George Michael

The son of a Greek Cypriot and an Englishwoman, George Michael was born in North London, East Finchley. His musical career began in 1981 with the formation, together with Andrew Ridgeley, of the pop group Wham !, which instantly became popular and won the first places in the charts. However, the group disbanded in 1986, and Michael, who had already released the hit solo single "Careless Whisper" (the name may seem unfamiliar, but, rest assured, many people know this song by heart), decided to pursue his career on his own.

The first solo album was "Faith" (1987). The first single, "I Want Your Sex", had problems with airplay due to the title and content of the lyrics - England at that time could not accept the direct propaganda of free love, which George spread in this song. However, this only added to the success of the album, which to date has sold more than 20 million copies and received a well-deserved Grammy.

In 1990, the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 "(translation of the title -" Listen without prejudice "), the release of which George Michael wanted to draw attention to himself as a" serious songwriter ". Despite the promising addition of Vol. 1 ("Volume 1"), the second part did not follow - in his next world tour Michael again performed his stadium hits, and not the "thoughtful" songs from the album. The unpopularity of the record upset Michael so much that he began to blame his company Sony for everything, which allegedly "did not promote" the album well, and eventually quarreled with the producers and did not release albums until he finally broke up with the company. Michael's next album "Older" (1994) was released on Virgin Records.

After releasing in 1998 a collection of the best hits, and in 1999 - an album of cover versions of songs by famous artists, another full-fledged album of Michael was released in the new millennium - Patience (2004). The lead single was "Shoot The Dog", which featured a controversial video featuring British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a dog, following US President George W. Bush. Michael generally likes to shock the public. For example, in 1998, in a public toilet, he stalked a plainclothes policeman and was arrested. After that, George had to openly announce his orientation; but he not only did not hesitate to do so, but also shot a video for the song "Outside", in which policemen kissing were shown from various angles.

In 2006, George Michael released "25", another collection of "best songs" in honor of 25 years of his musical career, and began his first concert tour in 15 years in support of him. These tours continued in different parts of the world until 2008, and as a result, a live album was released.

Awards

American Music Awards
1989 - Best Pop Rock & Soul R & B Vocalist, Best Soul / R & B Album
BRIT Awards
1988 - Best British Performer
1991 - Best British Album
1997 - Best British Performer
Grammy Awards
1988 - Best R&B Vocal Duo or Group Performance
1989 - album of the year
MTV Europe Music Awards
1996 - Best Performer