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George Michael

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George Michael
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Being unceremoniously outed as a gay man when he was caught indulging in “lewd conduct” in a Beverley Hills toilet gave George Michael’s career a new lease of life and the singer a new phase in his life. George said of the incident which happened in 2002, “I was followed into the restroom and this cop – well, I didn’t know he was a cop at the time obviously – started playing this game. I think it’s called ‘I’ll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I’m gonna nick you!”

His humorous video for “Outside” reconstructed the whole unfortunate toilet situation, mocking the police. It was later reported that George was being sued for $10m by the policeman who made the arrest. Marcelo Rodriguez claimed being mocked in the video left him in physical distress.

Then he hit the headlines again for all the wrong reasons.

In 2006, George was accused of engaging in anonymous public sex, after being photographed in London’s Hampstead Heath with a 58-year-old unemployed van driver. Despite stating that he intended to sue both the News of the World tabloid who photographed the incident and van driver Norman Kirtland for slander, Michael stated that he openly cruised for anonymous sex and that this was not an issue in his relationship with partner Kenny Goss.

Another couple of months passed until again we found George staring at us from the front pages of the Redtops – after being found slumped over his car in Hyde Park, London. A concerned person spotted the singer and called the police who after being checked by paramedics was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs.

Then he was involved in his second minor car crash in a month after a tabloid photographer found Michael asleep in his parked car in central London. The singer crashed into a bollard after he woke up and was driving away.

In 2009, Michael was arrested and held on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs after his Land Rover was in collision with a lorry on the A34 in Berkshire. The singer was later released without charge.

When George was arrested after he crashed his car into the front of a Snappy Snaps store in Hampstead, North London when returning home from a Gay Pride parade the incident was spotted on CCTV. He was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive and charged with possession of cannabis and with driving while unfit.

Apparently, the following morning the shop owner placed a big sign in the window saying “George Michael Crashed Here”.

In the same year in an interview with The Guardian, George said he had cut back on his cannabis intake and now only smoked ‘seven or eight’ spliffs per day instead of the 25 he used to smoke.

Michael nearly died of pneumonia in late 2011. After receiving treatment in a Vienna hospital, he made a tearful appearance outside his London home and said it had been “touch and go” whether he lived. Doctors had performed a tracheotomy to keep his airways open and he was unconscious for some of his spell in hospital.

In May 2013, Michael had to be airlifted to hospital with a head injury after falling from his vehicle on the M1.

Having been every girl’s dream with Wham, then metamorphasising into the biggest UK solo artist of the 90’s – Michael’s conduct has confirmed him as a star not afraid of courting controversy. He also wrote some amazing songs, was a brilliant performer and gave away millions of his fortune to people who are far less fortunate than him.

On Christmas day 2016, George Michael died at his home from a heart attack. Thames Valley Police said South Central Ambulance Service attended a property in Goring in Oxfordshire at 13:42 GMT. The singer who launched his career with Wham in the 1980s and later continued his success as a solo performer was said to have “passed away peacefully at home”.

His 1987 debut solo album, Faith, sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Michael garnered seven number one singles in the UK and eight number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Michael sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Michael’s death prompted an outpouring of emotional tributes with musicians, celebrities and politicians posting their memories of Michael on social media. Elton John, another friend and collaborator, wrote on Instagram of his “deep shock” at the loss of “the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist”.

After his death it emerged that he gave numerous hefty donations to various charities and strangers but insisted these were all kept secret. He gave a TV contestant enough money to fund her IVF treatment. He gave a stranger £25,000 to clear her debt. He apparently set up a trust providing grants for disabled children and adults, he worked undercover at a homeless shelter and he played a free Christmas concert in honour of the nurses who cared for his dying mother. Michael also gave the royalties from his hit Last Christmas/Everything She Wants to Ethiopian famine relief.

Important Dates In The Life Of George Michael:

On this day in music
22 Dec 2023
Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' became this year's Christmas UK No.1, 39 years after it was first released. making it the first time George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley's song had been No.1 in Christmas week. First released in 1984, 'Last Christmas' was originally held off the top spot by Band Aid's charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' UK fans streamed the song 13.3 million times, making it the most-played song ever during Christmas week.
11 Nov 2023
An iconic leather jacket worn by Michael Jackson in the 1980s sold at auction for £250,000 ($306,000). The black-and-white garment, worn by the late singer in a Pepsi advert was among more than 200 pieces of music memorabilia sold in London, UK. Other sales included the George Michael La Rocka jacket he wore while duetting alongside Aretha Franklin in 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)' which sold for £93,750 ($115,000) and an Amy Winehouse beehive hairpiece sold for £18,750 ($22,900).
5 Jun 2023
Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer Astrud Gilberto died at home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania aged 83. Her version of 'The Girl from Ipanema' won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. In 1996, she contributed to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio produced by the Red Hot Organization, performing the song 'Desafinado' (Portuguese for "slightly out of tune", or "off-key") along with George Michael at his invitation.
5 Feb 2023
Beyoncé won four Grammys breaking the record for most all-time Grammy wins with 32. Other winners at the event held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles included Harry Styles who won Album of the Year for Harry's House, becoming the first male British solo artist to win since George Michael in 1989. Lizzo won Record of the Year for 'About Damn Time', becoming the first black woman to win the award since Whitney Houston in 1994 and Bonnie Raitt won Song of the Year for 'Just Like That'.
11 Oct 2021
American musician and singer Deon Estus died at the age of 65. He is best known as the bass player of Wham! and as the bassist on George Michael's first two solo projects. Estus' single ‘Heaven Help Me’, with additional vocals by George Michael, reached No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1989.
25 Dec 2019
George Michael's sister Melanie Panayiotou died suddenly age 59 on the third anniversary of the singer's death. George had left the bulk of his estate to her and her sister Yioda when he died aged 53 from heart and fatty liver disease.
13 Jul 2019
George Michael's family and lawyers stepped up their battle to force Fadi Fawaz to leave the singers former home after he broke a number of windows. The jobless squatter admitted smashing windows at George Michael’s old house but bizarrely claimed he was doing home improvements. Fadi was seen smoking a joint on the balcony next to some of the smashed windows.
3 Jun 2019
Court paperwork showed that George Michael left all of his £98 million fortune to family and friends and left nothing to his former boyfriends Kenny Goss and Fadi Fawaz. George's sisters Yioda and Melanie were the main beneficiaries with them sharing equally all the major assets and his two London homes. There was also a horse racing stud farm for George's dad Kyriacos as the singer ensured his family were taken care of.
15 Mar 2019
George Michael's art collection sold at auction raising more than £11 million ($14,597,000) for charity at the London branch of Christie's auction house. The singer-songwriter was a major supporter of British artists, including the likes of Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst. The highest price was for The Incomplete Truth, a 2006 Hirst work consisting of a dove preserved in formaldehyde, which sold for £911,250.
16 Aug 2018
American singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin died in Detroit at the age of 76. Known as ‘The Queen of Soul’ and one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. During her career she scored over 15 Top 40 hits and won 18 Grammy Awards. Hits include the 1967 US No.1 & UK No.10 single 'Respect', the 1968 UK No.4 single 'I Say A Little Prayer' and the 1987 UK No.1 single with George Michael, 'I Knew You Were Waiting'. In 2010 Rolling Stone magazine ranked her number one on their list of the ‘100 Greatest Singers of All Time’.
29 Mar 2017
George Michael's funeral took place, three months after his sudden death at the age of 53. His family said a 'small, private ceremony' was attended by family and close friends. The coroner's verdict on Michael's death only came three weeks before his funeral. Tests were ordered because an initial post-mortem examination was inconclusive.
7 Mar 2017
Darren Salter, senior coroner for Oxfordshire confirmed that George Michael died as a result of heart and liver disease. Michael was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver. The singer died aged 53 on Christmas Day 2016 at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
22 Feb 2017
David Bowie dominated the 2017 Brit awards. The star was awarded best British male and best British album, for his mournful swansong, Blackstar. Rag'n'Bone Man was the other big winner of the night taking home two awards - the critics choice award and best British breakthrough act. As well as honouring Bowie, the Brits paid tribute to George Michael, who died on Christmas day 2016.
25 Dec 2016
George Michael died at his home aged 53. Thames Valley Police said South Central Ambulance Service attended a property in Goring in Oxfordshire at 13:42 GMT. The singer who launched his career with Wham in the 1980s and later continued his success as a solo performer, was said to have "passed away peacefully at home". Up to the time of his death, Michael sold more than 115 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
3 Nov 2015
A former prison officer was jailed for 12 months after admitting selling stories about George Michael to the Sun newspaper for £2,150, ($3,249). Michael was jailed for eight weeks in September 2010 for crashing his Range Rover while under the influence of cannabis.
16 May 2013
It was reported that George Michael had been injured after the car in which he was travelling in crashed on the M1 during the evening rush-hour. Ambulance crews confirmed that the singer had to be airlifted from the scene, near the junction with the M25. Three days later Katherine Fox told The Sun newspaper that she was driving behind a silver Range Rover when the singer tumbled from out the passenger door on to the third lane of the northbound carriageway. She said Michael had "a nasty cut on his forehead and the back of his head. There was blood all down his face and on his teeth. He was breathing and conscious but in shock."
15 Aug 2012
American musician Bob Birch died from an self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Los Angeles home, aged 56. Birch was badly injured in a car accident in 1995 and since then struggled with constant headaches, dizziness, vertigo, and severe pain throughout his body. He worked with Doobie Brothers, Bryan Adams, Lionel Richie, George Michael, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Phil Collins, Keith Emerson,Barry Manilow and Elton John.
12 Aug 2012
The London 2012 Olympics ended with a spectacular musical closing ceremony. The three-hour show featured some of the biggest names of British music from decades past, including the Spice Girls, George Michael, The Who, Take That, Muse, Jessie J, Emeli Sande, Elbow, Madness, The Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, Ray Davies, Liam Gallagher, and Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen.
11 Oct 2010
George Michael was released from Highpoint Prison in Suffolk, England after serving four of an eight week sentence for driving under the influence of drugs. The singer had been arrested after crashing his car into the front of a Snappy Snaps store in Hampstead, North London in July of this year.
13 Sep 2010
George Michael was sent to jail for eight weeks after being convicted of driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis in Hampstead, north London last July. He smiled in disbelief as the sentence was passed and he was led away to the cells.
24 Aug 2010
George Michael pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in London to driving under the influence of drugs. The singer had been arrested in July when he was returning home from the London Gay Pride parade and crashed his car into the front of a Snappy Snaps store in Hampstead, North London.
4 Jul 2010
George Michael was arrested after he crashed his car into the front of a Snappy Snaps store in Hampstead, North London. The singer was returning home from a Gay Pride parade when the incident was spotted on CCTV. He was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive and charged with possession of cannabis and with driving while unfit through drink or drugs.
5 Dec 2009
In an interview with the UK daily newspaper The Guardian, George Michael said he had cut back on his cannabis intake and now only smoked 'seven or eight' spliffs per day instead of the 25 he used to smoke.
14 Aug 2009
George Michael was arrested and held on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs after his Land Rover was in collision with a lorry on the A34 in Berkshire. The singer was later released without charge.
19 Sep 2008
George Michael was arrested in a public toilet in the Hampstead Heath area of London for possession of Class A and C drugs. He was taken to a local police station and cautioned for controlled substance possession.
9 Jun 2007
George Michael became the first music artist to perform at the new Wembley Stadium in London when he played the first of two shows at the venue during his '25 Live Tour'.
8 Jun 2007
George Michael was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and banned from driving for two years at Brent Magistrates court, north London. The 43-year-old who was arrested last October after being found slumped at the steering wheel of his car pleaded guilty to driving while unfit, blaming "tiredness and prescribed drugs" for the offence.
31 Dec 2006
George Michael was paid a reported £1.5m for an hour's concert at a Russian billionaire's New Year party. The unnamed businessman paid for Michael to entertain his 300 guests on his private estate 20 miles outside Moscow. Michael had just finished the British leg of his Twentyfive tour which included a free concert for nurses in London.
20 Oct 2006
George Michael openly smoked a cannabis joint during an interview on a TV show. The singer was filmed backstage in Madrid, Spain where the drug is legal. Michael said ‘It’s the only drug I’ve ever thought worth taking, this stuff keeps me sane and happy. But it’s not very healthy.’
30 Jul 2006
British gay magazine Attitude listed the ‘Top 10 Gay Albums’ of all time. No.1 was Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters, 2, Arrival - ABBA, 3, Vauxhall and I - Morrissey, 4, Light Years - Kylie Minogue, 5, Older - George Michael, 6, Welcome To The Pleasuredome - Frankie Goes To Hollywood, 7, Erotica - Madonna, 8, I Am a Bird Now - Antony and the Johnsons, 9, Bad Girls - Donna Summer and No. 10 The Man Who Sold The World - David Bowie.
23 Jul 2006
George Michael was accused of engaging in anonymous public sex, after being photographed in London's Hampstead Heath with a 58-year-old unemployed van driver. Despite stating that he intended to sue both the News of the World tabloid who photographed the incident and van driver Norman Kirtland for slander, Michael stated that he openly cruised for anonymous sex and that this was not an issue in his relationship with partner Kenny Goss.
11 May 2006
George Michael was involved in his second minor car crash in a month after a tabloid photographer found Michael asleep in his parked car in central London. The singer crashed into a bollard after he woke up and was driving away.
25 Feb 2006
George Michael was found slumped over in a car in Hyde Park, London. A concerned person spotted the singer and called police who after being checked by paramedics was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and then released on bail. Michael made a public statement about the incident and said "I was in possession of class C drugs which is an offense and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout." He also said that the event was "my own stupid fault, as usual."
21 Dec 2005
Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish became the first gay celebrities to register their relationship as a civil partnership. The 20 minute ceremony took place at The Guild Hall, Windsor, England, guest’s included Ringo Starr, Victoria Beckham, Joss Stone, Sting, Elvis Costello, Jamie Cullum, George Michael and The Osbournes - Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly.
13 Feb 2005
Readers of UK newspaper The Sun voted George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’ as the greatest British pop single of the past 25 years. Oasis came second with ‘Wonderwall’ and Kate Bush third with ‘Wuthering Heights’. The rest of the Top 10: No.4, Robbie Williams, ‘Angels’, No.5, The Jam, ‘Going Underground’, in equal 6th, Sex Pistols, ‘God Save The Queen’ and Joy Division, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, 7th was Queen, ‘We Are The Champions’, 9th, The Stone Roses, ‘Fool’s Gold’ and 10th The Undertones ‘Teenage Kicks’.
17 Nov 2003
George Michael signed a new contract with the record company he took to court in 1993. The singer re-signed to Sony in a deal that included his extensive back catalogue. Michael had failed in his court wrangle with Sony after accusing it of "professional slavery"; his contract was bought out by Virgin Records.
4 Jul 2002
George Michael took part in a live phone interview on US news channel CNN, defending his new single 'Shoot The Dog'. Americans were upset by the controversial video, which had President Bush in bed with Tony Blair.
4 Jun 2002
George Michael was jeered and heckled by the audience of a CNN news show as he took part in a phone interview. George was defending the content of the video to his new single 'Shoot The Dog' in which US President George Bush was shown in bed with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. George said this was an attack on Blair and not President Bush.
16 Feb 2002
Thieves broke into George Michael's London home and stole over £100,000 ($170,000) worth of paintings, jewellery and designer clothes and drove off in his £80,000 ($136,000) Aston Martin DB7. They also caused £200,000 ($340,000) worth of damage to his home.
22 Oct 2000
George Michael paid £1.45m for the Steinway piano on which John Lennon wrote 'Imagine'. George said, "I know that when my fingers touch the keys of that Steinway, I will feel truly blessed. And parting with my money has never been much of a problem, just ask my accountant." The singer outbid Robbie Williams and The Oasis brothers.
10 Dec 1999
A war of words broke out between Cliff Richard and George Michael after George branded Cliff Richards hit 'Millennium Prayer' as 'vile'. Cliff hit back by saying that his single was a Christian celebration.
9 Oct 1999
Eurythmics, George Michael, David Bowie, Robbie Williams and Bono all appeared at 'Netaid' an event to raise money for global poverty. The concerts in London, New York and Geneva were all broadcast live on the internet.
14 Sep 1999
It was reported that George Michael was being sued for $10m by the policeman who arrested the singer in a public lavatory. Marcelo Rodriguez claimed he was mocked in the video 'Outside' leaving him in physical distress.
10 Apr 1999
A charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney was held at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Among the performers were Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinead O’Connor.
31 Oct 1998
Chart history was made when the UK Top 5 singles chart was made up entirely of new entries. Alanis Morissette went in at No.5, Culture Club at No.4, U2 at No.3, George Michael at No.2 and Cher with 'Believe' at No.1. It made Cher (who was 52) the first female artist to have a No.1 single over the age of 50. The song was a No.1 in 23 countries.
14 May 1998
George Michael was fined £500 after being convicted of a "lewd act" in a Los Angeles lavatory. The Los Angeles court also ordered him to undergo psychological counselling and carry out 80 hours community service.
7 Apr 1998
George Michael was arrested at The Will Rogers Memorial Park for committing a sex act in a public toilet. He was arrested by undercover Beverly Hills police officer Marcelo Rodriguez. Michael later said; 'I was followed into the restroom and this cop - well, I didn't know he was a cop at the time obviously started playing this game. I think it's called - I'll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I'm gonna nick you!' The singer was later fined $810 (£500) after being convicted of a lewd act.
29 May 1997
The Manic Street Preachers won the best song award for 'A Design For Life' at the 42nd Ivor Novello awards. Other winners included The Spice Girls for Hit of the year with 'Wannabe', Elvis Costello for Outstanding contribution to music, George Michael won Songwriter Of The Year and Most Performed work for 'Fastlove.'
24 Feb 1997
The Spice Girls won best single with 'Wannabe' at this year's Brit Awards held in London. Other winners included, Best Group for Manic Street Preachers, Best Dance Act went to The Prodigy, George Michael won Best Male, Best Female went to Gabrielle, Best Newcomer was won by Kula Shaker, International Male was Beck, International Female Sheryl Crow and Best International Group was The Fugees.
4 May 1996
George Michael scored his seventh UK No.1 single as a solo artist when 'Fastlove' started a three-week run at the top of the chart. The second of six singles to be taken from George's comeback album Older.
29 Jan 1996
George Michael had the UK No.1 single with 'Jesus To A Child', the singers sixth UK No.1 as a solo artist and the first single from his come-back album 'Older', (after lengthy litigation with his record company).
19 Feb 1995
Roxette became the first Western group to perform in Beijing since George Michael in 1984 when they played a concert celebrating the Chinese New Year.
21 Jun 1994
George Michael lost his lawsuit against Sony Records. Michael claimed that his 15-year contract with Sony was unfair because the company could refuse to release albums it thought wouldn't be commercially successful. Michael vowed he would never record for Sony again. He re-signed with the company in 2003.
1 May 1993
George Michael, Queen and Lisa Stansfield went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Five Live EP' which was recorded at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert held in April 1992, at Wembley Stadium, London.
21 Oct 1992
George Michael took Sony Records to court in a fight over his contract with the company; he lost the case in 1994. Michael worked with Sony again less than 10 years later.
23 Apr 1992
George Michael announced he was donating $500,000 royalties from the sale of 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', to various British and American charities.
20 Apr 1992
'A Concert For Life' took place at Wembley Stadium as a tribute to Queen singer Freddie Mercury and for aids awareness. Acts appearing included; Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), David Bowie, Mick Ronson, James Hetfield, George Michael, Seal, Paul Young, Annie Lennox, Lisa Stansfield, Robert Plant, Joe Elliott and Phil Collen, Axl Rose and Slash.
1 Feb 1992
George Michael and Elton John went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', also a No.1 in the UK. All proceeds from the single went to Aids charities.
7 Dec 1991
George Michael and Elton John were at No.1 in the UK with a live version of 'Don't Let The Sun Go down On Me', (a hit for Elton in 1974). All proceeds from the hit went to aids charities.
7 Mar 1991
The readers of Rolling Stone magazine voted George Michael the best male singer and sexiest male artist.
13 Oct 1990
George Michael went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Praying For Time', his 6th US solo No.1, and his the last solo single to occupy the top of the chart in the US.
15 Sep 1990
George Michael scored his second UK No.1 solo album with his second release 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1'. The album went on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide.
23 Jun 1989
George Michael received the Silver Clef Award for outstanding achievements to British Music.
2 Feb 1989
George Michael received undisclosed damages in excess of £100,000 ($170,000) from The Sun newspaper over articles printed that stated Michael had gatecrashed a party given by Andrew Lloyd Weber and was drunk and abusive.
27 Aug 1988
'Monkey' gave George Michael his eighth US No.1 single of the 1980s, a record only beaten by Michael Jackson.
11 Jun 1988
Nelson Mandellas 70th birthday tribute took place at Wembley Stadium, London, featuring Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman, George Michael, Eric Clapton, UB40, The Eurythmics and Simple Minds. The event was broadcast live on BBC 2 to 40 different countries with an estimated audience of 1 billion.
27 Feb 1988
George Michael scored his sixth No.1 US single with 'Father Figure' a No. 11 hit in the UK - the first time Michael had failed to reach the top ten in his home country.
16 Jan 1988
George Michael went to No.1 on the US album charts with his debut solo album 'Faith'. It stayed for 51 non-consecutive weeks inside the Billboard 200 top 10, including 12 weeks at No.1. It was also the first album by a white solo artist to hit No.1 on the Billboard Top Black Albums chart. Faith spawned four No.1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100: 'Faith', 'Father Figure', 'One More Try', and 'Monkey', making Michael the only British male solo artist to have four No.1 hits from one album on the Billboard Hot 100.
12 Dec 1987
George Michael started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Faith'. Taken from the album of the same name, it became the top-selling single of the year in the US in 1988.
14 Nov 1987
George Michael went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut solo album 'Faith'. The album won several awards including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1989. To date, the album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Between 1987 and 1988, Faith produced six Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hits, four of which ('Faith', 'Father Figure', 'One More Try', and 'Monkey') reached No.1, making him the only British male singer to have four No.1 singles from one LP on the Billboard Hot 100.
18 Apr 1987
Aretha Franklin and George Michael started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Knew You Were Waiting' also a No.1 in the UK. Aretha Franklin set a record for the artist with the longest gap between US No.1 singles, it had been 19 years, 10 months from her last hit 'Respect' in June 1967.
7 Feb 1987
George Michael and Aretha Franklin were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)'. Written by Simon Climie it gave Aretha her first UK No.1 almost 20 years after her first hit.
19 Apr 1986
George Michael was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Different Corner', the singers second solo No.1. Michael became the first solo act in the history of the UK chart to reach No.1 with his first two releases. The song was also credited with being the second No.1 (after 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' by Stevie Wonder), which was written, sung, played, arranged and produced by the same person.
28 Feb 1986
George Michael announced that Wham! would officially split during the summer. Wham became one of the most successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more than 30 million records worldwide from 1982 to 1986. The singles 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go', 'Everything She Wants' and 'Careless Whisper', all topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US.
15 Dec 1984
Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid entered the UK chart at No.1 and stayed at the top for five weeks. It became the biggest selling UK single of all time with sales over 3 and a half million. Band Aid was masterminded by former Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, who had been moved by a TV news story of famine in Ethiopia. Geldof had the idea of raising funds with a one-off charity single featuring the cream of the current pop world. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Paul Young, Culture Club, George Michael, Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, Paul Weller, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo and Bananarama all appeared on the recording.
25 Nov 1984
The cream of the British pop world gathered at S.A.R.M. Studios, London to record the historic Do They Know It's Christmas? The single, which was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, featured Paul Young, Bono, Boy George, Sting and George Michael. It went on to sell over three million copies in the UK, becoming the bestselling record ever, and raised over £8 million ($13.6 million) worldwide.
18 Aug 1984
George Michael was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his first solo single 'Careless Whisper.' It made George the first person to reach No.1 as a solo artist and a member of a band in the same year. It gave Epic records UK their first UK million seller and the song was No.1 in nearly 25 countries, selling over six million copies worldwide.
2 Jun 1984
Wham! had their first UK No.1 with 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.' Written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo. Inspiration for the song was a scribbled note left by his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley for Andrew's parents, originally intended to read "wake me up before you go" but with "up" accidentally written twice, so Ridgeley wrote "go" twice on purpose.
3 Jun 1967
Aretha Franklin went to No.1 on the US singles chart with her version of the Otis Redding hit 'Respect'. A No.10 hit on the UK chart. Aretha scored her first UK No.1 20 years later with a duet with George Michael 'I Knew You Were Waiting'.
1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Leigh

    December 23, 2020 at 1:45 am

    George Michael was the best singer in the world, the most handsome man every born.
    Also the sexiest man ever. He was brilliant when it came to his music and videos.
    I still think he liked girls until he died. I don’t believe he was seeing them but I still think
    he was attracted to them.

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