George Michael’s sister, Yioda Panayiotou, has submitted plans to update her brother’s Hampstead home, according to the Mirror.
The Mirror reports:
George bought the property in 1987, around the time his solo career took off after Wham! disbanded. The property is located in a conservation area, and will be restored to what Yioda’s architects, BB Partnership, describe as a “habitable” condition.
George Michael’s abandoned home set for £10m Grand Designs-style mansion makeover
The plans include:
removing a water tank
installing a new roof with solar panels
replacing the exterior cladding with white laminate.
Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook and X, 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.
When George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley as Wham! went to China in 1985, director Lindsay Anderson was charged with the documentary for this historic event.
For the first time, Anderson’s documentary of Wham! in China, If You Were There, will be screened for the public on May 25 and May 31, 2024. Unfortunately, tickets have already sold out.
The 79-minute documentary is described as the following:
In 1985, at the height of their success, WHAM! were invited to be the first western pop group to tour Communist China since the Cultural Revolution. Accepting the offer, the duo made an unlikely approach to Anderson, asking him to direct a documentary record of the tour. However, the collaboration ended awkwardly when his cut of the film was rejected by the band. The film was subsequently re-edited to incorporate more concert footage and released as WHAM! In China: Foreign Skies. Anderson’s cut, titled If You Were There… has never before been screened publicly, making this a not-to-be-missed, potentially once-only opportunity to see it.
Thanks to Andrew Ridgeley, and to Chris Organ and David Austin of George Michael Entertainment for their co-operation in connection with this screening.
According to The Guardian:
The exact sequence of events leading to Anderson’s dismissal are not easy to discern from his papers. Napier-Bell wrote that the first cut of the film was “achingly boring” and that Michael thought a second version appeared to be “scornful” of Wham!.
“It should have been possible for Lindsay – or any director with an ounce of compromise in him – to have adjusted it to what Wham! needed as a promo tool,” says Napier-Bell today. “But he obviously felt it beneath him to compromise with two upstart kids. He was always a difficult old bugger, full of guilt at his own public school education, but suffering from the superiority it had given him.”
Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook and X, 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.
George Michael Experience: Fundraiser for Suicide Prevention is a 3-day event taking place at Newtopia Cyder Tasting Room in San Diego, California, on April 26, 27, and 28, 2024.
Day 1 of the event is today, April 26, 2024, from 3-9 p.m. This part of the event is free. According to the site:
3-6 PM: Free/casual private tours of a million-dollar George Michael memorabilia collection by Chris Brown. Uncover the stories behind the star and enjoy food all afternoon and night! 5:30 PM: Hear from Newtopia’s founder, Rick Moreno, collector, Chris Brown, and director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Jordan Miles, about the impact of your participation this weekend. 6 PM: Kick off the evening with George Michael & Wham! Music Bingo and continue the festivities with a dance party.
Day 2 of the event is tomorrow, April 27, 2024, from 12-10 p.m. This part of the event is free. According to the site:
12-4 PM: Explore George Michael’s iconic career with free hourly tours of our exclusive memorabilia collection guided by Chris Brown. 4 PM: Test your pop knowledge with our George Michael Trivia—win big with the correct answers! Grab your GM Trivia Sheet, enjoy classic tunes, and try your luck. 5 PM: Flashback to the ’80s with our COSTUME CONTEST! Dress to impress and win prizes for the Best Couple and two standout individuals. Prizes announced at 8:30 PM. Don’t forget to tag @newtopiacyder on Instagram to win the social media star prize!
Day 3 includes a George Michael themed brunch. According to the site:
Brunch Package: $25 Choose 1 Plate & 1 Drink Chilaquiles (Birria, Chicken, Mole, or Carnitas), Tacos (Birria, Chicken, Mole, or Carnitas), and Ceviche (Red Snapper, Wild Shrimp, or Vegan Ceviche) Drink includes your choice of one of our 3 specialty George Michael cyders, any craft cyder on tap, house-made sangria, craft cocktails on tap, or a Sky High n’ Dry mimosa! Proceeds go towards the San Diego Prosperity Foundation benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
The San Diego Union-Tribune also has an article about the event with more details about the items on display, such as:
the leather jacket that George Michael wore during the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics in London.
the American Music Award from 1989 for best male pop artist.
a program from the recital that he did at the school where he met Andrew Ridgeley.
an original letter from George Michael in his own handwriting on the breakup of Wham!
George Michael’s Ivor Novello Award from 1984 for “Careless Whisper.”
Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook and X, 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.
Wham!’s Fantastic (sponsored link) and Make It Big (sponsored link) are being rereleased on vinyl today.
Check out our previous post with all the information on these vinyl rereleases.
The Official Wham! Facebook page is celebrating with the following videos:
Will you be buying Fantastic or Make It Big on vinyl? Let us know in the comments!
Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook and X, 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.
If we want George Michael to have more songs in the Top 10 of Smooth’s All Time Top 500, then we should focus on voting for the songs that did well in 2023.
It’s probably best to focus on the ten songs that did the best if we want George to have 3 or more songs in the Top 10. “Jesus to a Child” was close to being in the Top 10 last year. Possibly we should team up with the Elton John and Aretha Franklin fans to get more votes for the duets.
You can pick up to 10 George Michael songs in order of preference, choosing your number 1 song first. You can vote here.
Smooth’s All Time Top 500 will be counted down from Friday, May 3rd, at 10 a.m. to Monday, May 6th, at 7p.m.
Make sure to follow Yours Only George on Facebook and X, 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.
