George Michael: From Wham! member to solo megastar
In 2026 he's been posthumously awarded a huge honour
George Michael was known for his incredible voice and soulful songs. He enjoyed success as one half of Wham! in the 80s, and later went on to have an incredible solo career. Some of his biggest songs include 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go', 'Club Tropicana' and 'I'm Your Man' as part of Wham!, as well as ‘Faith’ and ‘Fastlove’ as a solo artist.
In 2026, the late singer was inducted into Fellowship of The Ivors Academy, which is one of songwriting’s highest honours at the Ivor Novello Awards. Despite his sad passing in December 2016, he is still the only solo songwriter to have received the prestigious Ivor Novello for Songwriter of the Year award three times, in 1985, 1989 and 1997.
Who was George Michael?
Turning the clock back in time, George Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou on 25th June 1963. His father, Kyriacos ‘Jack’ Panayiotou was a Greek Cypriot restaurateur who emigrated to Britain in the 1950s. His mother, Lesley Angold, was an English dancer and he had two older sisters, Yioda and Melanie.
What group was George Michael in?
George formed Wham! with his former schoolmate Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. Right from the beginning, George took on the lion’s share of the work within the band by taking on the role of lead vocalist, as well as writing the group’s material.
Signing to Innervision, Wham! soon scored chart success in 1982 with ‘Young Guns (Go For It!)’ and ‘Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)’. They then went on to achieve five UK Number 1 hit singles with ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Freedom’, ‘I’m Your Man’ and ‘The Edge Of Heaven’. Their two albums, ‘Fantastic’ and ‘Make It Big’ also hit pole position before they split in 1986.
His successful solo career
Following Wham!’s amicable split in 1986, George was back in action as a solo artist, with his debut solo album ‘Faith’ being released in 1987. 'Faith' is due to be re-issued in 2026 on vinyl for the first time in 10 years.
Writing, producing, and arranging 'Faith', it became quickly apparent that George was more than just a pop star – this was an artist hard at work.
Spawning the hit singles ‘I Want Your Sex’, ‘Faith’, ‘Father Figure’, ‘One More Try’, ‘Monkey’ and ‘Kissing A Fool’, the album sold an incredible 20 million copies worldwide – half of which were in the US alone.
And not only that, George had earned the respect of his heroes by recording duets with idols Elton John (‘Wrap It Up’ and ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’) and Aretha Franklin (‘I Knew You Were There (Waiting For Me)’).
When did George Michael return to music?
Bored of his pop image, George returned from a brief break in 1990 with the incredible album, ‘Listen Without Prejudice’, which sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK and topped the UK album chart. Displaying a newly found maturity, George refused to appear in any promo videos or do any touring.
Famously, the David Fincher-directed video for ‘Freedom ‘90’ featured guest appearances from supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitiz, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford who lip-synced in his place. David Fincher would go on to direct Brad Pitt in the thriller Seven.
What are his most successful songs?
George brought us many amazing songs over the years, lending his voice and songwriting to countless hits. It's hard to narrow down his best tracks, but here are some of his biggest and most well-known songs.
'Careless Whisper'
'Careless Whisper' was one of George's most well-known songs of all time. This romantic song was Number 1 in the UK for three weeks when it came out in 1984, and it truly has stood the test of time.
The song was re-issued to celebrate 40 years since it was released. A 'Careless Whisper' EP features four versions of the song, including a live version which has not been released before.
'A Different Corner'
This incredible track was released in 1986, not long before Wham! split up. The reflective ballad reached Number 1 in the UK Charts that year.
'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)' with Aretha Franklin
George teamed up with Aretha Franklin to create the upbeat track 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)' in 1987. The song went to Number 1 in the UK Charts.
'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' with Elton John
In 1985 George and Elton John sang Elton's 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' at Live Aid. The cover was released in 1991 and went to Number 1 in the Charts in the UK and the US.
'Last Christmas'
It's not Christmas without this classic track from Wham! 'Last Christmas' came out in 1984 and has been a part of Christmas playlists ever since. In December 2023, it finally became a Christmas Number 1, 39 years after it was first released.
'One More Try'
From his 'Faith' album this song came out in 1987 and according to the late singer it was written, recorded and finished within eight hours. This six-minute-long ballad was a favourite at live shows.
'Freedom'
'Freedom' was Wham!'s second Number 1 hit in the UK and was the 10th biggest-selling single of 1984.
'Father Figure'
In January 2025, George's song 'Father Figure' enjoyed a resurgence after the song was featured in a scene of Babygirl. The film, starring Nicole Kidman (Romy) and Harris Dickinson (Samuel) uses the song in a scene where Samuel, who is an intern, is dancing for Romy (the CEO of a company).
The song saw a big leap in streams since the release of the film, and propelled George Michael's official TikTok account to a massive 1 million followers.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Wham!
Did he fall out with his label?
He did. George blamed the relative failure of ‘Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1’ on his label, Sony. They, in turn, pointed the finger at George for not doing enough to promote the album. A lengthy and costly legal battle to be freed of his contract ensued, and he finally released his new album, ‘Older’ in 1996.
The album’s singles – ‘Jesus To A Child’, ‘Fastlove’, ‘Spinning The Wheel’, ‘Older'/'I Can’t Make You Love Me’ and ‘Star People ‘97’ – all went Top 3, with the first two going all the way to the top.
He then released another two albums – ‘Songs From The Last Century’ in 1999 and ‘Patience’ in 2004. His final album, ‘Symphonica’, blended vocals recorded live on tour with strings recorded in the studio. Released in 2014, it went to Number 1 in the UK.
George Michael's passing
George Michael sadly passed away due to natural causes on Christmas Day in 2016 at the age of 53. Fans and fellow musicians were shocked and saddened by the news and tributes soon began pouring in for the music legend.
Bandmate Andrew Ridgeley said in a statement: 'Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved. A xx'. (sic)
Among countless tributes, Elton John shared a message on Instagram to say: 'I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend - the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans. @GeorgeMichael #RIP'.
Boy George of Culture Club was among those paying tribute, and said: 'I am thinking of @GeorgeMichael's family, friends and fans right now. He was so loved and I hope he knew it because the sadness today is beyond words. Devastating.
'What a beautiful voice he had and his music will live on as a testament to his talent. I can't believe he is gone. I hope the Buddha will hold him in his arms.'
How old would George be now?
George would have celebrated his 62nd birthday in 2025, he was born on 25th June 1963.
Songwriter's Hall of Fame
With over 100 million records sold, it's no surprise that George Michael was nominated for the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2016, and was inducted the following year.
Is there a film about him?
The singer worked on the film George Michael: Freedom before he sadly passed away in 2016. The film came out in 2017, and then in June 2022 - to coincide with the music legend's birthday - a new film called George Michael Freedom Uncut had a global cinematic release.
The feature-length documentary included moments from his solo career, as well as his personal life, and included narration from the singer himself. There was also performance footage of George as well as interviews from some of his famous friends.
In April 2023 it was announced there would be a Wham! documentary, which was released on Netflix in July of that year. The programme included never-before-seen footage from George and Andrew's private archives.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
George Michael was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. According to Sony Music: 'Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they are eligible for induction and are voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals. The former Wham! frontman won a fan poll, picking up 1.04 million votes, which was counted alongside official ballots in deciding this year’s inductees. His induction comes 40 years after the release of Wham!’s debut album, Fantastic.'
George Michael collectable coin
In February 2024, a collectable coin was announced by The Royal Mint. The coin was a tribute to the late singer and his second solo song 'Faith'.
The coin was available to buy through The Royal Mint website, and was approved by the singer's estate, who said of the new coin: "On behalf of George Michael, we are deeply honoured that the Royal Mint is paying tribute to him by creating a series of beautifully crafted coins. He would have been enormously proud and genuinely touched that a national institution should have decided to pay tribute to his memory in this way."
Fellowship of The Ivors Academy
In 2026, George was inducted into Fellowship of The Ivors Academy. The Fellowship is one of the highest honours at the Ivor Novello Awards. The award was accepted by life-long friends of George, Andrew Ridgeley and Chris Organ.