George Michael

Artist Image: George Michael
Attribution
Image Credit: Альберт Лоутсберг (Own work), CC BY-SA 4.0

Biography

Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016), known professionally as George Michael, was an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist who rose to fame as a member of the music duo Wham! He was best known for his work in the 1980s and 1990s, including hit singles such as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Last Christmas", and albums such as Faith (1987) and Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990). Michael sold more than 100 million records worldwide. His debut solo album, Faith, sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Michael achieved seven number one singles in the UK and eight number one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, including "Careless Whisper" and "Praying for Time". He ranks among the best-selling British acts of all time, and in 2008 he was ranked 40th on Billboard's list of the Greatest Hot 100 Artists of All Time. Michael won various music awards throughout his 30-year career, including three Brit Awards—he won Best British Male twice, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Ivor Novello Awards, three American Music Awards, and two Grammy Awards from eight nominations. Michael, who came out as gay in 1998, was an active LGBT rights campaigner and HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser. In 2004, the Radio Academy named Michael the most played artist on British radio during the period 1984–2004. The documentary A Different Story (released in 2005) covered his career and personal life. Michael's first tour in 15 years, the worldwide 25 Live tour, spanned three tours over the course of three years (2006, 2007, and 2008). In the early hours of 25 December 2016, Michael, aged 53, was found dead in bed at his Oxfordshire home.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1977
Number of Albums 28
Record Label Columbia
Website georgemichael.com
Wikipedia George Michael on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

How many copies of Faith did Michael's 1988 album sell?

15 million

...is 1988 album, rose to Number One on the Billboard pop chart and sold 15 million copies. I was not as lucrative for Michael as Faith had been, it was ...
How did Faith rank on the Billboard pop chart?

Number One

...Faith, his 1988 album, rose to Number One on the Billboard pop chart and sold 15 million copies. I was not as lucrative for Michael as Faith had been,...
What career did Michael dream of as a boy?

pilot

...as an important and accomplished work. As a boy he dreamed of becoming a pilot ; he was disappointed to find, however, that his myopia and color blindn...
When did Michael receive a tape recorder?

seventh birthday

...rsuit impossible. After receiving a tape recorder as a gift on his seventh birthday and unearthing some old Motown records and a phonograph, Michael h...
Where did Michael and his family move to in his early adolescence?

Bushey

...came successful enough for the family to move to the affluent suburb of Bushey . While in school there Michael met Andrew Ridgeley, who would later bec...
Who did Michael meet while in school?

Andrew Ridgeley

...to the affluent suburb of Bushey. While in school there Michael met Andrew Ridgeley , who would later become his partner in Wham! Though it seemed unli...
At what age did he and Ridgeley quit school to form a band called The Executive?

16

...s wanted him to enter a respectable profession like law or medicine, at the age of 16 he and Ridgeley quit school to form a band called The Executive....
Where did he grow up?

Kingsbury, London

...reek Cypriot who immigrated to England in the 1950s. He grew up in Kingsbury, London , where his parents had bought a house. When his family moved to R...
What was Andrew's job?

DJ

... The two bonded as both wanted to pursue careers in music. He worked as a DJ and played at local clubs and schools. Michael and Andrew both dropped ou...
What was the name of George Michael's band?

Wham!

...tiful Even Without Makeup Career In 1981, George Michael formed the band Wham! They released their first album Fantastic on July 9, 1983, which reache...
What year did George Michael form the band Wham!?

1981

...men Of 2021 Celebrities Who Look Beautiful Even Without Makeup Career In 1981 , George Michael formed the band Wham! They released their first album Fa...
What was the name of George Michael's first album?

Fantastic

..., George Michael formed the band Wham! They released their first album Fantastic on July 9, 1983, which reached No. Their second album, Make It Big, w...
Who was George Michael's father?

Kyriacos Panayiotou

...in the United Kingdom, to Lesley Angold (Harrison), a dancer, and Kyriacos Panayiotou , a restaurateur. He first discovered fame as a musician when he ...
What profession did Lesley Angold have?

dancer

...ey, north London, in the United Kingdom, to Lesley Angold (Harrison), a dancer , and Kyriacos Panayiotou, a restaurateur. He first discovered fame as a...
George Michael formed what pop group with Andrew Ridgeley?

Wham!.

...sician when he and school friend, Andrew Ridgeley, formed the pop group Wham!. Success came fast and furious with their first album, 'Fantastic' (1983...
What year was Faith released?

1987

...ve a hugely successful career as a solo artist, his debut album 'Faith' ( 1987 ) and the single of the same name both achieving instant and internationa...
How many number one albums has Faith had in the U.S.?

2

...s. The album has since been certified Diamond. In the U.S. he has achieved 2 number one albums and 10 number one singles, with numerous other number o...
Live Aid and the Freddie Mercury concert for AIDS are examples of what?

charitable causes

...ton John, Queen, and Lisa Stansfield, and actively participates in charitable causes , Live Aid and the Freddie Mercury concert for AIDS being just two...
How much money did George donate towards various charities?

more than five million pounds

...ent examples. According to a BBC documentary, George donated more than five million pounds towards various charities. Whilst with Wham!, he donated al...
What was George Michael's birth date?

25 June 1963

...(disambiguation). George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. Known as a l...
Where was Michael born?

East Finchley, North London

...t significant cultural figures of the MTV generation. Born in East Finchley, North London , Michael rose to fame as a member of the music duo Wham! For...
What was the name of Wham! Michael's first single?

Careless Whisper

...ing themselves as a global act, Wham! Michael's first solo single, Careless Whisper , reached number one in over 20 countries, including the UK and US....
What was Michael's first solo album called?

Faith

...nklin duet I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me). Michael's debut solo album, Faith , was released in 1987, topping the UK Albums Chart and staying at numbe...
How many weeks did it stay at number one on the Billboard 200?

12

...Me). Michael's debut solo album, Faith, was released in 1987, topping the UK Albums Chart and staying at number one on the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks....
George Michael had a fine voice and a knack for writing engaging melodies that worked well with what?

dancefriendly rhythms

... and a knack for writing engaging melodies that worked well with dancefriendly rhythms , Michael became the rare teen sensation who matured into a resp...
What did Michael write that worked well with dancefriendly rhythms?

engaging melodies

...lbums worldwide. Blessed with a fine voice and a knack for writing engaging melodies that worked well with dancefriendly rhythms, Michael became the r...
What label did Michael sign with?

Sony worldwide

...yalties on material from their first album, Fantastic, to sign with Sony worldwide . The choice proved to be shrewd; Wham! But Michael displayed an amb...
What was the name of Michael's 1986 solo single?

A Different Corner

...is own. In 1986, after Michael had released a proper solo single, A Different Corner , Wham! Michael wasted no time making his mark, releasing his firs...
What did the image of a sex icon in maturity contradict?

his appearance in childhood

...busy at work. The image of a sex icon in maturity contradicts his appearance in childhood . George Michael had to wear glasses because of poor eyesight...
What did George Michael have to wear because of poor eyesight?

glasses

...ity contradicts his appearance in childhood. George Michael had to wear glasses because of poor eyesight, and his constitution was not athletic, so he...
What was George Michael's constitution not?

athletic

...to wear glasses because of poor eyesight, and his constitution was not athletic , so he was constantly bullied by children. Moreover, he had to learn t...
How old was Michael when he wanted to become a star?

seven

...arn to play the violin, but the future star did not like it. When he was seven years old, Michael already wanted to become a star. But he did not enjo...
Why did Michael not enjoy playing the violin?

he was lefthanded

...come a star. But he did not enjoy playing the violin, mainly since he was lefthanded . At that time George repeated or tried to reproduce all the melod...
George tried to reproduce all the melodies that he heard on what?

radio

...rge repeated or tried to reproduce all the melodies that he heard on the radio . The father did not share the son's hobbies, unlike his mother, who sup...
What did the father not share with his son?

hobbies

...melodies that he heard on the radio. The father did not share the son's hobbies , unlike his mother, who supported him in his career and presented him ...
Who supported him in his career?

his mother

...heard on the radio. The father did not share the son's hobbies, unlike his mother , who supported him in his career and presented him a voice recorder....
When did George Michael form the band Wham!?

As a teenager

... As a teenager , George Michael formed the band Wham! In 1984, the duo had their first worldwide hit with Wake Me Up Before You GoGo. Two years later, M...
What was George Michael's first worldwide hit?

Wake Me Up Before You GoGo

...and Wham! In 1984, the duo had their first worldwide hit with Wake Me Up Before You GoGo . Two years later, Michael went solo, releasing a hit debut al...
When did Michael announce that he was gay?

1998

...ut album Faith, which has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. In 1998 , Michael announced that he was gay after being arrested for lewd conduct...
What was Michael arrested for in a public restroom in 1998?

lewd conduct

... In 1998, Michael announced that he was gay after being arrested for lewd conduct in a public restroom. He continued to tour and donated much of his t...
What was the name of the shortlived ska band that Michael and Ridgeley started?

the Executive

...gh school, Michael and Ridgeley started a shortlived ska band called the Executive . That band only played a few gigs before it fell apart, but Michael...
Who did George Michael record a duet with in 1987?

Aretha Franklin

...es 'Nikita' and 'Wrap Her Up'. In 1987, George recorded a duet with Aretha Franklin . 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)' reached number one in the UK a...
The track was featured on the soundtrack to what movie?

Beverley Hills Cop II

...y sexualized lyrics. The track was featured on the soundtrack to Beverley Hills Cop II . Regardless of censorship efforts, the track charted at number ...