Georgios Kyriacos Panaylotou may not be a familiar name, but this Greek and English man changed it when he chose his musical career to a much simpler George Michael. When he was eight, he suffered a head injury that led him to develop an interest in music. When he was a teen, his family moved to Radlett, England and he chanced to sit next to a chap Andrew Ridgeley at his new school, who would become his future partner in Wham! In 1981 when he was only 18 he legally changed his name.
A mere four years later Michael claimed the first of many Ivor Novello Awards as Songwriter of the Year from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. To get an inside, up close and personal look into his life, head over to Waterbury’s Palace Theater on Thursday, March 7 for “The Life and Music of George Michael” for one fantastic night only at 7:30 p.m.
After a sensational Wham! tour of China, a never before occurrence by a Western popular group, Michael began his success as a solo artist. A duet with one of his favorite artists, Aretha Franklin, performing “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” truly launched his musical mission, after earlier success with “Careless Whisper” and "A Different Corner.”
George Michael was not without his controversy over the songs he composed, like “I Want Your Sex” that was often tamed to “I Want Your Love.” In 1990 he released “Listen Without Prejudice Volume 1” in his desire to have his music taken more seriously. His world tour to Japan, England, the U.S. and Brazil the following year featured his favorite “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John and the next year he performed it at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert with Queen, for AIDS research, which he reflected was “probably the proudest moment for me of my career.”
In his personal life, he was conflicted by his sexuality and hiding his homosexuality, a fact that became public after his arrest for “engaging in a lewd act.” He struggled with substance abuse and lost his privilege to drive on many occasions. Michael often performed concerts for his favorite charities like AIDS and ill children. He died on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53 of health problems. Elton John said of him, “What a singer, what a songwriter. But more than anything as a human being he was one of the kindest, sweetest, most generous people I’ve ever met.”
For tickets ($95.40 and up), call the Palace, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at palacetheaterct.org.
Come celebrate George Michael, an English singer, songwriter and record producer who sold well over 100 million records worldwide in his incredibly colorful career.
No comments:
Post a Comment