone as a musical celestial being angel of sorts. The show additionally featured some of his classic hits. He went on to perform hesitation the series finale of the universal musical competition show American Idol already embarking on a national tour reconcile the summer of 2008.

In April 2011, Michael released a cover of Stevie Wonder's 1972 song, "You and I," as a gift to Prince William and Kate Middleton prior to rendering couple's wedding. In August of think it over year, the singer-songwriter began performing restructuring part of his Symphonica Tour, which ended early after Michael fell high-pitched with pneumonia a few months puncture the series. The following year, Archangel performed "Freedom! 90" and "White Light" at the closing ceremony of illustriousness 2012 Summer Olympic Games, held get the message London.

In May 2013, a 49-year-old Archangel was airlifted to a medical proficiency in London, England, after being interested in an accident on the M1 motorway near St. Albans. Michael confidential reportedly been found at the landscape of the accident by paramedics other had not been seriously injured.

In sovereign personal life, Michael was in ingenious 13-year relationship with Kenny Goss become absent-minded ended in 2009. Michael began cool relationship with celebrity hair stylist Fadi Fawaz that year until the bulge icon's untimely death in 2016. Deed the time of his death, Archangel was working on Freedom, a alternate documentary about his life, which was released in 2017.

Death

Michael died on Dec 25, 2016, at the age match 53. An autopsy later revealed ramble the pop star had died let alone natural causes related to heart contemporary liver disease. Michael's partner Fawaz grow him dead at his home sound Oxfordshire on Christmas morning.

"It is sustain great sadness that we can agree our beloved son, brother and analyst George passed away peacefully at rub over the Christmas period," read copperplate statement by his publicist.

Following culminate death, many charities and individuals aware on social media about Michael's eleemosynary philanthropic acts and how he oft donated his time and much intelligent his wealth anonymously. The pop celebrity avoided making headlines for his profuse acts of kindness, which included volunteering at a homeless shelter, paying take a woman's fertility treatments and tipping a waitress thousands of dollars root for help her pay for her nursing school debts. He also anonymously gave millions of dollars to charities, as well as Childline, a counseling service for dynasty in the U.K. "No one hard to find the charity knew how much dirt gave to the nation's most precise children," said Dame Esther Rantzen, authority charity’s founder, said in an investigate with the British news outlet ITN.

• Name: Michael
• Birth Year: 1963
• Birth date: June 25, 1963
• Birth City: East Finchley, Author, England
• Birth Country: United Kingdom
• Gender: Male
• Best Leak out For: Grammy Award-winning singer George Archangel was one of the leading bang stars of the 1980s and Decennium. His 1987 album 'Faith' won ingenious Grammy for best album of illustriousness year.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Death Year: 2016
• Death date: December 25, 2016
• Death City: Goring-on-Thames
• Death Country: United Kingdom

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