George Michael: A Life
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- Create Date：2022-06-13 00:51:40
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：James Gavin
- ISBN：1419747940
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Summary
The definitive biography of George Michael， offering an expansive look at the troubled life of the legendary singer， songwriter， and pop superstar
George Michael was an extravagantly gifted， openhearted soul singer whose work was both pained and smolderingly erotic。 He was a songwriter of true craft and substance， and his music swept the world， starting in the mid-1980s。 His fabricated image—that of a hypermacho sex god—loomed large in the pop culture of his day。 It also hid—for a time—the secret he fought against revealing: Michael was gay。 Soon his obsession with fame would start to backfire。 As one of the industry’s most privileged yet tortured men began to self-destruct， the press showed little sympathy。 George Michael: A Life explores the compelling story of a superstar whose struggles， as well as his songs， continue to touch fans all over the world。
Acclaimed music biographer James Gavin traces Michael’s metamorphosis from the shy and awkward Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou into the swaggering， dominant half of the leading British pop duo of the 1980s Wham！; he then details Michael’s sensational solo career and its subsequent unraveling。 With deep analysis of the creative process behind Michael’s albums， tours， and music videos， as well as interviews with hundreds of his friends and colleagues， George Michael: A Life is a probing， definitive portrait of a pop legend。
George Michael was an extravagantly gifted， openhearted soul singer whose work was both pained and smolderingly erotic。 He was a songwriter of true craft and substance， and his music swept the world， starting in the mid-1980s。 His fabricated image—that of a hypermacho sex god—loomed large in the pop culture of his day。 It also hid—for a time—the secret he fought against revealing: Michael was gay。 Soon his obsession with fame would start to backfire。 As one of the industry’s most privileged yet tortured men began to self-destruct， the press showed little sympathy。 George Michael: A Life explores the compelling story of a superstar whose struggles， as well as his songs， continue to touch fans all over the world。
Acclaimed music biographer James Gavin traces Michael’s metamorphosis from the shy and awkward Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou into the swaggering， dominant half of the leading British pop duo of the 1980s Wham！; he then details Michael’s sensational solo career and its subsequent unraveling。 With deep analysis of the creative process behind Michael’s albums， tours， and music videos， as well as interviews with hundreds of his friends and colleagues， George Michael: A Life is a probing， definitive portrait of a pop legend。
Reviews
Drea
，
I am a big George Michael fan - loved his music and stage presence and cried during the documentary about his life， Freedom。 I never saw him perform live but was always spellbound watching him on television。 This well-researched， well-written book about his life was captivating as it helped me understand his upbringing and how that formed many of the decisions he made in his life and what he chose to share about his personal life。 Addiction is heartbreaking and until reading this， I had no idea I am a big George Michael fan - loved his music and stage presence and cried during the documentary about his life， Freedom。 I never saw him perform live but was always spellbound watching him on television。 This well-researched， well-written book about his life was captivating as it helped me understand his upbringing and how that formed many of the decisions he made in his life and what he chose to share about his personal life。 Addiction is heartbreaking and until reading this， I had no idea he was in so deep and so ill。 What a loss to the world。 I loved reading this book and am so grateful to Abrams Press for the advanced copy。 。。。more
*TUDOR^QUEEN* （on hiatus）
，
First of all this book is over 500 pages and was a bit of a slog finally getting through it all。 When I reached the 80% mark it transitioned to End Notes and I was relieved。 This is not to say it wasn't a good book。。。it certainly was。 In its marketing blurb it says it is the "definitive biography" of George Michael。。。and I'm sure it is！ I get all warm， fuzzy and nostalgic when I think of George Michael's dreamy "Careless Whisper" undulating through my stereo back in the eighties when I was datin First of all this book is over 500 pages and was a bit of a slog finally getting through it all。 When I reached the 80% mark it transitioned to End Notes and I was relieved。 This is not to say it wasn't a good book。。。it certainly was。 In its marketing blurb it says it is the "definitive biography" of George Michael。。。and I'm sure it is！ I get all warm， fuzzy and nostalgic when I think of George Michael's dreamy "Careless Whisper" undulating through my stereo back in the eighties when I was dating my future husband and going to college。 I bought that single， and it's my favorite song of his。 I was on the fence about whether to read this because I'm just a casual fan， but because of his rather early， untimely and mystifying death， as well as his inner torture about revealing his sexuality- it intrigued me。 One of my favorite music videos and recordings is of George Michael and Elton John performing a duet of "Don't Let the Sun go Down on me" in concert。 I think George absolutely killed it and outsang Elton on this one！The book spans the total arc of his life from youth until his death and the public aftermath。 One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was how he met his future Wham！ musical partner， Andrew Ridgeley。 When George transferred to a new school at about the age of 12， he was at the stage of a very gawky appearance。 He wore thick， large glasses， had a unibrow， and dense hair that defied combing。 His pathetic stature prompted the teacher to ask the class for a volunteer to to look after "Georgios"。 The classmates were mystified when Andrew Ridgeley raised his hand。 Andrew was handsome in an androgynous way， with all the girls swooning over him。 He oozed with confidence and swagger and sometimes even wore a touch of makeup。 They seemed an odd couple， but Andrew became Georgios' mentor and they soon bonded over a shared love of music。A large swath of the book covers George's secret turmoil over his homosexuality。 His Greek Orthodox family sensed George's persuasions， but it was mostly swept under the table because it was a great taboo- especially with his father Jack。 His mother Lesley later confided her fears to George because his uncle was thought to have committed suicide because of his closeted homosexuality。 She sensed the same proclivities in George and his sensitive nature troubled her。 When his professional career in music took off， the record companies did not want George to reveal his sexuality; they wanted him to appeal to women and promote this lie in his music videos。 He dated an Asian woman named Kathy Jeung who appeared in the video for "I Want Your Sex"， and made sure that they appeared in public for publicity photos。 Regardless， he was constantly hounded in interviews about his rumored gay sexuality。 He was finally outed after getting caught in a compromising situation by an undercover policeman in a public bathroom in a London park。 George was a control freak about the recording process in the studio， as well as making music videos。 He often took over both mediums until it met his liking。 He grew disgusted with the publicity hounds and decided to not even appear in his own music videos， preferring to hire and orchestrate famous models to lip synch his songs。 He was addicted to various drugs and got into repeated car accidents where he would nod off at the wheel。 Often times he would get off with a slap on the wrist because of who he was， but there came a time when the law could no longer look away without repercussions。 I came away from this book realizing what a tortured soul this passionate singer was。 It wasn't a surprise that he died in such a way。。。he actually predicted his own untimely death。 He died on Christmas Day in 2016 under mysterious circumstances， found dead in his bed by his live in lover with whom he had purportedly argued with earlier。 This is certainly an all-encompassing study of this very talented singer/songwriter/performer。Thank you to the publisher Abrams Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley。 。。。more
Barbara Powell
，
As a teenager I， like billions of others around the world， fell in love with George Michael and his rebellious style and ways were the soundtrack to my youth so to have a look behind the facade was fascinating to me。 His relationships with people， both famous and not， we’re nothing short of tragic and heartbreaking to see how people took advantage of his generous spirit。 While I kind of felt this may have been a little too long， I understand why the author felt it necessary to go to minute detai As a teenager I， like billions of others around the world， fell in love with George Michael and his rebellious style and ways were the soundtrack to my youth so to have a look behind the facade was fascinating to me。 His relationships with people， both famous and not， we’re nothing short of tragic and heartbreaking to see how people took advantage of his generous spirit。 While I kind of felt this may have been a little too long， I understand why the author felt it necessary to go to minute details around some situations because they affected things later down the line， he seemed to just reinforce the fact that George was gay over and over。 Which， while I understand at the time was shocking to some， but it didn’t make up his complete personality and for the author to pound that fact over and over seemed a little trite and unnecessary。 That being said， looking behind the curtain at how he made music and moreso how he struggled when he couldn’t find any music in himself so he resorted to drugs and sex to ease his pain was so painful to read about。 He was consumed with self loathing and I had no idea and it just breaks my heart to think that someone so talented had no value of himself。 Thanks to Abrams Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Lisa Konet
，
I wasn't a huge George Michael fan but always jump at the chance when there is a musician biography to read。 I know Michael's popular songs， especially "Gotta have faith，" and there was a lot of emphasis on that cementing his musical career。 I liked learning more about his personal life and his addiction to drugs led to his death。 Gone too soon。The interesting parts of this: his dad was against him having a career in music， his flamboyant stage presence masked his shy personality， and that he wr I wasn't a huge George Michael fan but always jump at the chance when there is a musician biography to read。 I know Michael's popular songs， especially "Gotta have faith，" and there was a lot of emphasis on that cementing his musical career。 I liked learning more about his personal life and his addiction to drugs led to his death。 Gone too soon。The interesting parts of this: his dad was against him having a career in music， his flamboyant stage presence masked his shy personality， and that he wrote poetry。The bad parts: way too long to keep my interest and I became bored。Still a good biography if you are a fan。 Thanks to Netgalley， James Gavin and Abrams Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 6/28/22 。。。more
Carol Ormsby ochs
，
I enjoyed this ARC book， quite a bit。 Even though I’m not what one would call a fan， George was nonetheless part of my HS soundtrack。 You get the essence of that 80s-90s vibe here。 What you don’t get is the details one would want about George himself， though that’s not the fault of the author。 The book makes clear how private and modest George tended to be about his life。 The book is a little long and drags in bits， though I trust some of that will be handled by an editor before final print。 Geo I enjoyed this ARC book， quite a bit。 Even though I’m not what one would call a fan， George was nonetheless part of my HS soundtrack。 You get the essence of that 80s-90s vibe here。 What you don’t get is the details one would want about George himself， though that’s not the fault of the author。 The book makes clear how private and modest George tended to be about his life。 The book is a little long and drags in bits， though I trust some of that will be handled by an editor before final print。 George’s strong sense of family comes through， even though his relationship with his father was difficult。 The author doesn’t neglect to bring in details of the culture and heritage that effected George as well。 Additionally if you’re the fan who wants deep cut details about videos， wardrobe， mixes: It’s all here。 A worthwhile read about a gifted entertainer who struggled with his talent， demons， love and was gone too soon。 。。。more
Kristina
，
James Gavin's George Michael: A Life is an in depth biography， charting Michael's childhood through his rise in Wham！， his solo career， his complicated relationship with the music industry and press， through his latter years and early death。 At 500+ pages， the reader needs to be committed to the journey， as Gavin does not leave much out。 At times， periods in Michael's life can appear repetitive and unnecessary to explore outside of showing pattern of behaviors。 He was a complicated man who lived James Gavin's George Michael: A Life is an in depth biography， charting Michael's childhood through his rise in Wham！， his solo career， his complicated relationship with the music industry and press， through his latter years and early death。 At 500+ pages， the reader needs to be committed to the journey， as Gavin does not leave much out。 At times， periods in Michael's life can appear repetitive and unnecessary to explore outside of showing pattern of behaviors。 He was a complicated man who lived through a challenging period in both the music industry， changing attitudes towards homosexuality， and internet culture。 He had both successes and failures along these themes， which Gavin explores in depth。 It was depressing to read about his later life which I was not as familiar with- how he was insulated/enabled by close contacts， in a complicated relationship， and with rampant drug use and mental health complexities。 This biography was able to shade in a lot of unknowns that I had about Michael and provides an example of how one dealt with fame/celebrity in an ever-changing climate。 Thank you to Abrams Press via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review。 。。。more
Tracey Duncan
，
George Michael was an immensely talented singer and songwriter。 He died too early， as did so many in the entertainment business of his era。 In George Michael: A Life， James Gavin illustrates Michael’s vulnerability， self-consciousness， generosity， and humor， as well as his fear， anger， and the gnawing effects of the ever-present imposter syndrome many experience when constrained to be anything less than their true selves。 Gavin does a deep dive into Michael’s relationships， including those with George Michael was an immensely talented singer and songwriter。 He died too early， as did so many in the entertainment business of his era。 In George Michael: A Life， James Gavin illustrates Michael’s vulnerability， self-consciousness， generosity， and humor， as well as his fear， anger， and the gnawing effects of the ever-present imposter syndrome many experience when constrained to be anything less than their true selves。 Gavin does a deep dive into Michael’s relationships， including those with agents， management， and record companies， quoting from those who worked one-on-one with George Michael or knew him personally。 At times， the almost microscopic inspection of relationships and transactions bury the story of the man himself。 To the detriment of the storytelling， Gavin details every story， gossipy tidbit， nuance， and thought process。 For this reader， it was too long and repetitive with overlapping timelines， and there was simply too much reference to others’ memoirs about Michael。 I expect such a work to be well-researched and properly attributed， but I do not expect such a work to be a compilation of others’ writings on the same subject。 Gavin is known for meticulous research and highly detailed writing。 If you are looking for a very detailed account of George Michael’s life， this book might be right up your alley。 My thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Press publishers for an E-ARC in exchange for an independent review。 。。。more
Stella Kenton
，
Just want to know how or why reviews are being left for a book that won't release until June， 2022？ Just want to know how or why reviews are being left for a book that won't release until June， 2022？ 。。。more
Mardi
，
[review of uncorrected page proofs from NetGalley]Growing up in the 80s， I really was excited to read this book。 And then I tried to read this book。 I first downloaded this galley back in November 2021 but set it aside when I just could not get into it。 I went back to it earlier this year and， honestly， it's no better。 Clearly， it's exhaustively researched。 Gavin describes ad nauseum seemingly every recording session and tour。 I thought I was a fan but not that big a fan。 The description of maki [review of uncorrected page proofs from NetGalley]Growing up in the 80s， I really was excited to read this book。 And then I tried to read this book。 I first downloaded this galley back in November 2021 but set it aside when I just could not get into it。 I went back to it earlier this year and， honestly， it's no better。 Clearly， it's exhaustively researched。 Gavin describes ad nauseum seemingly every recording session and tour。 I thought I was a fan but not that big a fan。 The description of making the "Freedom '90" video with director David Fincher is a highlight。 However， most of the book is just unentertaining tedium。 This isn't the gossipy celebrity bio I would have appreciated。 I just did not have the attention for this much extraneous information and found myself nodding off several times。 Like Michael's life， the book left me feeling slightly depressed。 Unlike Michael's life， the book was far too long。 。。。more
Martin Maenza
，
This biography will be available everywhere on June 28， 2022。 I was given the opportunity to review an early galley from the publisher Abrams Press in exchange for an honest review。I will proudly admit that I have been a Wham！ fan from the get-go。 When their first singles started hitting the local college radio station in late 1982/early 1983， I was a high school senior。 I jumped on their first album Fantastic when it came out， and it quickly became part of the soundtrack of my college years （al This biography will be available everywhere on June 28， 2022。 I was given the opportunity to review an early galley from the publisher Abrams Press in exchange for an honest review。I will proudly admit that I have been a Wham！ fan from the get-go。 When their first singles started hitting the local college radio station in late 1982/early 1983， I was a high school senior。 I jumped on their first album Fantastic when it came out， and it quickly became part of the soundtrack of my college years （along with the next two as well）。 When the band broke up and George Michael went solo， Faith was a big part of my post-college nights of dancing。 However， when the music became less frequent in the 90's， I sort of dropped off as a listener。 I had not listened fully to his final few albums until very recently。This biography helped me understand why the music dropped off; the book goes into great detail on how miserable the singer was for decades。 George Michael slammed against numerous self-constructed barriers: struggles with his self-image， an overwhelming self-imposed high bar of success， the secret of his sexuality that he kept hidden from the public， and various self-destructive decisions relating to his career。 As the book details， the rampant drug use further added fuel to this career and life on fire。 All together， it is no surprise that he struggled with depression for most of his life。 He was the one of the biggest pop stars in the world; if only he had allowed himself to relish in the joy and happiness of it。 He truly was a tragic， tormented figure in the most Shakespearean of terms。If you are a fan of his music or if you have a strong general interest in popular music of the 80's and 90's， I would very much recommend this biography。 It is big （over 500 pages）， but it is also very thorough。 It covers every aspect of his music and his life in excruciating detail。 。。。more
Valerity （Val）
，
Such an exhaustive coverage of the life of George Michael， this book taught me much I hadn’t known about the singer/songwriter I listened to back in the day。 I had his Faith CD and had to keep replacing it as my younger relatives kept making it disappear。 It dives into his early life with a father who was against him going into music。 His friendship with Ridgeley and their various attempts at bands before eventually making it with Wham。 Also his solo career and the ever present search for love。 Such an exhaustive coverage of the life of George Michael， this book taught me much I hadn’t known about the singer/songwriter I listened to back in the day。 I had his Faith CD and had to keep replacing it as my younger relatives kept making it disappear。 It dives into his early life with a father who was against him going into music。 His friendship with Ridgeley and their various attempts at bands before eventually making it with Wham。 Also his solo career and the ever present search for love。 His sad later years and too early death are also covered。 His demons seemed to rule his life in many ways。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Janalyn Prude
，
Growing up I love George Michael。 No matter if he was with Wham or so， He was adorable and seem like the sweetest person。 And this book from James Gavin about George Michael， he didn’t come-off likable at all。 I know he had to to live in the closet and he eventually had a boyfriend with HIV， but a lot of his actions made him look like a spoiled baby。 It is always my policy never to take out my anger on those around me。 Clearly not George Michael。 And one chapter he would look selfless and giving Growing up I love George Michael。 No matter if he was with Wham or so， He was adorable and seem like the sweetest person。 And this book from James Gavin about George Michael， he didn’t come-off likable at all。 I know he had to to live in the closet and he eventually had a boyfriend with HIV， but a lot of his actions made him look like a spoiled baby。 It is always my policy never to take out my anger on those around me。 Clearly not George Michael。 And one chapter he would look selfless and giving when it came to children’s homes in HIV chowder， but another incentive he look like the most selfish grown up you could buy。 So I guess like everyone George Michael had his bad days。 I think James Gavin has a great book with the George Michael biography and I can’t wait to read more about this author。 I totally enjoyed his writing style and found myself not wanting to put the book down。 It seems to be well researched and I found out things I didn’t even think I wanted to know。 I received this book from NetGalley Shelf and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily。 Please forgive any grammatical or punctuational errors as I am blind and dictate most of my review but all of the opinions or my own。 #GayPride， #LGBTQ，#NickGalley 。。。more
DJ
，
In Gavin’s over 500-page tome， George Michael's dazzling artistry and rebel heart is ultimately overshadowed by a tabloid-like chronicle of addiction and excess。 This is unfortunate because Michael was an artist of rare complexity – both tortured and anchored by a poetic genius that laid bare his soul and garnered him legions of fans。 Michael’s shyness and insecurity are contextualized against the savagery of the music industry in the first part of the book。 For this examination， Gavin deserves In Gavin’s over 500-page tome， George Michael's dazzling artistry and rebel heart is ultimately overshadowed by a tabloid-like chronicle of addiction and excess。 This is unfortunate because Michael was an artist of rare complexity – both tortured and anchored by a poetic genius that laid bare his soul and garnered him legions of fans。 Michael’s shyness and insecurity are contextualized against the savagery of the music industry in the first part of the book。 For this examination， Gavin deserves credit。 Michael’s years as front man in Wham！ serve as backdrop to the evolution of his creativity and the stubborn perfectionist he would become。 But what we miss in this telling， is an evaluation of the musical bible Michael was creating – something he would refer to in his final interview as the “Red Line。” It was a transcendent artistic reckoning borne of deep pathos he would mine again and again and it would define his unique catalog of work from one metamorphosis to the next。 Michael’s ability to synthesize pop， rock， and soul， then merge them with his own lyrics created a unique sound unlike any of his contemporaries。 Plus， his beautiful， soulful voice could deliver the rockabilly funk of “I Want Your Sex” then transform into a poignant spiritual on “One More Try。” Few had the song-writing skill， nor chops， to turn out music of such contrasting dimension。 A huge part of that dimensionality owes its vigor to the fact Michael was a gay man who had spent years in the closet。 He’d meticulously created an alter ego of a “straight” man who could appeal to the masses – and it worked。 But， coddled by a vicious industry whose very existence depends on absurd levels of scrutiny， Michael had pinioned himself into an untenable position。 The era of AIDS unleashed a homophobia that was normalized through a lens of oppression and fear。 Michael was in the bullseye of this maelstrom and without doubt it had to both exhaust and terrify him。 But despite the constant scrutiny， the steadfast derision of the press， and associates and lovers who abused his generosity and vulnerability， Michael never stopped evolving and refused to be categorized。 Gavin unpacks some of the exhaustion， depression， and loneliness Michael suffered， but omits an intrinsic part of Michael’s legacy – his ability to reinvent himself and channel inspiration and grief into brilliant hooks and unforgettable choruses。 "Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1，" derided by critics when it first appeared， is now considered a classic tour de force – but Gavin barely mentions this。 Creatively， Michael never stood still and pushed those around him to keep up – at times provoking associates to anger and exasperation。 Hey， he was the boss after all。。。 Just days before the end of his life， he was in the studio， working。 The author abandons a more measured approach in the first part of the book to rehash a tabloid Hell in the second half。 Gavin rhapsodizes on escorts， gold-diggers， peevish lovers， and drug-fueled parties。 It’s what sells， apparently， and no doubt it will catapult the book to substantial sales。 Private email exchanges from drug dealers， deleted Twitter posts from vulgar gigolos， sensationalized tabloid articles， dubious forum gossip， and copious quotes from an ex-confident who sold private information about Michael to the tabloids because he “needed money，” plus numerous other annotations from acquaintances and session musicians， are presented verbatim – most in service to the fact Michael was desperately struggling with addiction。 The very thing Michael despised in life， the incessant scrutiny of the press and their relentless judgement of him， ends up superseding all else in Gavin’s biography。 Of course， addiction was a part of Michael’s life and it’s a tragedy that bears recounting， but not at the expense of the very thing that endeared him to millions – his transcendent talent and his refusal to compromise his artistic vision。As I wrote this， “Praying for Time” came on my play list and I marveled at the beauty of his voice， his ability to effortlessly interpret a lyric and deliver a tsunami of emotion on one delicate， gossamer note。 It is heartbreaking to think he was so unhappy despite being able to provide joy to so many。 And though Gavin charts the heartbreak and sadness， what is most sorely missing from this book is heart and soul。 For a legendary artist that journeyed through delirious highs and ruinous lows， whose vulnerability and pathos cast him as savior or Satan – depending on who was looking – and as someone who desperately strived for grace and beauty even in calamity， there is a perfunctory coldness to the narrative。 Yes， thorough research was conducted， but we never feel the author is trying to do much more with it than convey his sources’ insider perspective – and it sometimes reads as bitchy gossip。 Though in the epilogue Gavin concedes， Michael “Left his mark” on the cultural cataclysms of over three decades and provided gay artists with a conduit to pursue their endeavors openly， he also observes Michael suffered greatly for all his success。 Sadly， this is true。 Michael was vulnerable， guarded， frail， full of bravado， angel – and sometimes， demon。 He was messy， and in that caldron of tumult he unearthed a searing creativity that only now – after his passing – do we realize the beauty of。 George Michael’s legacy is his music – not his addictions。 This biography does little to advocate for that bounty。Many kind thanks to Abrams and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the ARC。 。。。more
Karen
，
To learn even more about one of my idols was heart wrenching， eye opening， and wonderful。 George Michael remains a loved person。 Pop culture and music itself are richer for him。 Details， storytelling， all bring him to life on these pages。
Christina
，
George Michael — or more precisely， Wham！ — was my first concert as a kid。 I had harbored a long-standing and passionate sixth-grade crush on George （whose full Greek name， Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou， I also knew）， and I was certain he would somehow see me in my lawn seat beside my father and our fates would intertwine。 （My father， who had mysteriously “volunteered” to take me to every George Michael concert of my childhood， had a lot more in common with George than I did， but I would not find George Michael — or more precisely， Wham！ — was my first concert as a kid。 I had harbored a long-standing and passionate sixth-grade crush on George （whose full Greek name， Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou， I also knew）， and I was certain he would somehow see me in my lawn seat beside my father and our fates would intertwine。 （My father， who had mysteriously “volunteered” to take me to every George Michael concert of my childhood， had a lot more in common with George than I did， but I would not find that out for twenty more years。）If my introduction seems personal， it is — and this book is too。 James Gavin does justice to the gifted， tortured， closeted， and magnetic life led by George Michael， with a very specific focus on what Michael’s life — and death — meant to the gay community。 At times heartbreaking to read， the through line of the book is both George’s immense talent and his darker side — George’s discomfort in his own beautiful skin， his self-destructive tendencies， his internalized homophobia， and his creative struggles。 The book also sensitively explores his latter day reckless behavior （there was one incident that particularly saddened me， in which he seemingly intentionally got into a car accident without a seatbelt）， his drug use， and the illnesses that finally claimed his life。I never really understood how George Michael died。 I remember my devastation and the series of weird tweets that preceded the event — both the tweets by George before his death and the ones that followed his death that were made and deleted by his boyfriend at the time。 This book takes a hard look at George’s final days and while an answer is never conclusively given， you get a good sense of the total picture。I recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved George Michael。 But more than that， I recommend it to gay men， and to anyone who has ever loved a gay man。 I think it will be particularly moving and enlightening for anyone who has ever been closeted or loved a closeted person。 It definitely was for me。A tough and heartbreaking read that does true justice to its incredible subject and also to the larger problem of homophobia in America， then and now — this is a beautiful and heartfelt work by James Gavin。Many thanks to Abrams Press and NetGalley for this five-star read。 。。。more
Christina
，
George Michael — or more precisely， Wham！ — was my first concert as a kid。 I had harbored a long-standing and passionate sixth-grade crush on George （whose full Greek name I also knew）， and I was certain he would somehow see me in my lawn seat beside my father and our fates would intertwine。 （My father， who had mysteriously “volunteered” to take me to every George Michael concert of my childhood， had a lot more in common with George than I did， but I would not find that out for twenty more years George Michael — or more precisely， Wham！ — was my first concert as a kid。 I had harbored a long-standing and passionate sixth-grade crush on George （whose full Greek name I also knew）， and I was certain he would somehow see me in my lawn seat beside my father and our fates would intertwine。 （My father， who had mysteriously “volunteered” to take me to every George Michael concert of my childhood， had a lot more in common with George than I did， but I would not find that out for twenty more years。）If my introduction seems personal， it is — and this book is too。 James Gavin does justice to the gifted， tortured， closeted， and magnetic life led by George Michael， with a very specific focus on what Michael’s life — and death — meant to the gay community。 At times heartbreaking to read， the through line of the book is both George’s immense talent and his darker side — George’s discomfort in his own beautiful skin， his self-destructive tendencies， his internalized homophobia， and his creative struggles。 The book also sensitively explores his latter day reckless behavior， his drug use， and the illnesses that finally claimed his life。I never really understood how George Michael died。 I remember my devastation and the series of weird tweets that preceded the event — both the tweets by George before his death and the ones that followed his death that were made and deleted by his boyfriend at the time。 This book takes a hard look at George’s final days and while an answer is never conclusively given， you get a good sense of the total picture。I recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved George Michael。 But more than that， I recommend it to gay men， and to anyone who has ever loved a gay man。 I think it will be particularly moving and enlightening for anyone who has ever been closeted or loved a closeted person。 It definitely was for me。A tough and heartbreaking read that does true justice to its incredible subject and also to the larger problem of homophobia in America， then and now — this is a beautiful and heartfelt work by James Gavin。Many thanks to Abrams Press and NetGalley for this five-star read。 。。。more
Kookie9200
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this bookLike most kids that grew up in the late 80s/90s， George Michael is a familiar figure to me。 。 Songs like Freedom 90， Father Figure， and Faith were part of the culture I grew up in。 His death in 2016 was yet another piece of my younger years chipping away。 Yet as well as I know the songs of George Michael， the man himself remained very much a mystery。 This book was an antidote for that。Though this is a long book， and some Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this bookLike most kids that grew up in the late 80s/90s， George Michael is a familiar figure to me。 。 Songs like Freedom 90， Father Figure， and Faith were part of the culture I grew up in。 His death in 2016 was yet another piece of my younger years chipping away。 Yet as well as I know the songs of George Michael， the man himself remained very much a mystery。 This book was an antidote for that。Though this is a long book， and somewhat of a slow read， it is fascinating。 Sometimes biographies can come across as boring or even judgemental， but this one is neither。 Clearly， George Michael didn't lead a happy life， and this book showed the good， bad， and even ugly parts of his upbringing， rise to fame， and last years。 It did so with a nonbiased or judgemental fashion that let the reader get all the information while humanizing a figure that had seen so much controversy in life。 。。。more
Kellie Reviews
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George Michael was not only talent， but HOT in every aspect。 #GeorgeMicahelALife #netgalleyFull Review https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=C4kF8。。。 George Michael was not only talent， but HOT in every aspect。 #GeorgeMicahelALife #netgalleyFull Review https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=C4kF8。。。 。。。more
Tom O’Leary
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James Gavin has written an exhaustive and yet astonishingly Illuminating biography of one of the great artist of the last 40 years， George Michael。 This wonderful book contains the depth and compassion for its subject that George Michael so richly deserves。 Michael’s recorded work has and will continue to stand the test of time。 His concerts and live performances will never be forgotten by his fans。 But the real legacy of George Michael may well be how unflaggingly charitable he was。 His compass James Gavin has written an exhaustive and yet astonishingly Illuminating biography of one of the great artist of the last 40 years， George Michael。 This wonderful book contains the depth and compassion for its subject that George Michael so richly deserves。 Michael’s recorded work has and will continue to stand the test of time。 His concerts and live performances will never be forgotten by his fans。 But the real legacy of George Michael may well be how unflaggingly charitable he was。 His compassion for others lives on in the charities he founded and the charities his estate continues to fund。 I worked for one of those charities， Project Angel Food in Los Angeles。 I know first hand how George Michael’s generosity has saved lives and made the world a better place。 God bless this artist。 God bless this amazing book。 Bravo a million times。 。。。more
Giulia
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If you are gen X like myself I think you will enjoy hearing the back story of George Michael and his life。 If you are younger or older， I still say read the book because a lot of what George suffered still applies today。 George was not a saint by any means and sometimes was a real pain in the neck and this book does not sugar coat his faults。 I definitely recommend the book for an un-white washed look at the star。 This is coming from an unabashed fan of Wham！ from the beginning-I loved the songs If you are gen X like myself I think you will enjoy hearing the back story of George Michael and his life。 If you are younger or older， I still say read the book because a lot of what George suffered still applies today。 George was not a saint by any means and sometimes was a real pain in the neck and this book does not sugar coat his faults。 I definitely recommend the book for an un-white washed look at the star。 This is coming from an unabashed fan of Wham！ from the beginning-I loved the songs， "Bad Boys" and "Young Guns" and have all the Wham！ and old George Michael cassettes。 It is a sad story which began with huge promise。 The biographer did a lot of research and is a very good writer in my opinion。。 I would read more James Gavin in the future。。 In any event， this is a kind of Greek tragedy 。。ironic that George had roots in Cyprus。 RIP Yorg。 Thank you to the publisher and Net galley for the chance to read and review 。。。more
Phillip Oliver
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George Michael came on the scene during the time I was coming out in college and I had a huge crush on him。 I followed his career during the earlier years and was perplexed when there were long lapses between his musical output in later years。 This comprehensive and well-researched book is illuminating and provides many answers about his life。 Beginning with his early childhood， his friendship with Andrew Ridgeley and the development of their group Wham！， the first surprise for me was the fact t George Michael came on the scene during the time I was coming out in college and I had a huge crush on him。 I followed his career during the earlier years and was perplexed when there were long lapses between his musical output in later years。 This comprehensive and well-researched book is illuminating and provides many answers about his life。 Beginning with his early childhood， his friendship with Andrew Ridgeley and the development of their group Wham！， the first surprise for me was the fact that he was immensely talented at singing and songwriting but his major goal was to simply become famous。 He achieved that goal quickly and ventured on to become a huge solo success。 However， Michael was never happy with his life and was so obsessed with controlling every detail of every project， he was never truly satisfied。 Part of his withdrawal dealt with the fact that he lived in the closet and could not envision a life of success by openly acknowledging his sexuality。His desire for popularity faded over the years and further heartbreak came when his first love died of AIDS。 Shortly after that， his beloved mother died of cancer。 The turning point in his career came with a devastating lawsuit against Sony Music。 Michael lost the case and the remainder of his work during his lifetime was sporadic （chiefly due to Michael's bullheadedness and not Sony）。 The culmination of all these events came with his arrest in a Los Angeles public restroom which effectively outed him。Michael's later years were clouded by drugs （he was an excessive pot smoker） and promiscuity。 There were multiple incidences of traffic violations， public intoxication and sexual indiscretions。 The book is an absorbing read and offers juicy details on Michael as well as some of the people he worked with （Aretha Franklin， Whitney Houston， Elton John， etc。）。 The author's details of how he worked and came up with his most popular songs is also quite fascinating。 Although the attempt at justifying George Michael as a gay icon is not convincing （to me， his long-time silence put a damper on that and even after he was outed， he continued to embody heterosexual characteristics in his videos and his personal life wasn't exactly admirable）， the book does an excellent job at capturing his life and his demons。 This one should go down as a definitive biography。 。。。more
Tara
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I was （well， still am） a huge Wham！ fan。 I followed George Michael's solo career to a point， so I was eager to read this account of his life。 I read Andrew Ridgeley's memoir when it came out as well。 This book broke my heart。 While I knew George Michael struggled with his addictions， this book went in depth to just how much。 Reading about his childhood， his quest to find love， while also trying to present an image of himself to the public， was sad yet intriguing。 It may be a little too long over I was （well， still am） a huge Wham！ fan。 I followed George Michael's solo career to a point， so I was eager to read this account of his life。 I read Andrew Ridgeley's memoir when it came out as well。 This book broke my heart。 While I knew George Michael struggled with his addictions， this book went in depth to just how much。 Reading about his childhood， his quest to find love， while also trying to present an image of himself to the public， was sad yet intriguing。 It may be a little too long overall， but fans and those looking for biographies on musicians will find the read interesting。Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Lea Columbus
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I would like to thank Netgalley and Abrams for the chance to read the ARC of this。 ok in exchange for a fair and honest review。 I really enjoyed this book 。 it is a thorough， comprehensive study of a complex man。It was obviously well researched and it is well written。I was a casual fan of Wham ， and was a little more appreciative of George Michael， the solo artist。 This book gave me a broader and deeper interest in him and his music。I learned a lot about his early days， his friends and his music I would like to thank Netgalley and Abrams for the chance to read the ARC of this。 ok in exchange for a fair and honest review。 I really enjoyed this book 。 it is a thorough， comprehensive study of a complex man。It was obviously well researched and it is well written。I was a casual fan of Wham ， and was a little more appreciative of George Michael， the solo artist。 This book gave me a broader and deeper interest in him and his music。I learned a lot about his early days， his friends and his musical beginnings。 His descent into drugs and alcohol is heartbreaking to read 。this is a no holds barred， warts and all biography and I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Diane
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James Gavin gives us a very personal and extremely detailed account of the life of George Michael。 Michael's rise to fame came during the years of extreme homophobia （especially among his Greek community）， AIDS， recreational drugs and the emergence of extreme paparazzi。 The complicated admiration， jealously and friendship he had with Elton John gives insight into many of the now famous performance the two gave to the world。 I was lucky enough to be at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium to witness one s James Gavin gives us a very personal and extremely detailed account of the life of George Michael。 Michael's rise to fame came during the years of extreme homophobia （especially among his Greek community）， AIDS， recreational drugs and the emergence of extreme paparazzi。 The complicated admiration， jealously and friendship he had with Elton John gives insight into many of the now famous performance the two gave to the world。 I was lucky enough to be at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium to witness one such performance first hand。 The stories in the book are as captivating as the sexy video and music that provided the backdrop to the formative years of many a youth。 HIs trust in others led him into some situations that were not truly in his best interests， but he sometimes followed with the same blind faith he demanded from others。 Scars were left by the loss of his one true love， his inability to live his life in light and truth without judgement and the business betrayals by those that he trusted。 The only improvement would be to have shortened the length of the book a bit。 Every studio session and performance is detailed。 Gavin could have left off a few of these stops。 A brilliant book revealing the heartbreak， insecurities and ambitions of one of the best artist of our time。 Fans of Wham ， George Michael。 and the music of the '80's and 90's will relish the behind the scenes stories。 。。。more
Laurie
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While there are plenty of facts， and the book is well-researched and thorough， there's no feeling in this book。 It's like reading a well-written Wikipedia page about George Michael instead of a thoughtful account of his life。 This is probably because the author doesn't have any real connection with the subject。 Overall， the book is interesting but dry。Thank you， NetGalley， for the ARC。 While there are plenty of facts， and the book is well-researched and thorough， there's no feeling in this book。 It's like reading a well-written Wikipedia page about George Michael instead of a thoughtful account of his life。 This is probably because the author doesn't have any real connection with the subject。 Overall， the book is interesting but dry。Thank you， NetGalley， for the ARC。 。。。more
Nicole Quattro
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Having been a George Michael fan since he first emerged on the pop scene with whim， I was excited to read his biography。 It was sad， though， to read of his continual internal conflict。 Despite all of the seeming success that he so desperately strove for， he never could achieve happiness。 His life was shaped by a strict Greek father who shunned homosexuality thus compelling George to stay closeted for decades。 The book focuses heavily on George Michael’s sexuality but I am assuming that was becau Having been a George Michael fan since he first emerged on the pop scene with whim， I was excited to read his biography。 It was sad， though， to read of his continual internal conflict。 Despite all of the seeming success that he so desperately strove for， he never could achieve happiness。 His life was shaped by a strict Greek father who shunned homosexuality thus compelling George to stay closeted for decades。 The book focuses heavily on George Michael’s sexuality but I am assuming that was because it played such a large role in his life。 When he died suddenly at age 53， I was saddened as so many other of his fans。 To read of his decades-long addiction and health crises aided me in understanding his death at a young age。 A compelling read for anyone who has appreciated the songwriting and music of George Michael。 。。。more
Katy The Sleepy Reader
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I chose this book as part of Non-fiction November。 I have been a George Michael fan for a long time and thought this might be an interesting read。 He was a talented， tortured man， who died too soon。 This book is written well， its very in-depth and through， going all the way back to his tumultuous childhood。 His surge into stardom and the aftermath of his coming out and his untimely death。 For me， this book was really slow。 It is intensely detailed and I found myself sometimes skimming the chapte I chose this book as part of Non-fiction November。 I have been a George Michael fan for a long time and thought this might be an interesting read。 He was a talented， tortured man， who died too soon。 This book is written well， its very in-depth and through， going all the way back to his tumultuous childhood。 His surge into stardom and the aftermath of his coming out and his untimely death。 For me， this book was really slow。 It is intensely detailed and I found myself sometimes skimming the chapters just to get to an interesting part。 Its fascinating to read about someone I grew up listening to。 Reading about his life， I felt sad and wondered if he was ever truly happy。 From the tone of this book， I'm guessing the answer is no。 This book is also a glimpse into the inner life of a man who craved love and privacy。 It just goes to show that you never truly know what is going on in someone's mind， especially someone in public view。 I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review。 Available June 28， 2022。If you are a fan of his or want to know more about his life and career this is a book you should pick up。 The author gives a detailed biography of a man that few really knew。 A man who was so undoubtedly unhappy。 He brought so much joy and happiness to those who listened to his music， I just wish he could have had that in his own life。 。。。more
Nicki - The Overflowing Bookcase
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As a teenager growing up falling in love with George Michael and using his music as an anthem of my youth his story behind the façade has always interested me。 Although this book was very slow moving and seemed to revolve solely around the fact that George was gay and had trouble coming to terms with it， it was also the undercurrent of a man so possessed with trying not to fail that he ended up isolated and afraid。 I had no idea that he struggled to keep writing and singing after the SONY debacl As a teenager growing up falling in love with George Michael and using his music as an anthem of my youth his story behind the façade has always interested me。 Although this book was very slow moving and seemed to revolve solely around the fact that George was gay and had trouble coming to terms with it， it was also the undercurrent of a man so possessed with trying not to fail that he ended up isolated and afraid。 I had no idea that he struggled to keep writing and singing after the SONY debacle and that up until the very end the drugs he was abusing played a huge role in his demise。 After reading this book I can now say that George Michael was a man filled with self hatred and consumed with the idea of failure。 Not something I would have felt with his otherwise。 。。。more
C。G。 Twiles
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I'm a Gen-X/MTV Gen kid and George Michael first came to my attention through his song Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go with Wham！ At the time， I was too young to understand its camp and humor and homage to the girl soul groups of the 60s。 It wasn't my favorite song， though if you watched MTV it was unavoidable。 I was also too young to have any real concept of gay or straight， but let's just say I sensed something was "different" here。 （As I did with Culture Club。 At that age， we'd ask ourselves "Was I'm a Gen-X/MTV Gen kid and George Michael first came to my attention through his song Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go with Wham！ At the time， I was too young to understand its camp and humor and homage to the girl soul groups of the 60s。 It wasn't my favorite song， though if you watched MTV it was unavoidable。 I was also too young to have any real concept of gay or straight， but let's just say I sensed something was "different" here。 （As I did with Culture Club。 At that age， we'd ask ourselves "Was Boy George a boy or girl？" Me and my friends honestly did not know， but we didn't care either。） The next time GM came on my radar was with his string of massive solo hits: Careless Whisper， Last Christmas， I'm Your Man （which all thought was written for famous virgin Brooke Shields， whom he was supposedly "dating"）， Father Figure， I Want Your Sex。。。 and mostly "Freedom 90" with its iconic video of the supermodels of the day。 （If you weren't there it's impossible to convey how famous these ladies were。）Then George basically fell off my radar。 In reading George Michael by James Gavin， I see why。。。 it was about this time that he sank from favor with US radio， though he remained quite famous in Britain。 While I vaguely remember him being caught cruising in a park or bathroom or something like that， I didn't follow him or read enough tabloid trash to have a full handle on the problems he was having at this time。 So it was quite sad and shocking for me to read in excruciating detail his long， slow， mostly self-inflicted demise with drugs and what appears to be a sex addiction that kept him relentlessly trolling for anonymous， drug-fueled sex， and at the height of AIDS， no less。Nor did I realize that GM was essentially a musical genius， writing most of his hit songs in his late teens and early 20s。 As a young gay man， how could he have written so convincingly of a blue collar hetero marriage gone wrong？ Yet he did in "Everything She Wants。" He also produced and arranged everything - all without any formal training。 It does not appear he took one vocal lesson yet could sing rings around just about anyone， and easily held his own with icons like Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston。What is also apparent in the book is the deep scars inflicted on him during his childhood by his Greek Orthodox homophobic father who only showed some pride in his son after he realized how much his son could buy for him。Sadly GM never got over the two loves of his life - partner Anselmo， and his mother。 These early deaths unfortunately sparked GM's downward spiral into massive drug usage and eventually his body gave out。 It's tragic that he spent the last years of his life hounded mercilessly by the UK's outrageously cruel tabloid media， and doing so many drugs that he was mostly out of it。 At times it was very hard to keep sympathetic to him as he crashed one car after another driving under the influence， and could have easily killed someone。 This was obviously a man in deep deep pain。 But he was intelligent and sensitive to know how much he was revered by millions。 And that is comforting to know。Do yourself a favor and if you are a GM fan， pick up this book。 。。。more
Christina Faris
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I have loved George Michael as long as I can remember so I was thrilled to be able to read this biography！ This was a long read so that made it a little difficult to get through， but I felt like it ewe very well researched and out together。 As a long time fan， parts of this book hurt my heart to learn that George clearly a tortured soul。 He was in a lot of pain but someone truly created beauty （in his music） out of the near-tragedy that was his life。 I hope he finally is at peace。Thank。you to Ne I have loved George Michael as long as I can remember so I was thrilled to be able to read this biography！ This was a long read so that made it a little difficult to get through， but I felt like it ewe very well researched and out together。 As a long time fan， parts of this book hurt my heart to learn that George clearly a tortured soul。 He was in a lot of pain but someone truly created beauty （in his music） out of the near-tragedy that was his life。 I hope he finally is at peace。Thank。you to NetGalley， the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this early！ It will be released in June 2022。 I will share this review to my Instagram blog （books_by_the_bottle） soon！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=George Michael: A Life
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=George Michael: A Life&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft