Michael is expected to spend just four days at Pentonville before being moved to an open prison.
It will upset the jail’s cons – who were delighted at having a pop legend in their midst.
Convicted shoplifter Joao Sena, also released yesterday, said: “We were shouting ‘George Michael’s coming, bring him on!’.”
“He was where the paedophiles, grasses and sex offenders are all kept. It’s not a nice place but because George is a celebrity the prison bosses must have thought he’s vulnerable.”
The singer was locked up alone in cell 35 – known among other inmates as “The Ritz” because it’s the cushiest in the jail. One former inmate said: “It’s the best cell in the whole prison. It has duvets, cushions, even its own digital TV box.
“He’s being treated like a king and has guards swarming all over him. The last thing they want is something to happen to him.
“Pentonville is really tough and some people just can’t cope with being locked up.
Sony planned a multi-million pound promotion for the world-wide re-release of his album Faith on September 27. A spokesman said the decision to cancel was “out of respect” for the star.
But an industry insider said: “They had set aside a large budget and wanted George to do a lot of work backing it up. They couldn’t promote it after what happened in court.
“There’s been a scramble to recoup all the effort and money that has gone into this.”
Singer George Michael has caused quite a stir at the prison in Pentonville where he is jailed, with prison heavies demanding he pay them £10,000 a week to protect him in the showers.
Michael, 47, has been warned he is a prime target for a beating, or worse, and prison gangs have told him he may already have had his Last Christmas.
Cheers greeted him when he arrived at the 1,250-capacity north London prison after being jailed for eight weeks for crashing his car while high on cannabis.
And while some taunted him with choruses of his massive hit Freedom, others shouted: “Where’s George Michael? Bring George Michael!”
Jail bosses want him moved to an open prison as soon as possible, as they fear inmates are already queuing up to snap the first photo of him behind bars, and if he is pictured he could sue the prison for a breach of his human rights.
“All celebrity prisoners are ‘problems’ because they attract more attention. But we have a duty to protect all inmates,” The Daily Star quoted a top level Ministry of Justice insider as saying.
But less than hour after District Judge John Perkins ordered him to be taken away to the cells, Michael was back in court lodging an immediate appeal against the sentence his solicitor described as “manifestly excessive”.
With all of the other TV news crews and reporters all camped outside the rear gates of Highbury Corner Magistrates Court waiting for the 47-year-old former Wham! star to be driven off to prison, Michael was in Court Three applying for bail, which if granted, meant he would be able to leave by the front doors of court and spend the night at home.
Announcing the swift decision to appeal, his barrister Mukul Chawla said: “We will be submitting that the sentence imposed is manifestly excessive and in view of the circumstances of this case, not warranted.
“Our appeal is going to take a little time to organise and to list and the prospect is that much of the sentence will already have been served by the time an appeal is heard.
Addressing the judge he said: “I appreciate it is always very difficult when you have made the decision and you are now being told in effect that you got it wrong.
“We say there are added factors in this case that give optimism for grounds of success and we submit that the matter can be fully ventilated on appeal.” But Judge Perkins dealt Michael a second blow by insisting he remain behind bars.
He said: “I have listened to the application for bail but I am not prepared to grant it in respect of this matter.
“You will therefore remain in custody and those who represent you can make an application to the crown court.”
On hearing this Michael, who was visibly angry, shook his head at his legal team and said ‘I told you’ as he was led away.
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George Michael was just Georgios Panayiotou yesterday. I don’t know if this jail time is a good thing for him or not, but I think it’s the first time in a long time that he’s going to be Georgios Panayiotou and not “George Michael.” He’s been surrounded by “yes” people for so long that it will be difficult to be surrounded by the confines of the “no” world of a jail cell.
Yesterday cellmate Richard Hayes, 42, recalled the moment the shaken 80s pop legend walked into the court lock-up.
He said: “I couldn’t believe it was George Michael standing in front of me.
“When the door shut behind him, he didn’t know what to do. He was in pieces.
He kept repeating ‘I can’t believe this has happened to me’. I told him to come and sit down, asked him what happened and he just put his head in his hands.
“He was crying his eyes out, he was sobbing. He was like a little boy.”
“There were two other men in the cell. One appeared to be off his head. He was in another world.
“I told George to sit down. To be honest with you, he was s***ing himself. I tried to reassure him, but he just held his head in his hands and stayed in the corner.
“I was trying to be nice to him because I feel sorry for him going to jail with his status. But on the other hand, he was driving a big car while he was out of his brain. He could have killed someone.”
As usual I am overwhelmed by the support and genuine concern that so many of you around the world have expressed in recent weeks. I want to thank you all sincerely, and also to reassure those of you who worry so much for me. I fully appreciate the seriousness of my current situation, for which I truly apologise.
You will understand that it would be wrong of me to go into details before the court case has ended but I feel you should know that on the day after the incident I checked in to a clinic for a 14 day detox program here in London, which has been followed by ongoing outpatient drug counselling several times a week. Personal problems which I had tried to deal with myself had clearly got the better of me, and I am sorry that my pride has prevented me from seeking help before now.
I would also like to express my thanks to those whose discretion allowed me to begin this process in private, which has helped me greatly.
The multimillion-selling singer was warned Tuesday that he may face jail time after driving his car into a London photo shop while under the influence of drugs. …
The car’s engine was still running when police arrived, but Michael had to be roused, police said. They described Michael as appearing “spaced out.”
“Mr. Michael looked at the officer with his eyes wide open and the officers could see his pupils were dilated,” said prosecutor Penny Fergusson. “They opened the door and could see he was dripping with sweat.”
Prosecutors said Michael acknowledged smoking marijuana and taking a prescription sedative.
The former Wham! lead singer, booked under his real name of Georgios Panayiotou, spoke only to confirm his identity and plead guilty to driving while unfit.
Judge Robin McPhee banned Michael from driving for six months, and warned he could face jail time when he is sentenced Sept. 14.
“It is a serious matter. Your driving was extremely poor and there was an accident,” McPhee said, adding that Michael has already had one conviction. “I make it clear all options in respect of sentencing remain open, including powers to imprison.”
“Those of us who care about George will hope that his court case is a wake-up call. He is turning into a shambling wreck of a man. And if he does not change soon, then the possibility of doing time in prison will be the least of his worries.”
Tony Parsons
This is a powerful article from someone who had known George Michael since the Wham! days and is worth a read. Obviously, having written George Michael’s biography, Tony Parsons has insight that others may not have.
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One member of his trusted team says: “George is a genius but every genius is flawed. His stubbornness is breathtaking. We all told him, time and time again, to use a chauffeur for safety. His cousin Alex Georgiou was on hand 24 hours a day to drive him. But no, George wanted to do things his way and drive himself. The Snappy Snaps crash was inevitable, yet avoidable.
“George won’t be told. He’ll swear on live radio once he’s been warned not to. He smoked weed on TV and confessed his love of cottaging to journalists. It has his PR people tearing their hair out.”
Those who have followed George’s career know he simply does not take unwanted advice.
Even as a young pop upstart he urged fans not to buy his single because he was annoyed at a record company deal. George will not be bossed around.
The source adds: “After years of hiding who he really was, George has no time for pretence and will do exactly what he wants – and that is not usually very much.”
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If he is convicted, it will be his third drug-related motoring offence – and traffic law experts warned he was at “serious risk” of being jailed.
Solicitor Ian Kelcey, of Kelcey and Hall, said: “It is quite possible a magistrate will take a view and say ‘I consider that you are a risk to the public’.
“They will think ‘You are in charge of a potential lethal weapon and you need to stop doing this’. A prison sentence would be a consideration especially if it is a third offence.
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Singer George Michael has been charged with possession of cannabis and driving while unfit through drink or drugs following an incident last month, Scotland Yard has said.
Michael was arrested on 4 July in Hampstead, north London, after he allegedly crashed his car into a branch of photographic shop Snappy Snaps.
The Wham! star, from nearby Highgate, was on police bail following the crash.
Police said Michael, 47, is due to appear before magistrates on 24 August.
The pop star, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, was charged when he reported to a police station in Camden, north London, on Thursday.
GEORGE Michael is the latest pop star to get a tribute episode on musical drama series Glee.
It is believed that the third episode of the new series will be dedicated to George – and will feature the McKinley High Glee Club performing some of his hits.
Sony is re-working the singer’s 1987 album Faith – to be released worldwide in September to coincide with the show.
Bosses hope it will “introduce a new generation of fans to his music”.
The second series of Glee starts in the US on September 21 and is due here on E4 later this year.
Creator Ryan Murphy says the series will see tributes to Britney Spears and Sir Paul McCartney.
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On the 27thSeptember 2010, Sony Music will be reissuing George Michael’s iconic album, Faith, now remastered. It will be available in multiple special formats including Limited Edition Numbered Collectors box set.
When George Michael released his debut solo album Faith in 1987 it instantly caught the imagination of the entire pop world, becoming a milestone in both George Michael’s career and in popular culture. It remains a high point in pop music, as well as a measure for any artist wanting to cross musical genres and gather both popular and critical appeal.
The album confirmed George’s status as a songwriter of outstanding ability and emotional depth and it propelled him to superstar status equal to that of Elton John, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson and Madonna. After hitting the Number One spot in the UK, the USA and many other countries across the globe, Faith went on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide. It became the best selling US album of 1988 and was awarded the prestigious Diamond Award for sales of 10 million copies.
Faith rapidly became a record-breaking phenomenon, not only producing six Number One singles but also putting George Michael on the map as the first white male artist to hit Number One on the US R&B chart. Faith features some of George’s greatest songs including Father Figure, One More Try, Faith, Kissing A Fool and I Want Your Sex.
The album was written, produced and arranged entirely by George Michael. His artistry has resulted in countless accolades, including a Grammy for “Album of the Year” and three American Music Awards, namely: Favourite Album (Soul/R&B); Favourite Male Vocalist (Soul/R&B) and Favourite Male Vocalist (Pop/Rock). Additional tributes included an MTV Award for Father Figure” (Best Direction) and two Ivor Novello Awards for “Songwriter of the Year” and “International Hit of the Year”.
To date, George Michael has sold over 100 million records throughout the world; his music sounds as fresh as it did when Faith was first released in 1987. So much so, in fact, that George Michael’s songs – including tracks from Faith – recently featured in the hit US TV show Eli Stone. As well as appearing on the show himself, George’s songs were used as a theme for each episode.
Today, George Michael continues to inspire young talent and his influence can be heard amongst many of today’s pop and R&B artists. The remastered, reissued Faith will not only delight George’s legions of fans across the world, but it will continue to influence a whole new generation of musicians.
George Michael’sFaith will be reissued globally by Sony Music. The UK release date is the 27th September.
For more information on George Michael please contact Connie Filippello Publicity on 0207 229 5400 or email Cfpublicity@aol.com
Track listing:
Faith
Father Figure
I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 & 2)
One More Try
Hard Day
Hand To Mouth
Look At Your Hands
Monkey
Kissing A Fool
A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part 3)
All songs written, produced and arranged by George Michael with the exception of Look At Your Hands by George Michael and David Austin.
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George Michael has been arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive after his car ploughed into a shop near his home in the early hours.
The former Wham! star’s Range Rover hit the doorway of the Snappy Snaps. It is the SEVENTH time George has been at the centre of a police investigation into his driving in the last six years.
His 4×4 was caught on CCTV mounting the pavement before crunching into the glass and metal shop front.
Shocked George, 47, climbed out but is thought to have waited for police. He did not need medical attention.
The star was not breathalysed after telling police he had not been drinking but is believed to have been tested for drugs at a police station.
No drugs were recovered and he was bailed until August.
According to the article, George Michael is buying a home in Sydney, Australia. It says:
It’s understood Michael recently splashed out $6 million for a slick three-storey, five-bedroom pad on mega-exclusive Whale Beach Rd, overlooking Palm Beach cliffs.
Boasting a lap pool, glass walls, a terrace and a huge deck, the home is described as “ideal for entertaining” which is perfect for the ex-Wham! singer who makes no secret of his love of a good time.
