- By Douglas Wickard
I will miss you George Michael. I will miss your voice, your music, your creative inspiration and your art full of heart.
Born to Greek immigrant parents in 1963 in the suburbs of Edgeware, North London, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou’s love, from the beginning, was music. He ‘broke out’ onto the U.K. music scene in the early 1980’s, singing alongside fellow bandmate Andrew Ridgeley in the pop duo Wham! Their television good looks, musical ability and charisma caught the eye of Innervison Records and their first album, Fantastic, was released on July 9, 1983, quickly climbing the charts to the No. 1 position in the U.K. GEORGE MICHAEL was born and a Superstar ignited onto the airwaves of popular 80’s music. Who can ever forget his breathy, blue-eyed soul delivery in such chart-topping singles as Careless Whisper, Faith, Father Figure, I Want Your Sex, or his Grammy Award Winning duet with Aretha Franklin, I Knew You Were Waiting.
He was innovative and precise with his production values, a generous philanthropist to a wide range of charities, including youth issues and AIDS research, of which his first lover, Anselmo Feleppa, a Brazilian dress designer, died from in the early 90’s. His fame came with a hefty price tag. His sexuality became the hot topic of the press and public invasion and personal scrutiny followed. He suffered from bouts of depression, isolation and addiction, making headlines around the world for his notorious outings. In my opinion, he was judged too harshly. Your fans will always keep the Faith, George Michael, knowing your candle burned out far too soon.
