When George Michael passed away on Christmas Day 2016, I was heartbroken. As a huge fan of 1980s music, both his collaboration with Andrew Ridgley, Wham!, and his solo releases had shaped a large part of my music tastes.
Wham! were one of the most iconic groups of the decade, releasing mega hits such as ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘Club Tropicana’, becoming the first Western music act to visit China, and producing music videos filled with bright colours, tropical locations and infectious smiles.
Upon Wham!’s split in 1986, George Michael’s success only skyrocketed. ‘Faith’ and ‘Careless Whisper’ became worldwide number one singles, whilst he also recorded the duets ‘I Knew You Were Waiting for Me’ with soul legend Aretha Franklin and ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ with Elton John. His 1987 single, ‘I Want Your Sex’ was banned on several radio stations due to controversy over its lyrical content.
My personal favourite George Michael song, ‘Freedom ’90’, was released at a time when he became disillusioned with fame and the industry, notoriously refusing it appear in its famous music video, featuring supermodels such as Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford.
George Michael was outed in 1998, after being arrested for ‘engaging in a lewd act’ in a public toilet in California. Michael’s sexualtiy had been much-discussed and rumoured about for the entirety of his career, with his outing and criminal charge becoming worldwide news. The unjust and invasive reporting of his sexuality in the press as a result of this was devastating, but Michael did not allow it to derail his life or career, releasing a music video for his single, ‘Outside’, that mocked his arrest, and appearing on several television chat shows to talk frankly and honestly about it.
Upon his death, Michael was revealed to be incredibly philanthropic, donating millions of his personal fortune to several charities and individuals, including paying for a woman’s IVF treatment. Michael’s donations were only revealed after his death, his generous and giving nature kept private throughout his life.
Nearly seven years after his death, Michael’s music remains iconic. With hits ranging from Summer anthems to emotional, heartbreaking ballads, it is almost guaranteed that every person will love at least one George Michael or Wham! track.
