"Well, it takes a strong man, baby,
But I'm showin' you the door,
'Cause I got to have faith..."

George Michael – “Faith”

Few get to enjoy the kind of success that George Michael has found both in a group and solo, and few have been able to find long-lasting careers out of either.  It could be said that he’s a one man hit machine, proving his worth on dance hits like “Monkey” and vocally challenging ballads like “One More Try,” consistently scoring hit after hit for the better part of the 80s and 90s.  Even more impressive is learning that he wrote, produced, and in many cases played most of the instruments that were backing him.  With his talents, he has become an international superstar, and one of the most popular artists to emerge from the 80s.

Michael got his training as one half of the duo Wham!  Together, he and Andrew Ridgeley dominated the airwaves in the early 80s.  Their second single, “You Guns (Go For It!) caught the attention of a pop-thirsty world, giving them tremendous success with the re-release of their first single, “Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?).  These early tracks, both written by George Michael, foreshadowed the talent and showcased their sensibilities as pop music showmen.  Their second album, the aptly named Make It Big proved to be their breakthrough, selling 6 million in the U.S. alone.  The newly minted superstars found international fame with “Wake Me Up Before you Go-Go,” “Freedom” and “Last Christmas/Everything She Wants” (which has since gone on to be a broken-hearted holiday classic).  George Michael recorded “Careless Whisper” as a solo artist, and the single propelled his image within the pop world, becoming one of the most played songs of the decade.  Due to internal turmoil, the band dissolved in 1986.

Following the success of Wham! would be a daunting task, though Michael took the steps anyway, releasing his first semi-solo effort in 1987, a duet with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.  Their single, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” topped both the U.K. and U.S. charts upon release and set Michael up for even greater success with the debut of his solo career, Faith.  Aiming at a more adult audience than he’d gained with Wham!, his first solo hit “I Want Your Sex” caused a sensation, both on the singles charts and with those who were concerned over the lyrics and the steamy video that accompanied it.  The song, an ode to the joys of monogamy, went to #2, and was featured on the soundtrack of the Eddie Murphy flick, Beverly Hills Cop II.  The album was released after the song caught the public’s attention, in November of 1987.  The first hit post album release was “Faith.”  Backed with a rockabilly sound, the track became a hit on the dance floor and helped the album top charts around the world by the early part of the following year.

1988 found a celebratory start with a Grammy win for his performance on “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me.”  He was also enjoying a spot at #1 with the sultry “Father Figure,” as well as an international tour that took him into the U.S. and over the pacific into Australia and Japan.  Later in the year, Michael topped the charts with hits like the soulful “One More Try,” the electronic-tinged dance track, “Monkey,” and another ballad, “Kissing a Fool.”  In 1989, the album took home three American Music Awards and another Grammy would be put upon Michael’s mantle with a Best Album win. 

Michael followed up his pop chart success with Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1. It, too, would become a multi-platinum hit on the strength of songs like “Praying for Time,” which found a place in the hearts of the Gulf War-minded around the globe and “Freedom ’90,” a funkified dance version of his Wham! hit.  At the end of the year, Michael joined the stage with his childhood hero, Elton John, to perform a duet on his classic,“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me.”  He also was able to pay tribute to another musical hero, by performing at the Freddie Mercury tribute in 1992.  His set was recorded and was released as an EP, titled Five Live.  Michaels found another Top 30 hit with his cover of the Queen classic, “Somebody to Love.” 

After taking time away from recording, thanks to a lawsuit he and Columbia Records were involved with, Michael returned to the charts with 1996’s Older.  The lushly produced “Jesus to a Child” brought another hit into Michael’s catalogue, as did the ironically slow groove of his R&B dance hit, “Fastlove.”  Two years later, he released the impressive Ladies and Gentleman: The Best of George Michael, a double-disc set of his biggest hits, as well as a few new ones.  The overseas version snubbed U.S. fans by including his cover of the Stevie Wonder classic, “As,” which was performed with Mary J. Blige.  It became an international hit, and once U.S. fans found out, the import found huge demand Stateside. 

As the clock was ticking over into a new millennium, a new century, Michael released the album Songs from the Last Century.  The album featured Michael providing his unique touches to both old standards and more recent hits.  Featured on the album was the Frank Sinatra classic, “Where or When;” “The First Ever I Saw Your Face,” popularized by Roberta Flack; and the Police track “Roxanne.”  More recently, George Michael has released 2004’s Patience and another greatest hit compilation, 2006’s Twenty Five, signifying his 25th year as a recording artist, and including both his solo works and four tracks from his days with Wham!

Today, George Michael takes life as it comes at him, touring and taking part in events like Live 8, the 20th anniversary of the hugely successful Live Aid (and coinciding with the annual G8 Conference).  He also has commanded some of the highest pay for performances, particularly in Russia, where he holds the record for his performance at a Russian oligarch’s wedding.  On the other hand, Michael has also continued down the path of charitable works.  His performance prior to the £1 million stunner was a free concert for the nurses of North London. Most recently, he’s taken to acting, playing a guardian angel on the show Eli Stone.  With so much going on around him at all times, there’s no doubt we’ll continue keeping the faith in George Michael for decades to come.