George Michael

George Michael

Name: George Michael
Birth Name: Georgios Krylacos Panayiotou
Height: 6'"
Sex: M
Nationality: British
Date: June 25, 1963
Birth Place: London, England, UK
Occupation: actor, musician
Education: Bushey Meads Comprehensive School
Relationship: Kathy Yueng (artist), Kenny Goss (fitness instructor; born on September 17, 1959)
Father: Kyriacos Panayiotou (called himself Jack Panos; former dancer, restaurant assistant manager)
Mother: Lesley Angold Harisson (former dancer; died on February 17, 1997)
Sister: Yioda Panayiotou (older), Melanie Panayiotou (older)
Cousin: Andreas Georgiou

'Older' was the fastest-selling album in the history of Virgin Records
Q magazine described him as having 'a rare talent for fusing truth and beauty in mainstream pop'
Born to Greek-Cypriot parents in the suburb of Finchley in Northwest London, where he'd grow up at 73 Church Lane, N2.
Was dubbed 'George' by his schoolmates.
Grew up with his sisters Melanie and Yioda.
He's partially color-blind
He went to Kingbury High School in London NW9 and Bushey Meads Comprehensive in Hertfordshire.
He hated school dinners so he ate packaged peanut butter and jam sandwiches and it made him gain weight.
His first band was "The Executive"
Gives money to UK and UK AIDS and educational charities
England-born singer, George Michael is losing his career – his anti-US single, Shoot The Dog, was a big disaster for him as the song strayed into the charts at No 12 in August, 2002.
His single before that, Freeek!, got to a far-from-impressive No7 in March 2002, despite the singer throwing Ł1million at the video.
He was warned he could be committing "professional suicide" if he released controversial single Shoot The Dog. The star's record label Universal Polydor suggested he shouldn't release the song which mocks the relationship between TONY BLAIR and US President GEORGE BUSH — for fear of a backlash.
George is in Britain to promote Shoot The Dog – but things have backfired. The track, attacking the war on terror, has prompted an angry backlash and is not getting much airplay.
He's been tapped to write the theme song for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece,
His song and video for Shoot the Dog, released July 1 2002, have drawn outrage from listeners in the United States who see it as an insult to President George Bush.
Michael said he began writing the song last September 2001 as a way to criticize Blair for not involving the British public in decisions regarding Iraq and its president, Saddam Hussein.
Georgios (Yorgos) Kyriacos Panayiotou was born on 25 June 1963 in Finchley, London, England.
First served his pop apprenticeship in the million-selling duo Wham!, the most commercially successful, teen-orientated band of the 80s.
By the time Wham! split in 1986, he was left with the unenviable task of reinventing himself as a solo artist.
His pilot single, 'I Want Your Sex' was banned by daytime radio stations and broke his string of number 1s in the UK.
He replaced 'Cousin Bruce Morrow' as the early evening disc jockey at WABC Musicradio 77 in New York in 1974.
A duet with Elton John on 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' revived his UK chart fortunes, reaching number 1 in December 1991, and also topping the US charts. In 1992, the Sunday Times announced his arrival as one of the richest men in the UK.
Announced the formation of his own record label Aegean Records, in February 1997.
On April 7 1998, he was arrested for 'lewd behaviour' in a toilet cubicle at the Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills, California.

QUOTES:
"This single is the most political thing I've done. It's a massive and totally unnecessary risk for me."
- George Michael (about his song Shoot the Dog)

"I hope it really comes off. It would make my dad really proud. (about the song for the coming 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece)"

"This was absolutely an attack on [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair, principally, and the perspective which is really predominant in Europe right now that he's not questioning enough of Mr. Bush's policies."
- George Michael (about his song Shoot the Dog)

"Satire is used for political purposes all the time, but obviously there's a time and a place. I think in the current climate, it can be very difficult to speak your mind, but sometimes, I believe, we're all in danger and I think this discussion needs to be widened."

"My dad thought the pop world was really full of layabouts. But when he saw how hard we were working he got much more reasonable."

"The rehearsals themselves are quite hard work but I think we're both fairly fit."

"We did it. We finally got China going. What a way to finish our world tour."

"We were right at the top and it seemed a pity to carry on when we could go out while we were still known as a band that get a Number 1 every time!"

"I always wanted to be in show business in some form or other, so I'm not going to give up now."

"I want people to hear my songs in 30 year's time, and I want my songs to have lasted."

"Sony appears to see artists as little more than software."

"I'm shocked at the judgement...even though I created and paid for my work, I will never own it or have any rights over it."

AWARD:
He won Razzie Award for Worst Original Song in 1988 for BEVERLY HILLS COP II.

Timeline

June 1963: Birth of Georgios Kyriacos Panayoitou in Finchley, North London.

September 1975: Meets Andrew Ridgley at Bushey Meads Comprehensive School, Herts.

November 1979: The pair form short-lived ska band, The Executive.

1982: Sign to Epic-affiliated label innervision.
April 1982: Release of debut single 'Wham! Rap', which fails to chart.

October 1982: Second 45 'Young Guns (Go For It)' hits UK chart at Number 3.

July 1983: Release of debut album 'Fantastic' which enters UK chart at Number 1.

October 1983: Lawsuit begins to sever contract with Innervision.

June 1984: First Epic release, the single 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go' hits the Number 1 spot

August 1984: George Michael releases debut solo single, 'Careless Whisper', another number 1 and Epic's first million-seller.

December 1984: Wham! world tour starts at Whitley Bay Ice Rink, George Michael featured on Band Aid hit, 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'.

February 1985: George Michael awarded Songwriter Of The Year Trophy at the 30th Ivor Novello. Wham! become first British pop band to tour mainland China.

July 1985: George Michael deuets with Elton John on the latter's 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium.

November 1985: George and Andrew privately resolve to dissolve Wham! in 1986.

February 1986: Wham! honoured with Outstanding Contribution To British Music at BRIT Awards.

April 1986: George releases second solo single 'A Different Corner', another UK number 1. Wham! officially announce their split.
June 1986: Wham! play their farewell show before 72,000 fans at Wembley.

June 1987: Michael releases his first post-Wham! 45, the controversial 'I Want Your Sex'.

October 1987: Release of his first solo album, 'Faith', which will go on to sell 14 million copies.

January 1988: Signs new contract with Epic which will ultimately prove costly.

February 1988: Wins Best British Male Artist at the seventh Brit Awards. Begins world tour in Japan.

June 1988: Plays sell-out shows at London's Earls Court and is featured at Wembley Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute.

April 1989: At the 34th Ivor Novello Awards, George is named Songwriter Of The Year and 'Faith' is nominated Hit of The Year.

October 1990: Release of second solo album, 'Listen Without Prejudice, Vol 1.' Publication of autobiography (co-written with journalist Tony Parsons), Bare.

January 1991: Starts 'Cover To Cover' tour at NEC Birmingham. The tour features George covering tunes by his favourite musicians like Elton John. Brief Wham! reunion when Ridgeley joins George onstage in Rio

February 1991: 'Listen WIthout Prejudice Vol 1' wins Best British Album at the Brit Awards.

April 1992: Performs three Queen covers at Freddie Murcury tribute show at Wembley.

August 1992: Release of 'Too Funky' from AIDS benefit album, 'Red Hot & Dance'.

October 1992: Formally issues writ against Epic's parent company Sony to dispute terms of his contract.

May 1993: Issues 'Five Live EP' which includes songs he performed at Freddie Murcury show the previous year on Hollywood Records (Parlophone in UK) to avoid further trouble with Sony. Record enters UK chart at number 1.

October 1993: Case against Sony behings its hearing in High Court.

June 1994: Michael loses his case against Sony and threatens not to release another record until his contract with Sony expires.

July 1995: After months of negotiations, Sony release Michael from his contract. He signs with Dreamworks/Virgin.

January 1996: 'Jesus To A Child', the first single to be released under the new agreement, charts at Number 1 in the UK in its first week.

April 1996: 'Fastlove', the second single from the forthcoming album, also charts at Number 1 in the UK in it's first week.

May 1996: 'Older' his third album is released and becomes the fastest selling album in the history of Virgin Records.

July 1996: Robbie Williams releases a cover version of "freedom 90' which enters the charts at Number 2.

August 1996: 'Spinning The Wheel' EP features new unreleased recordings.