Magic Radio's Jim Davis unearths lost interview with George Michael

George would have turned 60 this weekend

Author: Emma DoddsPublished 23rd Jun 2023

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.

When Jim Met George...

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 Michael in 1987

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.

Tributes to George Michael outside his former home in an unofficial memorial garden in Highgate, London

How can I listen to When Jim Met George?

When Jim Met George will air on Sunday 25th June 2023 at 7pm.

Get to know our Magic Radio presenters:

Harriet Scott

Listen to Harriet Scott on Magic Radio Breakfast every weekday from 6am - 10am
Harriet joined Magic Radio in August 2015, entertaining us on-air with her warm and fun presenting style.
She got her start on the airwaves with her own show on student radio, going on to host a string of radio programmes, picking up awards along the way, and making a name for herself as one of the top radio presenters in the country. In September 2017, Harriet joined the Magic Breakfast Show.
Her list of celebrity interviews is pretty impressive – including George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Stevie Wonder and, a personal highlight, Kermit the Frog.
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Although her first taste of radio was when she was 8, as part of Timmy Mallet's Radio Oxford weekend show, the real break came when she worked at the legendary Radio Caroline (at Bristol dock) on the infamous 'Boat That Rocked' before moving to London and selling advertising and then writing articles for magazines including Elle, New Woman, Q and NME. Whilst trying to forge a path back to radio, Emma worked in the music business at Creation Records and then at Island Records with artists like U2, Tricky and PJ Harvey.
Emma joined BBC Radio 1 in 1998 and in April 2000 she co-presented the Sunday Surgery show, alongside Dr Mark Hamilton. The Sunday Surgery dealt with ground-breaking social and health issues for teenagers, including sex, drugs, poverty and crime. She won 4 Sony Awards for it and has been singled out as having saved lives through the show.
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Jim joined the Magic team in 2019 & is currently the host of the Weekend Evening show.
He has been presenting on the radio for over 25 years and loves his job! You may have heard Jim on several other stations over the years, but now he is proud to call Magic his home!
Jim is a huge dog lover and keen foodie. He is also an avid traveller (although he doesn't have a lot of spare time!) as you'll also find Jim presenting weekday mid-mornings on our sister station Mellow Magic (9am-12pm) as well as weekend lunchtimes on Magic At The Musicals (12pm-3pm).
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Jen went back to university as a mature student at 28 to pursue a career in radio. Working as a producer at various stations while studying, Jen also joined Nottingham Trent University's student radio station, Fly FM.
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There have been hundreds of celebrity interviews along the way with everyone from Rock n Roll Royalty, Literary Gods and the occasional Prime Minister too!
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Lynn Loves Sport ~ Marathons, Trampolining, Swimming and more recently you'll find her doing a Handstand on her Yoga Mat.
She drives a Vintage bright yellow VW Convertible Beetle called Tallullah!
Music is Lynn's first Love You can hear her on Magic radio Monday to Thursday evenings from 7 till 10pm and Sunday mornings at 10am on the Magic Request Show.

Now read:

Everything you need to know about Wham!

George Michael: From Wham! member to solo pop star

A collection of Elton John's biggest career moments

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