George Michael
- Profession: Musician
- Place/Date of Birth: Finchley, 25 June 2020
"I know I have a very self-destructive tendency since my mother died, I have got to be honest."
George kicks off European tour - May 18 2007
George Michael will kick off his European tour tonight with a show in Denmark.
The star is playing at the Aarhus Stadium - three weeks before he becomes the first artist to play at the new Wembley Stadium in London.
The UK leg of his 25 Live 2007 Tour will also take in Manchester, Glasgow, Plymouth and Norwich.
He is also set to visit France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Holland and Hungary.
George has previously played several high-profile concerts at Wembley, including Live Aid in 1985 and the Wham! farewell concert with Andrew Ridgeley in 1986.
Earlier this month, the star said he was "very ashamed" as he pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs.
The 43-year-old singer admitted the charge on the first day of his trial at Brent Magistrates’ Court in north west London, saying he was guilty of the offence due to "tiredness and prescribed drugs".
The star was arrested in Cricklewood on October 1 last year after motorists reported a car obstructing the road at traffic lights.
Police found the singer slumped at the wheel of his Mercedes.
He was previously cautioned in the February for possessing cannabis after being found slumped in his car in the early hours of the morning near Hyde Park.
George admits drug-driving charge - May 8 2007
Pop star George Michael today pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs.
The 43-year-old singer admitted the charge on the first day of his trial at Brent Magistrates’ Court.
A further charge of being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drugs on October 1 last year was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Michael, whose birth name is George Panayiotou, appeared confused when entering his plea, claiming he was guilty due to "tiredness and prescribed drugs".
George, from north London, was arrested in Cricklewood last year after motorists reported a car obstructing the road at traffic lights.
The singer’s sentencing was adjourned to enable more blood tests to be carried out.
George told the court he was "very ashamed" of his drug-driving charge and that he had done something "very stupid".
He took the unusual step of speaking directly to the judge in open court today.
First he thanked District Judge Katherine Marshall. He said: "I have only been aware for the last 15 minutes that this was a possibility to address you in an open court.
"I just want to be as brief as possible.
"There are two reasons we are here today.
"I did something very stupid and I am very ashamed since doing it.
"I’m not used to defending myself in a position where I am ashamed of something.
Helena Bonham Carter
Hugh Laurie
Rachel Weisz
Faces in Fashion
Ricci Stoene
Sadie Frost
Musicians
DJ Jon Carter
Graham Coxon
Ms Dynamite
Writers & Artists
Amanda Craig
Features
Celeb Rehab
Keeping up with the WAGs...
Profiles: Film
Angelina Jolie
Keira Knightley
Tom Cruise
Profiles: Music
Britney Spears
Kylie Minogue
Madonna
Profiles: Fashion
Kate Moss
Naomi Campbell
Victoria Beckham
Win a flight to New York
Win a flight to New York
Win a return flight to New York and get paid for your opinions!
| Book local Hotels |  |
under £40 | |
from £40 to £60 | |
from £60 to £80 | |
from £80 to £100 | |
over £100 |
Michael had hit after hit with Wham! - Club Tropicana, Wham Rap, Wake me Up Before You Go Go all remain classics, featuring on every best of the eighties compilation going. Whilst in Wham! George had solo success with one of his most famous hits, Careless Whisper.
When the mighty Wham! split in 1986 Michael found he had to prove himself to music critics who thought he was just another flash in the pan boy band reject. He did it easily with hit after hit, a duet with Aretha Franklin and a blue eyed soul boy image. In the nineties he kept the good work up, duetting with Elton John on Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me and in 1992 was announced to be one of the richest men in the UK thanks to incredible record sales.
But in the mid to late nineties things started to turn sour with George’s record label, Sony and despite producing one of the most successful albums of the decade with Older, he left Sony to create his own label - Aegean Records. A year later George hit the headlines after being arrested for committing ’lewd acts’ in a public toilet (you all know that story), forcing the singer to come out publicly.
Many thought it would be the end of his career, but the master of reinvention hit back with arguably his finest single to date, Outside. The video for his hit single featured the cheeky Greek dressed as a policeman gyrating about a disco-balled toilet, a great two fingers up to the press and police who had outed him. George has since played up his gayness, recently telling the world about his ’open relationship’ with boyfriend Kenny Goss and his ’Vanilla’ tastes in sex. In between revealing all he has become increasingly political, releasing slated single Freeeek!, an anti Iraq war song and using interviews to champion the causes close to his heart.
The ex Wham! star remains a force to be reckoned with even after announcing that he is bowing out of the music business to release his recordings online for free. Good news for skint George Michael fans, not so much for the industry.
By Laura Walton
October 2007