George Michael

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Renegadedancer said:
Another long time fan here. I have mentioned this previously on another thread but here goes. An old school friend of mine used to work on the security queues at Heathrow. She worked on the VIP area , the rule was to never ask anyone for autographs. This was long before the selfie was a thing. We had a discussion that if George ever came through she would chance her luck and ask. One morning he came through, she said he was charming. She asked him for an autograph for me, he wrote my name and then love George Michael. She thanked him and as he went he said don’t get told off ! This must have been 25 years ago, I still have it in a frame ❤
I saw him at Earls Court, Wembley, The Royal Albert Hall and my fave was when he played at the Royal Opera House for an AIDS benefit for Elton Johns charity. I think we all knew he was amazing but the hole he left when he passed away is immeasurable. His music is timeless and his talent rare. RIP wonderful George ❤
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What an incredible encounter your friend had and the outcome for you is a lifetime memory that you framed. I'll admit, a wee bit envious :p The closest I came to George was at The Four Seasons Hotel he was staying at. Went into the lounge/bar area and saw Deon Estus and had a sweet chat. Took a picture and years later sent Deon a message on Twitter with the pic we'd taken. Such a down to earth guy as well. He truely enjoyed working for George.

ETA Quite sad when I learned Deon also passed away in 2021
 
So, so good to read all of your posts 💖💖

A lifelong fan too - I have alwats felt very sad not to have seen him in concert either as Wham or solo.

The day he passed I genuinely felt like I had lost someone I knew - I felt such sadness for his Dad, Sister, his friends - and his fans across the world. I have never felt the same about a musician as I have about George.

A huge loss to the world - his talent, his kindness to others, his humour - they broke the mould when he was made.

I fancied Andrew (blush) but bloomin heck George couldn't half move those hips. Loved the skits he did with Smithy, RG and Little Britain. I watched a wonderful interview on YT recently that he did with Michael Parkinson - had not seen that before. Worth a watch.

My fav albums have always been Listen Without Prejudice and Older - fav track Move On.

Thank you Tattler for this great thread - good thinking 👏💖👍
 
The symphonica album is wonderful and even better to see it live. I remember BBC showed the live orchestra concert (filmed in Paris) a few days after George’s passing. Just flawless and so sad to watch knowing he was gone. Cowboys and Angels is my favourite ever George song. I like to listen to it lying back on the sofa, sound up quite loud and with the lights dimmed. It’s such a sexy song :)
 
JulesWake said:
What an incredible encounter your friend had and the outcome for you is a lifetime memory that you framed. I'll admit, a wee bit envious :p The closest I came to George was at The Four Seasons Hotel he was staying at. Went into the lounge/bar area and saw Deon Estus and had a sweet chat. Took a picture and years later sent Deon a message on Twitter with the pic we'd taken. Such a down to earth guy as well. He truely enjoyed working for George.

ETA Quite sad when I learned Deon also passed away in 2021
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Poor Deon had a major drugs habit for some years - I heard he was even homeless at one point because of it. Brilliant musician and his best solo single "Heaven Help Me" was co-written with George, who's featured prominently on backing vocals.


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What was great about the Netflix Wham! documentary was it highlighting how the two of them were basically great mates having a laugh through it all. Saw this clip on YouTube a while back which really encapsulates their great sense of humour...

 
PeteM said:
Poor Deon had a major drugs habit for some years - I heard he was even homeless at one point because of it. Brilliant musician and his best solo single "Heaven Help Me" was co-written with George, who's featured prominently on backing vocals.


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What was great about the Netflix Wham! documentary was it highlighting how the two of them were basically great mates having a laugh through it all. Saw this clip on YouTube a while back which really encapsulates their great sense of humour...

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Hilarious video. Love the pyjamas. Imagine if they had some of their props from that video, sold it online, what it could possibly fetch for.

Wow, thanks for sharing. I had no idea Deon had drug problems. That's so tragic, he really was so kind, absolutely a charming guy. Talkative, interesting, and had a gregarious personality. He spoke so highly of George and all the others. I wish things would have turned out different for Deon and George, two great talents.
 
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Forever a George fan and I was lucky enough to have been at Wham The Final in 1986. Honestly one of the best days of my life. Although I have a weird memory if Gary Glitter being there. This could well be a figment of my imagination but my old brain can't remember.
Also saw George at Wembley and Earls Court (3rd row from the front), he was actually full size 😂
Briefly met him in the 90s when he was escorting Princess Di to an Aids benefit gig at Wembley Arena. Be still my beating 💓
 
A favourite memory...

Husband to be bought me Last Christmas at Brent Cross shopping mall (London) December 1984 - I loved the vinyl cover, and apart from the now iconic Last Christmas, my fav really was the B side Everything She Wants.

I don't remember so much about my ex 😂🤣.. But I remember that shopping trip and playing my record when I got home.

Anyone else...
 
Thank you for starting this thread @Marcinabolan !

Here are a couple of more rare George songs that I love.

Freedom mixed with Soul II Soul’s Back to Life. It’s a chilled out mix of Freedom, and George also sings the Back to Life parts. It was a b-side.

He also throws in a few lines and riffs from other songs, like What’s Going On and Buffalo Stance and Anthem, by N Joi.
(edited to add, he also throws in parts of Ain’t No Sunshine! See if you notice any more songs! )
It‘s got such a lovely summer vibes the way he sings “cool fresh AIR!”, makes me want to blast it out during a late summer barbecue).

I can just picture him in the studio, vibing away and singing the different lines from popular songs at the time or what was on the radio.





And this cover of Ian Brown’s FEAR. I don’t know if there’s a better version, sorry. But he smashes it! I love the way he sings “fantastic expectations, amazing revelations”.


 
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Ahhhh! My George!! I miss him so much.
I wish I had got the chance to see him live/and come to his music sooner.
I remember that Christmas Day in 2016, a few days away from giving birth, I shed a tear and remembered thinking my daughter was going to grow up in a world without George Michael 😔
The more I’ve learnt about him, and listened to more of his back catalogue, I’ve felt such a connection to him and seen a lot of myself within him and his lyrics. Songs of his, have helped me process and understand my feelings and learn more about myself and my relationships.
He helped so many people, and tried to do good and be good. He was complex and troubled, but his heart was so big, and he had a wicked, dark sense of humour - he was a piss taker. One of a kind, an incredible person and the world is better place for once having him in it 💞
 
I've just finished Andrew Ridgeley's autobiography about George. It made me laugh that the boy young girls turn their nose up at school can end up a hearthrob 😄
At my school there was this skinny, nondescript lad who was described as that little squirt to me when I started at the school. Just before I finished sixth form at 18 he came in the common room to meet up with a friend and there wasn't a girl whose jaw didn't hit the floor 😲
He was absolutely gorgeous - tall, tanned and wearing a powder blue chauffeur's uniform with peaked cap. If only mobile phones with cameras existed back then. Sigh.... 😔
 
-a few memories
As a kid of the 70s and 80s I listened to the top 40 every Sunday afternoon on radio 1/2? Can’t remember. I also collected the smash hits stickers and had the album. I used to buy smash hits and No1 magazine. Loved them both. I wasn’t a huge wham! fan, I was a culture club girl. I remember one morning getting ready for school and Wake me up before you go go was being played on TV AM. I loved it.

Fast forward to 1987, at big school. I asked for the Faith album for Christmas from my mum and dad. I had loved careless whisper as a junior school romantic at the disco 😂. George as a solo artist was a new phenomenon. I played my new Faith CD on Christmas Day and the first song was I want your sex. I could have died from embarrassment as my mum and dad sat listening. I didn’t really like that song. Father figure was the best and most mature track on that album by far in my opinion.

I bought the double CD of ladies and gentlemen and played it so much. I just thought that this man had the most perfect voice and such emotion and heart in each song. Cowboys and Angels 🥰🥰🥰

Christmas 2016 was an emotional one.My dad was in hospital and we had been to see him on Christmas morning. The Salvation Army came and played in the wards which made me cry like a baby. I cooked Xmas lunch for the family after leaving dad in the hospital (which we all didn’t want to do but I think he was happy for the rest after we left). We were playing trivial pursuit at the kitchen table late afternoon when a news notification came up on my phone. George had been found dead on Christmas Day. I couldn’t believe it. It was so unbelievably tragic. I was so sad for him and his family. I’d always loved George and I was gutted for him having been so sad in his final years.

I went to see the George exhibition at Christie’s a few years ago. It was amazingly emotional and very well put together exhibition. I’ve got a few photos and videos of that exhibition if anyone’s interested in seeing it.

RIP George. You were loved so much xxx
 
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