GEORGE MICHAEL

Born: Yorgos Kyriatou Panayiotou; Bushey, England, 25 June 1963

Genre: Rock, Pop

Best-selling album since 1990: Older (1996)

Hit songs since 1990: "Freedom 90," "Fast Love," "Jesus to a Child"

From an early age George Michael wanted to be a star and worked hard to achieve his goals. Born to a Greek Cypriot father and English mother, and called Georgios Panayiotou, he was a geeky teenager with seemingly little going for him. In 1975 he met the more handsome and stylish Andrew Ridgeley at Bushey Meads Comprehensive and subsequently they formed the teen duo Wham! This was after Michael had gone on a diet, changed his name, and worked on improving his looks. By 1986 Michael and Ridgeley were achieving hit after hit with songs that embraced a wide range of musical styles. Their pop videos captured the spirit of the time by purveying stylish images of boys having a good time.

As the songwriter and lead singer of Wham!, Michael had a talent for writing songs with a wide appeal, and it was on the basis of this strength that he was able to launch a solo career in 1987. His first album, Faith, was an international success that sold more than 10 million copies and spawned several hit singles. The album was clearly targeted toward an American public in the stylistic thrusts of powerful tracks such as "Faith," "Father Figure," and "Hard Day." The songwriting displays a maturity that had immediate appeal among listeners. Faith proved more popular than his next album, Listen Without Prejudice, which was released in 1990. Although the album sold quite well, it was a commercial disappointment for Michael, and the follow-up album, Volume 2, was shelved. In 1992 Michael contributed to the all-star compilation charity album, Red Hot + Dance, with one of his songs, "Too Funky," making it to the Top 20.

Michael's career in the 1990s was characterized by struggles of many kinds. His legal battle with Sony ended in his defeat; Michael said that he would refuse to release any more records if he lost the case. Following this incident Michael signed with the music division of Dream-Works, having bought himself out of the Columbia contract. His much-awaited third album, Older, was released in 1996 but struggled to reach the same heights of commercial success that his first album had achieved. Nevertheless, this album is highly polished and slick in its production and consists of eleven well-crafted songs. In contrast to the style of songwriting found on his previous albums, Older emphasizes more laid-back and peaceful ballads. In all the tracks there is a sense of confidence in the performance, which is both stylish and reflective. In tracks such as the elegiac "Jesus to a Child," Michael allows his emotions on love and death to flow forth with great clarity. In the title track, there is a sense of retrospection in the lyrics as Michael yearns for his lost youth. Throughout the song, the reverbed vocal line is cushioned by lush strings, gentle piano comping, trumpet interjections, and a slow rock beat that transports the feelings with the greatest ease. In the most upbeat track of the album, "Fastlove," there is an ironic slant on the sentiments of commodified love. The camp humor of the musical style is enhanced by the more than blatant use of the disco hit, "Forget Me Not," with its jerky high-pitched chorus line and irresistible rhythmic pull. The promo video to this song, which was aired countless times on MTV, offers an interpretation of the song that is playful, insolent, and autoerotic.

At the end of 1998, the album Ladies & Gentlemen, a two-disc compilation of thirty-one songs, came out. In no uncertain terms this album documents Michael's career since his break up with Wham! in 1986. On the first disc there is a collection of slower ballads; on the second there are more flashy, dance-pop numbers.

In 1999, the album Songs from the Last Century was released by Virgin. It is a cover album co-produced with Phil Ramone that features a range of popular standards, such as "My Baby Just Cares for Me," "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." All the arrangements are gentle and intimate, set to a combo of guitar, bass, drums, and piano. The diverse instrumentation includes big band, orchestra, and a rock band.

In 1998 Michael was arrested in a public toilet near his home in Beverly Hills for so-called lewd conduct. In a clever move, the singer appeared on CNN and publicly declared his homosexuality with a great deal of self-parody. Paradoxically, this incident only served to increase his popularity. In 2002 he released two hit singles, "Freek!" and "Shoot the Dog," both accompanied by satirical videos. In "Freek!," the use of techno-based pop with the occasional depersonalized American country drawl, set in a glossy yet sleazy production, stands in dramatic contrast to the songs from the album Songs from the Last Century. "Shoot the Dog" was released following his much publicized political retort and attack on the Blair-Bush alliance prior to the Iraq War. The political satire of this song is drawn out through the funky music. The song is in a line of strong political statements that Michael has expressed through his music.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Faith (Epic, 1987); Listen Without Prejudice, Vol.1 (Epic, 1990); Older (Dream Works/Virgin, 1996); Ladies & Gentleman: The Best of George Michael (Epic, 1998); Songs from the Last Century (Aegean/Virgin, 1999).

stan hawkins