George Michael
In 1987, George Michael released his debut solo album Faith, which topped the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy for Album of the Year. It established him as a serious solo artist after his teen-pop success with Wham!. The album's mature sound and global sales made him one of the biggest stars of the era.
London Beginnings
Born Georgios Panayiotou in East Finchley, London, in 1963, he formed Wham! with school friend Andrew Ridgeley. The duo's upbeat hits made them international teen idols in the early 1980s.
Solo Stardom
His 1987 debut Faith reinvented him as a sophisticated solo artist and won Album of the Year. With hits like Careless Whisper and Father Figure, he became one of the decade's defining pop voices.
Artistry and Privacy
Michael fought his record label for creative freedom and later spoke openly about his life after coming out in 1998. His sudden death on Christmas Day 2016 stunned fans around the world.
Career Timeline
- 1963Born Georgios Panayiotou in East Finchley, London
- 1981Forms the pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley
- 1984Wham! tops charts with Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
- 1984Solo single Careless Whisper becomes a worldwide hit
- 1986Wham! disbands after a farewell concert
- 1987Debut solo album Faith conquers the charts
- 1988Faith wins the Grammy for Album of the Year
- 1990Releases Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
- 1998Comes out publicly as gay
- 2016Dies on Christmas Day at age 53
Biggest Hits
- George Michael played nearly every instrument and produced his solo work himself, taking full creative control of his music.
- He was a generous but private philanthropist, quietly donating royalties and gifts to charities for years before it became widely known.
Portrait: David from Washington, D.C. · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons