Magic Radio's Jim Davis unearths lost interview with George Michael
George would have turned 60 this weekend
There are many stories of George Michael's kindness - a simple Internet search will bring up an abundance of proof that, despite being a private person, he was an altruistic and generous man.
One such story comes from our very own Evenings presenter, Jim Davis. At the start of his career as a new presenter, Jim was lucky enough to meet one of his biggest idols - George. Although the interview was supposed to last 15 minutes with a focus on the then-new album 'Patience', more than 30 minutes later, Jim and George had covered everything from memories of Wham!, George's sexuality, his arrest in LA and "this new thing" called streaming.
Fast forward to 20 years on, Jim rediscovered a box of old minidiscs... One of which was the interview that he had recorded all those years ago. We are honoured to be playing these as a special show, When Jim Met George, on Magic at 7pm this Sunday (25th June) - what would have been George's 60th birthday.
Ahead of this Sunday's show, Jim has remembered - in his own words - those treasured moments that he shared with George all those years ago. This is a celebration and a trip down memory lane.
Jim Davis: "The day I met George Michael"
George Michael has been with us for most of our lives. Growing up with Wham! on the radio to his heartfelt solo ballads providing the soundtrack to our own relationship ups and downs. George was there, until he wasn’t.
In March 2004, I was offered a chance to interview him about his long-awaited new album 'Patience'. It had been eight years since his last studio album of original material. The delay (he later told me) was one of the reasons he’d chosen that title, to thank his fans for waiting so long!
I arrived at the Landmark Hotel in London and sat nervously in the lounge area of his suite, waiting for my turn to go through. I’d been a fan my whole life and was about to meet an idol. I’d prepared well for the interview but still didn’t know what to expect.
George’s quiet philanthropy, his fierce loyalty to his friends and family, and his astonishing work ethic all went ignored by the media. Instead, they chose to circle him and hound him for the scandal and salacious gossip instead. Who was I about to meet?
George immediately broke the ice by saying he needed to pee. He walked into the en-suite bathroom and shouted, ‘I’m closing the door so you can’t hear me!’ I chuckled and immediately relaxed. Even superstars need to pee!
The interview began. We talked about the new album, Wham!, the ‘incident’ in LA, coming to terms with being gay and living openly. We discussed his ambitions for his music, his family - and even this odd new thing called ‘streaming’.
At one point, having been warned I only had ‘15 mins’ with him, I became aware I was over running. I turned to Bob who was sat carefully listening to our conversation, and he ushered me to wrap up asap. George immediately intervened and said, “I’m in no hurry. This is a game we play. Bob says finish, I say carry on, and then you like me more!” We spoke for almost 40 minutes.
He was open, honest, generous with his thoughts and opinions and an absolute joy to talk to.
George had recently turned 40 when we met. This weekend would have been his 60th birthday. Having unearthed the audio from my personal archive, I felt it was worth hearing again. Now almost 20 years after it was recorded you can, this Sunday evening at 7pm on Magic Radio.
How can I listen to When Jim Met George?
When Jim Met George will air on Sunday 25th June 2023 at 7pm.
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