Tag: George Michael

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Media Personal

George Michael: Portrait of an Artist at Cannes

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Simon Napier-Bell’s George Michael documentary, “George Michael: Portrait of an Artist,” (Amazon Ad) will be on Kaleidoscope Film Distribution’s Cannes slate, according to Variety.

The documentary was directed by Simon Napier-Bell, the manager of Wham! in the mid 1980s who masterminded the historic Wham! trip to China. “George Michael: Portrait of an Artist” includes interviews with Stevie Wonder, Sanandra Maitreya, Stephen Fry, Kenny Goss, Chris Cameron, Rufus Wainwright, Piers Morgan, and Jo Whiley.

The 2023 documentary is described as:

Packed with rare archive footage and candid interviews from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Stephen Fry, and many more of his close friends and colleagues, witness George Michael’s meteoric rise to superstardom like never before. This fascinating documentary exposes, honestly and respectfully, the man who he was, with unprecedent insights into both his professional persona as a world-renowned celebrity, and his tumultuous personal life that nearly brought his career to an early end.

Kaleidoscope Film Distribution

More information is available at the official site for George Michael: Portrait of an Artist.

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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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Awards

George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” Tops Smooth’s All Time Top 500 for 7th Year

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George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” is #1 on 2024’s All Time Top 500 for Smooth Radio. It is the sixth year in a row that “Careless Whisper” has topped the chart, and the seventh year at #1.

George Michael Entertainment released the following statement about this achievement:

On behalf of George Michael Entertainment, we are delighted that Smooth Radio listeners and George’s loyal fans have once again, for the 6th consecutive year, voted for George Michael’s Careless Whisper as their number one song in Smooth’s “All Time Top 500” for 2024.

In this year, the 40th anniversary of its release, this is an incredible achievement as Careless Whisper has now topped Smooth’s chart for a total of 7 years.

We know that George would be proud and truly grateful just as we are, for the continued support of Smooth Radio, its listeners and his loyal fans around the world.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

George Michael Entertainment

George Michael’s “A Different Corner” ranked at #3 for another year.

George Michael had a total of 20 songs in Smooth’s Top 500. Here is the ranking:

#1 “Careless Whisper”
#3 “A Different Corner”
#11 “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (duet with Elton John)
#31 “Jesus to a Child”
#48 “Father Figure”
#80 “Somebody to Love” (with Queen)
#104 “FastLove”
#105 “Club Tropicana”
#109 “One More Try”
#114 “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” (duet with Aretha Franklin)
#116 “Faith”
#138 “Praying for Time”
#140 “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”
#163 “I’m Your Man”
#169 “Freedom 90”
#178 “Everything She Wants”
#284 “The Edge of Heaven”
#313 “As” (duet with Mary J. Blige)
#320 “Freedom”
#453 “Heal the Pain”

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.

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Personal

George Michael’s Hampstead House Update Approved

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.
  • converting two garages into living quarters
  • installing decking
  • raising a window on the upper ground floor
  • extending a garage.

The Camden council has approved the plan, according to the Mirror.

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.

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Wham!

Wham! If You Were There Documentary First Screening

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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.”

Dead dogs, capitalist critique and only four songs: when Wham! squashed Lindsay Anderson’s China film

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.

Categories
Just for Fun

George Michael Experience: Fundraiser for Suicide Prevention

George Michael Experience

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.