I was a stiletto-heeled punk dj in the ’80s. I claimed my taste was eclectic and it was. I was all about The Swans, obscure surf guitar, Firesign Theatre, Sonic Youth’s homage sendup Ciccone Youth, New Zealand garage and the occasional Bobby Darin tune thrown into the mix. However, at first I was a closet listener when it came to George Michael. Although Wham! was barely on my radar, as Michael’s career progressed, I could not get enough of his sexy, sexy vibe. Honestly, no one I respected spent any time debating his sexuality. In retrospect, it felt like he belonged to us all, much like Madonna. He was simply George Michael. No one danced better and no one looked better doing it. And that voice. I suppose the thing that does me in personally, though, is that he reminds me very much of a beloved assistant from my studio’s early years. It’s that twinkle in his eye and and that combination of mischief and kindness. Saying goodnight to you, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, is breaking our hearts.*
At The New York Times, a beautiful obituary by Jon Pareles. George Michael, Pop Superstar, slideshow and video of five memorable performances.
“It was a time when you could feasibly be bonkers for Wham!, Tears for Fears, Sting, Prince, Michael Jackson, U2, Bruce Springsteen, and David Bowie all at once, and we were, we were, we were.” Sarah Larson shares her own coming-of-age experience in this lovely essay George Michael’s Pop Paradise.
George Michael Mattered Beyond the Music.
At Rolling Stone: George Michael: 20 Essential Songs. “The best of the pop icon’s hits, duets and reinventions” Videos included.
For a quick refresher: George Michael at the wiki.
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An Interview with John Norris
More at Billboard: John Norris Shares Memories of George Michael, From Candid Interview on 1998 Arrest to What He Was Like Off Camera.
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George Michael and the Freddy Mercury Tribute concert
More at Vulture: George Michael Rehearsing Queen’s ‘Somebody to Love’ Will Wreck You.
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Taking some bad press and flipping off the uptight and uninformed.
George Michael – Outside
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Featured image is Mr. Michael at the Royal Opera House in London in 2011, credit to Stefan Wermuth/Reuters.
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*My original sentence was “Saying goodnight to you, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, is breaking our hearts for the final time in 2016.” And just as I was about to post this, news surfaced that Carrie Fisher passed away. And so I edited. And now will spend the day in mourning.
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