Tag: George Michael

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Death Last Christmas Personal

The George Michael Fund

According to the Christmas letter posted by George Michael’s family:

This year we have also launched The George Michael Fund, and to celebrate the 40th anniversary donated a substantial amount from George’s Last Christmas record royalties to some 20 organisations raising money for causes close to George’s heart.

Yioda, Jack and David

When George Michael was still alive, he created The Mill Charitable Trust. George’s family and executors have now decided to continue that work using the title The George Michael Fund to continue his charitable legacy. The George Michael Fund will give grants to assist the organizations and issues which were close to George’s heart.

The George Michael Fund made more than 20 grants to organizations working with children and young people in the United Kingdom from George’s record royalties accumulated from sales of Last Christmas.

Grants from The George Michael Fund helped:

  • disadvantaged children wake up on Christmas morning to a present.
  • organizations supporting children and young people with their mental health.
  • support LGBTQ+ young people who might be estranged from their families or experiencing homelessness.

Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Pinterest. Join our mailing list for the latest news on George Michael.

About Melanie

Melanie is the co-founder of Yours Only George and has been the webmaster of the site since 1997. Melanie has been a George Michael and Wham! fan since "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" in 1984.

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Death

The Bittersweet Christmas Anniversary all George Michael Lovelies Face

Growing up in the 80s, a George Michael calendar was one of my favorite gifts at Christmastime. But now a calendar is a reminder that George Michael left us 8 years ago.

I was looking through some of my earlier posts when George Michael died. The first article is stark because I was so shocked.

A second post, a year later, was more representative of how I was dealing with a world without George Michael.

George Michael wanted to be remembered for his songwriting, and this year we did a lot of celebrating of his musical genius through the 40th anniversaries of “Careless Whisper” and “Last Christmas.”

I think this has been a good year of celebrating George Michael’s music. If George had been alive, I highly doubt we would have had “Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped,” and yet that was such a gift to be able to have all those friends together talking about all the things we didn’t know about the song and video.

I am very thankful that Andrew Ridgeley acts as the debonair ambassador for his friend or as he recently said, “He was essentially my other half. I never conceived of a future without him.” I hope George knew that his legacy would be protected and enhanced by Andrew’s promotion of their music in Wham!

As I hear my young child singing “Last Christmas” at this time of the year, I know George Michael will live on through his music for generations to come.

How are all of my fellow Lovelies doing on this day? Let me know in the comments.

Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Pinterest. Join our mailing list for the latest news on George Michael.

About Melanie

Melanie is the co-founder of Yours Only George and has been the webmaster of the site since 1997. Melanie has been a George Michael and Wham! fan since "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" in 1984.

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Andrew Ridgeley Last Christmas Pepsi & Shirlie Wham!

“Last Christmas” Is Christmas Number 1!

40th Anniversary “Last Christmas” CD Single
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Happy Christmas indeed!

Wham!’s “Last Christmas” was number 1 in the UK last week and is the Christmas number 1 this week! This is the second consecutive year for “Last Christmas” to be the number 1 song for the week of Christmas in the UK!

Don’t miss out on Andrew Ridgeley’s response to “Last Christmas” topping the Christmas chart again this year:

George Michael would have been delighted that all his Lovelies keep bringing this lovely holiday classic to number 1 year after year! It’s especially wonderful as this is the 40th anniversary of the release of “Last Christmas,” which at the time only reached number 2 because Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas” was 1984’s Christmas number 1.

“Last Christmas” also reached #3 on Billboard’s Top 100 on December 14, 2024.

Andrew Ridgeley gave an interview to Billboard and said of “Last Christmas” charting so high on Billboard:

“Well, extremely satisfying. You know, Yog [a nickname for Wham!’s other half, the late George Michael, who died in 2016], we placed a great deal of importance on being a success in the States. It was, for any artist, of that era… you were nowhere unless you were a big deal in the States. You could be a big noise in the U.K., but the States was the golden prize, really. We were fortunate enough… and one or two of our contemporaries, we had great success in the States.”

Andrew Ridgeley, Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley on ‘Last Christmas’ Hitting New Hot 100 Peak: George Michael ‘Would Have Been Utterly Delighted’

We have also had the lovely Christmas gift of “Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped,” which is available for viewing on the BBC2, Roku, and Netflix. The show brings together most of the friends in the “Last Christmas” video, including Andrew Ridgeley, Shirlie Kemp, and Pepsi DeMacque.

What did you think of WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrapped? Tell us in the comments.

Read more about the 40th anniversary of “Last Christmas” in the following articles:

Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Pinterest. Join our mailing list for the latest news on George Michael.

About Melanie

Melanie is the co-founder of Yours Only George and has been the webmaster of the site since 1997. Melanie has been a George Michael and Wham! fan since "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" in 1984.

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Andrew Ridgeley Last Christmas Pepsi & Shirlie Wham!

WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrapped Coming to BBC Two and BBC Music

40th Anniversary “Last Christmas” Vinyl
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In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Christmas classic, “Last Christmas,” Wham! fans are getting an extra present this Christmas. BBC Two and BBC Music will be airing WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrapped, an hour-long celebration from Blink Films and Sony Music Entertainment.

WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrapped will feature a world exclusive first broadcast of George Michael performing “Last Christmas” at Wembley Arena in December 2006!

“It’s a privilege, 40 years on, to be able to have this opportunity to celebrate WHAM!’s wonderful and enduring musical homage to Christmas and I’m absolutely thrilled that WHAM! in partnership with The BBC will present this joyful and touching tribute to the nation this Christmas. Christmas was a special time of year for George and Christmas songs were a special type of song for him too and that was why he considered writing a Christmas classic one of the great achievements of his career. Only he will ever know quite what inspired him to such dizzying heights, but his songwriting genius led him to distil the quintessential essence of Christmas into a song whose breadth of appeal spans the generations. Revisiting Saas Fee, four decades on, with some of the closest friends of my youth was a very special experience and one which I know Yog would have loved to have shared in.”

Andrew Ridgeley

The December treat will feature new interviews with Andrew Ridgeley, Pepsi DeMacque-Crockett and Shirlie Kemp. It will also include archive footage of George Michael.

The special will also include interviews with Mary J Blige, Sir Bob Geldof, Neil Tennant and Sam Smith.

Some of the features are Andrew, Pepsi, Shirlie, and friends revisiting the video location, never-seen-before outtakes from the original 35mm music video footage, and George and Andrew’s personal photographs.

“Last Christmas remains as iconic today as it was 40 years ago, continuing to capture the essence of Christmas with the same magic and emotion. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the song, a true testament to George Michael’s songwriting brilliance. A timeless holiday classic, it holds a place among the greatest Christmas songs ever written, resonating with listeners of all ages and inspiring new generations today as it did 40 years ago. As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we are proud to be involved in this heartfelt tribute to the song, the video, and those involved. It offers fans the chance to relive the magic and gain fresh insight into the making of this beloved masterpiece, allowing us to share its enduring legacy with the public and fans around the world.”

George Michael Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment handles distribution outside of the UK.

Will you be watching WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrapped? Tell us in the comments.

Read more about the 40th anniversary of “Last Christmas” in the following articles:

Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook, X, Threads, and Bluesky, and join our mailing list for the latest news on George Michael.

About Melanie

Melanie is the co-founder of Yours Only George and has been the webmaster of the site since 1997. Melanie has been a George Michael and Wham! fan since "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" in 1984.

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Careless Whisper

“Careless Whisper” Tops Many UK Charts 40 Years after Original Release

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Careless Whisper (Red marble vinyl)
12″ Single, Maxi-Single, 12″ vinyl sleeve-jacket
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The new release of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper,” 40 years after its original release, is garnering George Michael the top spot on UK music charts this week.

“Careless Whisper” is ranking on 5 different UK charts this week, according to Forbes.

George Michael’s first solo single is #1 on the Official Physical Singles and Official Vinyl Singles lists in the UK.

“Careless Whisper” also tops the charts for most-purchased songs on any physical medium. Vinyl sales play a huge role on that roster, according to Forbes.

The 40-year-old song also is a number one on the Official Singles Sales chart this week.

In other charts, “Careless Whisper” is at No. 39 on the Official Singles Downloads and at No. 69 on the “main list of the most-consumed individual songs,” according to Forbes.

George Michael first released his first solo single, “Careless Whisper,” on July 23, 1984, in the UK. (It was released as a Wham! single in the U.S.)

George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” was number one on the charts for three weeks in both the UK and the US.

Don’t miss out on our articles about the 40th anniversary of “Careless Whisper,” an unforgettable song by George Michael:

About Melanie

Melanie is the co-founder of Yours Only George and has been the webmaster of the site since 1997. Melanie has been a George Michael and Wham! fan since "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" in 1984.