Everything you need to know about George Michael's incredible career
A true music icon
Last updated 24th Jul 2024
An icon of the music industry, the late George Michael, had a truly incredible career. Although George sadly passed away in December 2016, his songs have lived on and continue to be loved by his adoring fans across the world. In 2024, his iconic hit 'Careless Whisper' celebrated its 40th anniversary, and will be re-issued as an EP with a previously unreleased live version.
From his success with Wham! alongside Andrew Ridgeley, to his stellar solo career, George won an array of awards for his brilliant music. To celebrate George and his amazing legacy, we've taken a look at his remarkable career, from how he became famous to some of his most monumental moments.
Take a look at George Michael's incredible career:
Early life and career
George was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley, North London on 25th June 1963. He showed an interest in music from a young age and met his future Wham! Bandmate Andew Ridgeley after the pair sat next to each other in school. George used to busk in the London Underground, as well as working as a DJ, where he played at clubs, schools and restaurants. George later formed a ska band called The Executive, which included Andrew Ridgeley and Andrew's brother Paul.
1981 - Wham! is formed
George and Andrew formed Wham! in 1981. The pair sought out a record deal and used to hand their demo tape to Innervision Record's Mark Dean when they would see him out in a local pub. They were later offered a deal with the label in February 1982, going on to release their debut record 'Wham Rap!' in June 1982, which was a double A-side. The single 'Young Guns (Go For It)' was then released in September 1982.
'Wham Rap!' reached Number 8 on the UK Charts, whilst 'Young Guns (Go For It)' charted at Number 3.
1983 – Wham! release their first studio album
Wham!'s debut studio album 'Fantastic' was released in July 1983 and went on to reach Number 1 on the UK Charts. The album included the singles 'Young Guns', 'Wham Rap!', 'Bad Boys' and 'Club Tropicana'. 'Fantastic' is now certified 3x Platinum in the UK.
1984 - ‘Careless Whisper’ was released
'Careless Whisper' was released in July 1984, and was the second single to be released from Wham!'s second studio album 'Make It Big'. The single was written by George and Andrew and produced by George, however it was credited solely to George Michael in the UK. 'Careless Whisper' topped the charts in the UK and US, going on to become an well-loved hit for them. It is certified 2x Platinum in the UK and Platinum in the US.
1984 – Wham! release their second studio album
Wham! released their second studio album 'Make It Big' in October 1984 in the US, and November 1984 in the UK. The album included the huge singles 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go', 'Everything She Wants', 'Freedom' and 'Careless Whisper' – which was George's first solo single. A huge success for the band, the album topped the charts in the US, where it is certified 6x Platinum and in the UK, where it is certified 4x Platinum.
1984 – ‘Last Christmas’ was released
Wham!'s hugely successful Christmas song 'Last Christmas' was released in December 1984, when it peaked at Number 2 on the UK Charts. The song later topped the UK Chart in January 2021, later becoming Christmas Number 1 for the first time in December 2023. 'Last Christmas' is certified 6x Platinum in the UK. Thanks to George's signature vocals, 'Last Christmas' became one of Wham!'s most popular tracks and a staple of the festive period.
1984 - Band Aid
George was one of the artists who came together to form Band Aid and release the charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?', which was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. Released in December 1984, the song topped the UK Charts, with the physical single certified Platinum, whilst the digital release is certified 4x Platinum.
1985 - Ivor Novello Award wins
In March 1985, George won the Songwriter of the Year award at the Ivor Novello Awards. In the same year, 'Careless Whisper' also won the accolade for Most Performed Work.
1986 - Wham! split up
Wham! separated in spring 1986 after releasing a farewell single called 'The Edge of Heaven', which gave the band their fourth UK Number 1 single. George was quoted at the time as saying that he wanted to 'write to more honest emotions', adding that he wanted to create 'songs that people could personally relate to.' Wham! also held a farewell concert called 'The Final' at Wembley Stadium in June 1986, with 72,000 fans in attendance.
1987 – ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’ with Aretha Franklin
In January 1987, George and Aretha Franklin released the duet 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)'. The song reached Number 1 in the UK and US, with the pair going on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group in 1987.
1987 – George releases his debut solo album
In October 1987, George released his debut solo album, 'Faith'. Four of the singles from the album reached Number 1 in the US, these were: 'Faith', 'Father Figure', 'One More Try' and 'Monkey'. The album topped the charts in the UK and the US, going on to win George the Album of the Year award at the 1989 Grammy Awards. 'Faith' is certified 4x Platinum in the UK and Diamond in the US.
1988 - ‘The Faith Tour’
George embarked on 'The Faith Tour' in 1988, which was his first solo tour and visited countries in Asia, Oceania, North America and Europe. It began in Tokyo, Japan in February 1988 and concluded in Pensacola, Florida in October, with George then performing three shows in Spain in July 1989. Altogether, 'The Faith Tour' consisted of 109 concerts spanning 16 countries.
1988/1989 – Award wins
In February 1988, George won the award for Best British Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards. George also won the Album of the Year award at the 1989 Grammy Awards in the same month. Then later in the year in September, George won the Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards, with Madonna presenting him with the gong. The accolade is presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to the music industry. George also won the Ivor Novello award for International Hit of the Year for 'Faith' in 1989, in addition to winning Songwriter of the Year.
1990 – George releases his second studio album
In September 1990, George released his second studio album, called 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1'. The album spawned the singles 'Praying for Time', 'Waiting For That Day', 'Freedom! '90' 'Heal the Pain' and 'Cowboys and Angels' and went on to win the Best British Album award at the 1991 BRIT Awards. 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1' topped the UK Chart and is certified 4x Platinum.
1991 – ‘Cover to Cover Tour’
From January to October 1991, George went on his second tour, called the 'Cover to Cover Tour'. The show consisted of 30 shows, starting in Birmingham in January 1991 and concluding in Maryland, United States in October. The shows saw George sing covers of some of his favourite songs, which included a duet of 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' with Elton John at Wembley Arena – which was released as a duet in November 1991. The duet topped the charts in the UK and US and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
1992 – Performance with Queen
George performed with Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, which was held at Wembley Stadium in April 1992. The concert was a tribute to Freddie and raised money for AIDS research. Queen and George performed 'Somebody To Love' and '39' together, whilst Queen, George and Lisa Stansfield all performed 'These Are the Days of Our Lives'. In 1993, the 'Five Live' EP was released, which featured tracks recorded by Queen, George and Lisa Stansfield at the tribute concert.
Speaking about the performance, George said: "It was probably the proudest moment for me of my career, because it was me living out a childhood fantasy, I suppose, to sing one of Freddie's songs in front of 80,000 people."
1996 – ‘Jesus to a Child’
George performed at the first MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony in November 1994, debuting the song 'Jesus to a Child'. The song was released in January 1996 and was the first song to be released from George's third studio album, 'Older'. Following George's death in 2016, Dame Esther Rantzen revealed that he had secretly donated all of the royalties from the song to Childline.
1996 – George releases his third studio album
George's third studio album 'Older' was released in May 1996. The album topped the UK Charts and is now certified 6x Platinum. 'Older' includes the singles 'Jesus to A Child', 'Fastlove', 'Spinning the Wheel', 'Older' / 'I Can't Make You Love Me', 'Star People '97' and 'You Have Been Loved' / 'The Strangest Thing '97'.
1997 – Award wins
George won the Best British Male award at the 1997 BRIT Awards. In the same year, he also won Songwriter of the Year and Most Performed Work for 'Fastlove' at the Ivor Novello Awards.
1998 – ‘Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael’
In November 1998, George released his first compilation album, called 'Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael'. The album consisted of 29 songs, and was split into two halves. The CD called 'For the Heart' was mostly made up of ballads, whilst 'For the Feet' included dance songs. Following George's sad death in 2016, his friend Geri Horner appeared on The One Show, where she revealed that all of the UK profits from the compilation album were given to the Terrence Higgins Trust, a HIV and sexual health charity. The album reached Number 1 on the UK Charts and is certified 9x Platinum.
1999 – George releases his first cover album
In December 1999, George released 'Songs from the Last Century', which was an album of cover songs – the only album of covers that George released in his career. Songs on the album included George's versions of 'Roxanne' by The Police and 'Miss Sarajevo' by U2, Brian Eno and Luciano Pavarotti. The album reached Number 2 on the UK Charts and is certified 2x Platinum.
2000 – ‘If I Told You That’ with Whitney Houston
In May 2000 Whitney Houston and George Michael released a duet of Whitney's song 'If I Told You That', with the duet the third single that was released from her greatest hits album 'Whitney: The Greatest Hits'. The song reached Number 9 on the UK Charts.
2002 – ‘Freeek!’
George released the single 'Freeek!' in March 2002. The song includes samples from 'Try Again' by Aaliyah, 'Breathe and Stop' by Q-Tip and 'N.T.' by Kool & The Gang. The song reached Number 7 on the UK Charts, topping the charts in Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
2004 – George releases his fifth studio album
George's fifth studio album 'Patience' was released in March 2004. The album featured singles including 'Amazing', 'Flawless (Go to the City)' and 'Freeek!' In the UK, 'Patience' reached Number 1 on the UK Charts and is now certified 2x Platinum.
2005 – Performance with Paul McCartney
At the Live 8 Concert in London's Hyde Park in July 2005, George delighted fans by joining Paul McCartney on stage. The pair performed The Beatles song 'Drive My Car' together.
2006 – George releases his second compilation album
In November 2006, George released his second compilation album, called 'Twenty Five'. The album celebrated 25 years of his music career and featured songs from George's solo career, in addition to some Wham! tracks. It reached Number 1 on the UK Charts and is certified 5x Platinum.
2006 – ’25 Live’ tour
George embarked on the '25 Live' tour in September 2006, which was his first tour in 15 years. Starting in Barcelona in September 2006 and finishing in Abu Dhabi in December 2008, the tour consisted of 106 concerts in 41 countries. George was the first artist to perform at the renovated Wembley Stadium in June 2007.
2008 – ‘December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)’
In December 2008, George released the Christmas single 'December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)' for free on his website. The track includes a sample from Frank Sinatra's 'The Christmas Waltz'. The song was then commercially released in December 2009, following George performing the track at The X Factor final in 2009. Following its release, it reached Number 14 on the UK Charts.
2011 – ‘True Faith’
In March 2011, George released a cover of the 1987 New Order song 'True Faith', to raise funds for Comic Relief. He also appeared on the Comic Relief TV fundraising show, taking part in Carpool Karaoke with James Corden – making him James' first ever Carpool Karaoke guest.
2011 – ‘You And I’
In April 2011, George released his cover of the 1972 Stevie Wonder song, 'You And I'. The cover was a gift to Prince William and Princess Kate for their wedding, with George encouraging those who downloaded it to donate money to The Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton Charitable Gift Fund.
2011-12 – ‘Symphonica’ tour
George embarked on the 'Symphonica' tour in August 2011, which was an orchestral concert tour. The tour started in Prague, Czech Republic in August 2011, but George sadly became ill with pneumonia whilst in Vienna, so had to cancel the rest of the tour in November that year. However, in March 2012, George then revealed that the tour was to continue later that year, subsequently going on to finish the shows in London and October.
2012 - London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony
George performed at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games in August 2012. Taking to the stage, George performed the tracks 'Freedom' and 'White Light' at the iconic event.
2014 – ‘Symphonica’ live album
George released the live album 'Symphonica' in March 2014, with his vocals having been recorded during his 'Symphonica' tour concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The album reached Number 1 on the UK Charts and is certified Gold.
2016 - Tributes pour in after George's sad passing
After George sadly died aged 53 on 25th December 2016, tributes poured in from fans and celebrities from around the world. Andrew Ridgeley said he was 'heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend.' Posting a tribute to George on Instagram, Sir Elton John wrote: '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.'
2017 – Posthumous release of ‘Fantasy’
In September 2017, a version of George's 1990 track 'Fantasy' was released, having been reworked by Nile Rogers. A music video was also released in October 2017.
2019 - Last Christmas film released
The romantic comedy Last Christmas was released in November 2019, starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. The film was named after the 1984 Wham! song and featured songs from Wham! and George Michael.
2021 – ‘Last Christmas’ reaches Number 1
After reaching Number 2 on the UK Charts when it was released in 1984, 'Last Christmas' topped the UK Charts on New Year's Day 2021 – 36 years after the song was released. Back in 1984, it was Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' that claimed the top spot. As reported by The Guardian, Andrew Ridgeley said at the time: "It is a fitting tribute to George's songwriting genius…he would have been immensely proud and utterly thrilled."
The song later finally became the Christmas Number 1 in 2023.
2022 – Freedom Uncut documentary film
In June 2022, the documentary film Freedom Uncut was released, which George had been working on before he died. In his final work, George reflected on his life, giving viewers access to memories and previously unseen footage and photographs.
2022 – Remastered version of ‘Older’
A remastered and expanded edition of George's 1996 album 'Older' was released in September 2022. The release consisted of the 'Older' album, 'Upper' disc and three bonus CDs which included remixes and recordings of tracks from 'Older'. It reached Number 2 on the UK Charts.
2023 – ‘Last Christmas’ finally becomes Christmas Number 1
39 years after its release, Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' was crowned the Christmas Number 1, topping the charts in December 2023. As reported by The Guardian, Andrew Ridgeley said: "George would be beside himself (that) after all of these years, (we've) finally obtained Christmas Number 1. Yog (George) said that he wrote 'Last Christmas' with the intention of writing a Christmas Number 1. It's mission accomplished!
"It was a huge disappointment to us both when it didn't reach Number 1 (in 1984) because, in our opinion, it was nailed-on. Thwarted for many years subsequent to that – the perennial bridesmaid – over recent years it seems it's become part of the fabric of Christmas for a lot of people."
2024 - 'Careless Whisper' EP
'Careless Whisper' was written by George Michael when he was just 17-years-old. The song went on to win the singer an Ivor Novello Award when he was 21, and has become a huge hit, through the decades. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song it will be re-issued as an EP including a previously unreleased live version of the song.
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