George-Michael.com

Goodbye & Thank You!

2011-12-22T15:56:00.004-06:00

I guess it's tough, I guess I'm older

And everything must change

But all this cruelty and money instead of love

People, have we no shame?

It's so clear to me now

I've enough of these chains

Life is there for the taking

What kind of fool would remain in this cheap gilded cage

I've no memory of truth

But suddenly the audience is so cruel

I'm sorry

I think I'm through

I think I'm, I know I'm...

George Michael Symphonica UK Tour Dates To Be Postponed

2011-11-25T11:57:00.001-06:00

George Michael Symphonica UK Tour Dates To Be Postponed Nov 25

It’s with great sadness that GeorgeMichael.com must announce the postponement of the remaining dates on the Symphonica tour due to George’s on-going battle with pneumonia.

While George is receiving excellent medical care and is responding to treatment and slowly improving, to ensure his complete well-being, George’s doctors have advised that he cannot perform the rest of his Symphonica tour and that he instead takes a full and complete rest.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Zielinski, Chairman, Department of Medicine General Hospital - Medical University Vienna, Austria and Prof. Dr. Thomas Staudinger, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine have stated the following:

"George Michael has severe community acquired pneumonia and is being treated as an inpatient. His condition has stabilized and he is responding to treatment. From the current point of view, the time until recovery cannot be estimated, but he will not be able to perform the rest of the tour. Besides medical treatment, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory."
As a result, all of the UK dates of the Symphonica European tour will be postponed. George was very much looking forward to bringing his tour back home and performing for his loyal and dedicated UK fan base.

Discussions and preparations are currently under way in order to arrange the rescheduled dates and further announcements will be made at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, tickets holders are asked to retain their tickets.

Herning Interview (2011 - 08 - 29)

2011-08-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

George's Tribute to Amy Weinhouse in Prague

2011-08-24T22:22:00.002-05:00

Love Is A Losing Game

New Song: Where I Hope You Are

2011-08-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

For so long
There’s been no-one else I care about
That my heart could really be so wrong again
But it will

I had a picture in my soul
Some place warm where we could hang out when we’re old
Now it’s just – where I hope you are

These days, in so many, so many ways
My life gets bad for you
But your face when you look at me, look at me that way
Tears me in two

I had a picture, it’s not your fault
But the chair in the room where I get old
Now it’s just – where I hope you are

Oh, but there was a time
All I had to do was look at you
The world was mine
I’m telling you the world was mine

I’m so sorry
It’s like all of those deleted scenes you told me about
I’d pick them from the floor
Say, “Darlin’ show them all once more. For me.”

A child’s fears
For so many, so many years
The good life that??
But there’s no-one at the end of that smoking gun
Can’t you see your Mum and Dad just one more day

But it can happen, I’ve been told
Sometimes, babe, drunken? angels stumble home
Now it’s just where I hope you are

Oh, but there was a time
All I had to do was look at you
The world was mine
I’m telling you the world was mine

I’m so sorry
It’s like all of those deleted scenes you told me about
I’d pick them from the floor
Say, “Darlin’ show them all once more, for me.
For me.
For me.
For me.
For me”

I’m so sorry…

George Michael sheds a stone through drug counselling

2011-08-24T22:14:00.001-05:00

from Monsters & Critics
George Michael has revealed that entering drugs counselling has helped him lose more than a stone.

The 48-year-old singer served time in jail after crashing his car into the front of Snappy Snaps photo shop last year whilst under the influence of drugs. He said that after ten months of therapy he finally fits back in his clothes.

The Sun reported that at the opening show of his European tour in Prague he told fans, 'I've been in counselling for substance abuse for nearly ten months, and part of the advantage of that is I've dropped about 14 or 15lbs. All my old clothes fit me.

'I wouldn't say I'm looking in the mirror but it's definitely one of the advantages of being cleaner.'

Talking about his four-week jail spell, he added, 'I felt I had a bill to pay and I thought that prison was a logical conclusion to a very dark chapter.

'I wouldn't say it was a good experience, but it was a logical experience.

'Of course within a week, because there was barely anything else to do in there, I was back hooked on the nicotine.

'Now I'm trying not to smoke cigarettes - what I've found is tweeting gives me something to do.'

Prague Opera House cramps George Michael’s style

2011-08-22T16:45:00.000-05:00

from ceskapozice.cz

International pop star George Michael launches his first European tour in three years at Prague’s State Opera House on Monday night facing some technical hurdles to his new orchestral format.

The British pop idol’s Symphonica tour has some of Michael’s biggest hits over the last 30 years and favorites from other artists adapted to the orchestra. But the new orchestral version has apparently caused some headaches for the 700-seat Czech theater, which in the past hosted the likes of Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Enrico Caruso.

Former Wham! star Michael complains in a Twitter post that “most of the whole shebang I’ve put together for you doesn’t fit on the tiny stage.” “But hopefully what we lose in terms of staging we’ll gain in terms of intimacy,” he adds. Other venues include the massive O2 World hall in Berlin, Florence’s large Piazza Santa Croce, and London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Whatever the technical problems, Michael’s one-night Prague debut to a four-month tour finishing in London on December 17, with a last gasp one-off concert at the Palais Garnier, Paris, on April 29, 2012, is already a sell-out in spite of ticket prices starting at Kč 2,500 — around a tenth of the average Czech monthly wage.

One of the artists whom Michael will be paying tribute to on Monday night will be British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, who was found dead at her London home in July. In a Twitter post, Michael said he would perform one of her songs as a tribute.

He also admitted being very nervous ahead of the Prague debut performance because the show was so different to any he’d done before.

Michael made it big with a series of hits with the band Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s before he launched a solo career in 1987. He has sold around 100 million albums and his 25 worldwide tours so far have been visited by 1.3 million people.

George Michael tells audience separated from Kenny Goss 2 years ago: ‘It’s time to be honest’

2011-08-22T16:39:00.000-05:00

from The Washington Post

George Michael says he has split from long-term partner Kenny Goss, partly due to the fallout from Goss’s struggle with alcohol addiction.

The 48-year-old singer — appearing at the Prague State Opera House on the opening night of his “Symphonica” tour — told the audience Monday “Kenny and I haven’t been together for two and a half years.”

“My love life has has been a lot more turbulent than I’ve let on,” he said, dedicating a new song “Where I hope you are” to Goss. “This man has brought me a lot of joy and a lot of pain.”

Michael also honored the late Amy Winehouse, calling her the only British artist to have left him in awe during his 30-year musical career.

The former Wham! singer had previously denied allegations he and Goss had separated, but said Monday: “It’s time to be honest.”

George wows fans on first tour date

2011-08-22T16:36:00.000-05:00

from The Press Assoc.

George Michael wowed fans on the first date of his tour - and spoken of his troubled past.

Accompanied by a symphony orchestra, the star played a sell-out concert at the Prague State Opera House.

The intimate venue provided the backdrop for covers of My Baby Just Cares For Me and True Faith, the New Order classic which Michael recorded earlier this year for Comic Relief.

To loud cheers, Michael performed songs from his almost 30-year career, including Kissing a Fool and It Really Doesn't Matter, which he has never sung live before.

Michael welcomed the audience to "a very different evening with George Michael".

And he referred to his use of cannabis in the past, saying he once passed out on the phone to singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright while congratulating him on a new song.

"I was puffing and I passed out on the phone," he said, adding jokily: "I have no idea how that conversation ended."

There are currently 65 shows on the European leg of Symphonica - The Orchestral Tour, with 19 dates scheduled for Britain.

The first nine weeks will see him take in Spain, Germany, Italy and France before hitting British soil on October 25 for a performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

In the interview for the tour programme, the former Wham! star spoke of getting into trouble with the law, saying he deserved to be jailed last year for crashing his Range Rover after taking cannabis.

Setlist from Opening Night in Prague

2011-08-22T16:34:00.001-05:00

Based on text messages from tonight's show at the Prague State Opera House, the setlist was..

Through
My Baby Just Cares For Me
Cowboys & Angels
True Faith (New Order)
Let Her Down Easy (Terence Trent D'Arby)
Kissing A Fool
Going To A Town (Rufus Wainwright)
Roxanne (The Police)
It Doesn't Really Matter
Brother Can You Spare A Dime
Patience
John & Elvis Are Dead
Russian Roulette (Rihanna)
You Have Been Loved
You've Changed
Love Is A Losing Game (Amy Winehouse)
Where I Hope You Are (NEW SONG!)
Praying For Time
Amazing
I'm Your Man
Freedom '90
I Remember You

All Æccess Blog Launch!

2011-08-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

from the Official Site
The time has come: The first date on the Symphonica tour is this Monday in Prague so the long-awaited All Æccess blog has now officially launched! This blog will give you a look at life on the road with the Symphonica tour through the eyes of our very own correspondent, Lindsay. All Æccess is exclusively available to our Æccess members.

You can check out Lindsay's first post today and then be sure to come back next week to find out how the Prague State Opera House show went. We'll also be launching a photo blog soon and we'll be asking Æccess members to submit photos of their own Symphonica experiences.

Since this is exclusive content, the Æccess Only section of GeorgeMichael.com has now been locked. To enter this section of the site, you must log in.

For those of you who are interested in becoming a GeorgeMichael.com Æccess member, you can visit the GeorgeMichael.com Shop for more details.

George Michael reveals more about 'gay collective' dance album

2011-08-15T12:45:00.000-05:00

From NME
George Michael has spoken about the album he is planning to make with a "gay collective" of artists.

The singer, who is due to tour the UK in the winter with a 41 piece symphonic orchestra, had previously revealed that his next studio album would be made with a collective of gay artists, in an effort to "correct the damage" his recent behaviour had caused in "letting young gay kids down."

Now, revealing more about the record, Michael told NME: For this album I'm going to be working with either gay or gay friendly artists, and it'll be a mixture of tracks sung by me and others by young gay artists – possibly unknown ones. And I've lined up some really great dance producers to work on it too, so it'll be a pretty stunning record.

He continued:
I'll be 48 when the album comes out, but I have to say that gay men's relationship with dance music probably doesn’t end at the same time as straight people's does!
The singer has also recently spoken out about the phone hacking scandal, writing that he believes he had once "been under surveillance for several years" and that media mogul Rupert Murdoch had "tried to destroy him."

George: Amy Winehouse Was One Of The Greatest Singers Ever

2011-07-27T23:16:00.000-05:00

George Michael has paid tribute to Amy Winehouse, describing her as “the most soulful vocalist this country has ever seen”.

In a series of messages on Twitter, the singer urged Winehouse's record label to re-release her single 'Love Is A Losing Game' to show that she was also “one of the greatest singer songwriters of all time”.

He wrote: “It's a tragedy on two levels. Most important of course, the waste of such a young life and the pain of those who knew and loved her.

“But it's also a tragedy for all of us that we won't be hearing the exquisite music that she would have given us if fate had spared her life.”

Michael went on to express his condolences to Winehouse's family, who are gathering for her funeral today (July 26).

The singer was found dead at her flat in North London on July 23. She was 27.

George Performs at Elton John's Annual Event

2011-06-25T12:46:00.001-05:00

from Gather

George Michael treated stars, including Elizabeth Hurley and Matthew Morrison, to a dazzling performance at Sir Elton John's annual fundraising party, the White Tie and Tiara Ball, according to KOIN. The celebrities were gathered to enjoy the festivities and support the causes—a worthwhile pastime.

Michael, who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham!, is donating profits from his upcoming tour to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Online followers of the Faith hit maker were told he was "singing tonight with Elton at his White tie and Tiara fundraiser, auctioning tickets to the show at Covent Garden Opera House!"

The bash to benefit the charity took place at Sir Elton's estate in Windsor, England. It was also attended by Elizabeth Hurley's cricket player boyfriend, Shane Warne, Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh, and comedian David Williams. It's always good to see that the rich and famous think of helping the little people.

Also part of the festivities was an auction with prizes that included tickets to George Michael's London fundraising performance scheduled in November.

Keys makes a joke about Michael

2011-06-16T12:30:00.001-05:00

from the Belfast Telegraph

Alicia Keys couldn't resist joking about George Michael's no-show at her charity ball.

The British star was due to perform alongside the Grammy-winning singer at her Keep A Child Alive Black Ball, but had to drop out after being struck down with a tooth infection.

"I'm very disappointed. George Michael bailed on us. I think he said he had trouble parking or something," Alicia joked on stage, before launching into Freedom.

She was joined by Paloma Faith, Gossip's Beth Ditto and Boy George for the grand finale.

Earlier, Paloma - wearing a snakeskin-print dress with flamboyant feather headpiece and red heels - sang Stone Cold Sober and Upside Down, backed by Mark Ronson and his band The Business International.

The View frontman Kyle Falconer, Beth and Boy George also performed, before Alicia took to the stage to join Tinie Tempah on his No 1 hit, Written In The Stars. She then belted out her songs, Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart and Empire State Of Mind.

"The best thing about tonight is that we can feel good, and have fun together. I'm very proud of us," she said.

Alicia earlier revealed how motherhood had given her philanthropic work extra significance. "It is a big deal, because I think about all the children who don't have a mum," she said on the red carpet.

Over £177,000 was raised in an auction, in aid of Keep A Child Alive which Alicia founded to help African and Indian children affected by HIV/Aids.

A portrait of the young Michael Jackson by Los Angeles pop artist Thierry Guetta, fetched £26,000. Pass Out rapper Tempah bid up to £24,000, but was outbid. A day-long studio session with Ronson went for £20,000.

George Michael Disappoints The Orphans, Alicia Keys Calls Him Out!

2011-06-16T12:28:00.001-05:00

from Perez Hilton

Oh man! We feel like it really takes a lot to get on her bad side. You really effed up, G!

Last night, Alicia Keys hosted her annual Black Ball charity gala that helps raise money for orphaned children in Africa and India that are fighting HIV/AIDS. George Michael was poised to perform at the function, but at the last minute, bailed because of a toothache.

Alicia was not amused. She took to her Twitter shortly after the event ended for the evening, saying:

"One question…..what kind of person bails on 15million orphans…..#GEORGEMICHEAL???? ;-(.”

Um, the kind who can't find Orajel at their local pharmacy???

We kid, we kid. We know how painful a honest and true toothache can be. Still, he should make this up to her with a donation. It sounds like she's really put off and could use some reassurance that you care as much as she does. Get on that before she slams you some more!

George Michael Joins Alicia Keys' Black Ball

2011-05-31T23:50:00.001-05:00

from ContactMusic

George Michael has been added to Alicia Keyes' Keep a Child Alive Black Ball in London.

The 'Faith' hitmaker will star alongside Alicia, Tinie Tempah and Paloma Faith at the event on June 15, which will raise funds for the charity, which works to improve the life of families affected by AIDS.

Commenting on George's addition to the bill, Alicia said: "I've been a fan of George Michael for as long I can remember. He is a legend and an inspiration.

"I'm honoured that George has lent his voice to our Keep a Child Alive cause and I'm so excited that he's singing for us at the Black Ball in London. It's going to be an amazing night!"

George, 47, recently announced his return to live performance since 'retiring' in 2008, and will play across Europe backed by a symphony orchestra this summer.

Speaking of his return, he said: "More than anything it's such an amazing thing to watch the effect on my audience that an evening's entertainment has on them.

"It seems God wanted me to, he gave me the voice to do it and the stamina to do it at my age. I thought, it is the most positive experience I've had in the last 20 years, so why wait?"

The fourth annual Black Ball London will take place at the city's Roundhouse venue on June 15. For tickets or information visit http://www.keepachildalive.org/the-black-ball

George Michael Fans Crash Website In Ticket Frenzy

2011-05-20T23:53:00.000-05:00

from ContactMusic

Fans of George Michael were so determined to get their hands on tickets for his extra London tour dates when they went onsale on Friday (20May11), they caused the sales website to crash.

The Faith hitmaker is heading back out on the road for a series of European orchestral concerts, kicking off in Prague, Czech Republic, in August (11).

Michael announced the trek earlier this month (May11) and extra dates had to be added to the initial schedule to cope with demand.

His fans flocked to the web on Friday to buy tickets for his new Earls Court dates in London on 16 and 17 December (11) - prompting the site to crash.

A statement from organisers reads, "The system could not cope with the thousands and thousands of demands from fans desperate to snap up tickets for these Symphonica Shows and crashed. It is now back up and running for those who were not able to get through... and tickets are available to purchase for the people who were not successful at getting through at www.ticketmaster.co.uk."

Full video from the Symphonica press conference (pt.2)

2011-05-12T12:34:00.000-05:00

George Michael Touring Again

2011-05-11T13:24:00.003-05:00

from ITN

George Michael announces orchestral tour

2011-05-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

from the Press Assoc.

Singer George Michael is to return to live performance with a 47-date tour of Europe that will see him accompanied by a symphony orchestra.

Click here to see the video.

George Michael on changing his musical style

2011-05-11T13:21:00.001-05:00

from the BBC

Singer George Michael is to return to live performance with a 47 date tour of Europe that will see him accompanied by a symphony orchestra.

Symphonica: The Orchestral Tour will begin in Prague in the Czech Republic on 22 August and include 12 dates in the UK at the end of October.

To watch the video Click Here

George Michael: 'I want to be a better role model'

2011-05-11T13:18:00.001-05:00

from the BBC

Singer George Michael is to return to live performance with a 47 date tour of Europe that will see him accompanied by a symphony orchestra.

During a press conference he expressed his desire to become a better role model to his fans.

Watch the video here.

Tour Dates to be Announced Wed. May 11th!

2011-05-06T10:28:00.000-05:00

Just got word from George on Twitter that the 2011 tour dates will be announced next Wednesday. The shows were originally scheduled to be in smaller, more intimate venues... but have now been upgraded to arenas to accomodate the masses.

Keep your eyes on this space for details and possible advance schedules.

George Unveils Royal Wedding Song on CNN w/Piers Morgan

2011-04-16T22:18:00.000-05:00

George Covers Stevie Wonder for Will & Kate

2011-04-16T22:11:00.003-05:00

from the Official site

To celebrate The Royal Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton on April 29, George has covered Stevie Wonder’s romantic classic, “You and I”.

For a limited time, you can download a free MP3 of this song. George would like to encourage everyone who downloads this special track to make a contribution to The Prince William & Miss Catherine Middleton Charitable Gift Fund. To learn more or to make a donation, please visit the official site.

Kate Middleton and Prince William Getting a Song from George Michael, Sympathy from Emma Watson

2011-04-12T23:12:00.003-05:00

from E! Online

George Michael once refused a Christmas request made by Prince William, when the royal was just 8 years old.

Sounds like he's trying to make up for it now.

The "Faith" singer tweeted on Sunday that he'd been "thinking about Will and Kate," and recounted the incident when young William asked him to sing with "Uncle Elton [John]" at a Kensington Palace Christmas party. But Michael said he was "too shy" to perform in such an intimate setting.

"So I said no...it was excruciating, his little Xmas smile disappeared, but the only people I knew in the room were Diana and Elton!"

He later tweeted: "So I bloody said no to the future king of my country..."

So now the singer is working on a very personal "wedding pressie" to William and his bride-to-be Kate Middleton: a song recorded just for them. Michael said that he's not angling for an invite, but singing because he's happy for them.

Rejecting his own songs as "too sad," Michael asked his Twitter followers to send him cover song suggestions.

"Remember twitterville, this has got to be a romantic, OPTIMISTIC song for two good poeple. Who happen to be royalty....:)" he wrote.

Yesterday Michael said he may have found the winner. He described it as a "beautiful song" that is a "perfect fit" for the duo and hopes to have it completed by the end of the week—barring TMI breaks.

Michael wrote, "I'm so happy for William, I only ever met him twice, but he was such a nice kid..."

Let's hope the Prince remembers the meeting with the pop star just as fondly.

Also giving her thoughts on royal-to-be Kate was Harry Potter star Emma Watson, who said she has sympathy for the future Queen of England.

"Poor girl, that must be an incredible amount of pressure," Watson said about the preparations for the big day in a recent interview. "I hope she's enjoying it. Must be intense."

The 20-year-old would know a thing or two about being closely scrutinized, as everything from her haircuts to schooling to her work as the face of Lancôme makes headlines.

New House Song & Tour Info

2011-03-24T12:38:00.002-05:00

From George's Twitter... (read from bottom to top)

- Just to clear it up, never said I was giving up, said it was the last ARENA tour people...which it was :)

- Must remember....if it's important, swear!

- Oh, I forgot to mention...I meant next fucking single and fucking exciting tour news ahead! ( can't believe I forgot...:)

- Full on house track, hope u are all ready....

- Have some amazing venues lined up, not your usual arena tour, something way more special...:)

- And finalising tour dates, details very soon!

- Hey everyone two things to titillate the loyal,just finished new single, Produced with @stereogamous.. called Every Other Lover In The World

George Michael: True Faith (official video)

2011-03-18T22:20:00.002-05:00

Smithy & George to the Rescue - Red Nose Day 2011 - BBC Comic Relief Night

2011-03-18T22:18:00.000-05:00

George Michael phones Loose Women

2011-03-18T22:14:00.001-05:00

George Michael Praises Spice Girls For Changing Music

2011-03-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

from Contact Music

George Michael has heaped praise on the Spice Girls for changing the music scene by encouraging more British females to break into the industry.

Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm rose to fame in the 1990s with their pop hits and "Girl Power" mantra.

And Michael insists the group has influenced today's music by inspiring young girls, such as British singers Adele and Jessie J, to become musicians.

He tells radio show In:Demand, "I know people don't take them seriously, but I think the Spice Girls changed the entire landscape and British music massively under-exploited female talent. These girls now that are out there are absolutely giving the Americans a run for their money, they come from that generation that ran around the playgrounds going 'girl power', and I think that's fantastic."

George Tweets to Quit the Cigs

2011-03-14T13:55:00.001-05:00

From the UK Press Association

George Michael has turned to Twitter to quit smoking.

The singer told Smooth Radio's Mark Goodier that he started smoking again after being sent to prison.

He said: "When they put you inside, they almost chuck nicotine at you and, having given up regular cigarettes many years ago, I found within a week I was hooked back on the nicotine.

"What I have found is that now I'm trying not to smoke cigarettes, the tweeting stops me from doing it because I've got something to do. Instead of having to have one of those plastic things in your hand that you suck on, I'm just tweeting to stop myself from smoking cigarettes now."

The star was released from prison in October after serving half of an eight-week sentence for drug-driving.

He was arrested three months earlier after being found slumped at the wheel of his Land Rover in Hampstead, north London.

The singer told Goodier he wanted to embark on a world tour and release a live album and a new studio album.

George will release his new single, a version of New Order's top five hit True Faith, later this month with profits going to Comic Relief.

He has previously given the profits from his single As with Mary J Blige to the charity, and appeared in a special Little Britain sketch.

George Michael Mocks 'Grumpy' Elton

2011-03-14T13:54:00.002-05:00

from Contact Music

George Michael thinks Sir Elton John is like a "grumpy" old woman.

The 'True Faith' singer - who duetted with the 'Rocket Man' hitmaker on 1991's 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' - accused the 63-year-old star of getting increasingly angry as he grows older, comparing him with a foul-mouthed grandmother from a British comedy sketch show.

George said: "We all earn the right to get a little more grumpy as we get older - but he's getting terribly close to Nan territory, you know the Nan from Catherine Tate."

However, the 47-year-old singer admitted that although he may not always see eye-to-eye to Elton, he will always respect him for being an inspiration.

He told Bauer Radio's In:Demand: "Elton can do no wrong because he did so much right for my life. He was one of my mentors in every way as a child who really wanted to write and sing.

"He will always have a special place regardless of our tiffs."

George - who recently admitted he has been free of drugs since serving four weeks of an eight-week prison sentence for driving under the influence of drugs last September - and Elton fell out after the 'Freedom' hitmaker criticised the star for trying to force him into seeking help for substance abuse problems.

Responding to Elton's urges for him to admit he has a problem, George said in 2009: "Elton will not be happy until I bang on his door in the middle of the night saying, 'Please, please, help me, Elton. Take me to rehab.' It's not going to happen."

Recent Twitter Pics from George

2011-03-09T12:18:00.000-06:00

If you have not already joined George on Twitter, make sure to ASAP! His account is @GeorgeMichael - Let's get him to a million followers. #GreekBlood

His house @ Xmas from the inside looking out

Maggie the Lab

What a nice backyard... I wonder how long it takes
George to mow the lawn?

So pretty.

Live from George's House...New demo track & video...

2011-03-09T12:06:00.000-06:00

Interview on Capital Radio with Johnny Vaughan March 9th

2011-03-09T11:42:00.000-06:00

Part 1

http://ondemandpopout.musicradio.com/station/1/audio/153289

Part 2

http://ondemandpopout.musicradio.com/station/1/audio/153290

Listen to this three-minute clip of "True Faith"

2011-03-07T12:22:00.002-06:00

Listen to this three-minute clip of George Michael's new single, "True Faith," available digitally on March 13 and physically on March 14! Visit the official George Michael website.

GM on Chris Evans Show (BBCRadio2 3/7 & 3/8) + preview of 'True Faith'

2011-03-07T11:18:00.006-06:00

George’s Call to The Wright Show

2011-03-07T11:10:00.004-06:00

GM: 'I deserved to be jailed for car crash'

2011-03-06T23:25:00.001-06:00

from NME

George Michael has claimed he deserved to be jailed last year after crashing his car into a London shop while high on cannabis.

The singer was sentenced to eight weeks behind bars and fined after crashing his Range Rover into a branch of Snappy Snaps in Hampstead on July 4.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving under the influence of cannabis in August, but was released after serving less than a month of his sentence.

Speaking to Chris Evans in an interview due to be broadcast on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show next week, Michael admitted to feeling "ashamed" over the incident, but believed he got the punishment he deserved.

"This was a hugely shameful thing to have done repeatedly. So karmically I felt like I had a bill to pay. I went to prison, I paid my bill," he said.

Michael also denied reports that he was distressed while locked up in Pentonville Prison, where he spent the first part of his sentence before being transferred to Highpoint open prison in Suffolk.

"Remarkably enough, I know people must think it was a really horrific experience - it's so much easier to take any form of punishment if you believe you actually deserve it, and I did," he added.

The full interview is due to be broadcast on Evans' show in two parts on Monday and Tuesday (March 7 and 8).

Meanwhile, the former Wham! singer is scheduled to release a cover of New Order's 1987 track 'True Faith' on March 13 in aid of Comic Relief.

Simon Cowell Wants Mariah Carey, George Michael and Paula Abdul as Judges For 'The X-Factor'Cowell

2011-03-04T13:38:00.000-06:00

from Rolling Stone

Simon Cowell has yet to make any decisions about who will join him as a judge on the American version of his X-Factor singing competition when it debuts on Fox in the fall, but the rumored candidates are among the biggest names in pop music. According to Reuters, Mariah Carey, George Michael, Jessica Simpson, and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls are all in the running.

In an interview with Access Hollywood, Cowell made it clear that he was not in a rush to make any decisions, though he has been in contact with Carey about the gig. Cowell also said that his former American Idol sparring partner Paula Abdul is in talks to reunite with him on the judges' panel of the new show.

George Michael Joins Twitter, Popular As Charlie Sheen?

2011-03-04T13:36:00.000-06:00

from TechLeash

Everyone is on Twitter, right? Well they are now, 47 year-old singer/songwriter, George Michael has jumped on the never-ending bandwagon. It was Charlie Sheen two days ago now, Michael. The question is, will he be as popular as Sheen? I doubt it very much, after all Sheen has broken a world record.

His Twitter handle: @GeorgeMichael – figures, he’s a singer and he’s Greek, pretty straight forward. His account hasn’t been verified yet. I’m taking the fact BBC Radio 1 and 2′s Jo Whiley is following him, he has less than 1,500 followers right now and it would appear his account has been active for just over an hour which is when his first tweet was published.

More and more celebrities are joining Twitter daily, many we are unaware of. The funniest thing, Michael’s first tweet:

Lol will I be as popular as @charIiesheen ?

I doubt it George.

Update: It would appear confusion exists to what account George Michael actually has.

Update 2: @GeorgeMichael has had his account verified and confirmed by Twitter.

George Michael releasing True Faith for Comic Relief

2011-03-02T10:11:00.001-06:00

from indieLONDON

George Michael has covered New Order’s True Faith for Comic Relief.

Arranged and produced by George Michael, the track was written by Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Hague who have also very kindly donated their proceeds to Comic Relief along with the publishers’ mechanical royalties.

The single, released through Aegean Records via Absolute Marketing & Distribution / Universal, will be available digitally on March 13 and physically on March 14 and both will also include an instrumental version of the track as a b-side.

At 12:01am on March 19 – after the True Faith official music video has been premiered for Comic Relief – the single and video will be available for purchase as a bundle exclusively through iTunes.

Red Nose Day is on Friday, March 18, go to www.rednoseday.com to find out more.

Comic Relief spends all the money raised by the public to give extremely poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa a helping hand to turn their lives around.

Commenting on the single by George Michael, Richard Curtis said: “Over the years, George has been the most tremendous supporter of Comic Relief. Out of the blue one year he gave us all the cash from the release of As, his single with Mary J Blige.

“Then he did a brilliant Little Britain ‘Lou and Andy’ sketch – which ended with the inevitable insult slung at him – “I don’t like him.”

“But most excitingly, he’s giving Comic Relief all the money from his new single, True Faith. It’s always so moving when people stick with us year after year – and we’re thrilled and delighted about the song, and the wonderful video that goes with it.

“We promise we’ll use every penny we make from it to save and change lives in Africa and all over the UK.”

Sydney's Georgeous George Michael Parties Day & Night

2011-01-14T10:52:00.002-06:00

from The Hearld Sun

SYDNEY'S newest adopted son George Michael has been back in town a fortnight and has wasted no time kicking up his heels, with the ex-Wham! singer seen taking in all of the city's daytime and nighttime delights.

Michael, said to be splitting his time between his plush Whale Beach pad and a luxury inner-city hotel, stunned onlookers at Justin Hemmes' Ivy bar on Saturday night by arriving with friends and partying up a storm.

But - not surprisingly - no photos please.

"He was really nice, just chilling out and obviously having a great time but it was clear he didn't want his photo taken," said one clubgoer.

"But he happily signed autographs which I thought was nice. He was very polite and happy to chat with locals just like a normal, everyday guy."

The singer spent part of the night in the ultra-exclusive, members-only Level Six bar - the epicentre for international guests like John Mayer, Lady Gaga and Usher. He then returned to the main arena to rub elbows with the hoi polloi, departed the club in the early hours of Sunday morning and was spotted waiting patiently for his driver, who finally arrived to whisk the star to his next destination.

Earlier in the week Michael was spied popping into an apartment in Potts Point for a private soiree and diners in a handful of restaurants in The Rocks were surprised to see him wandering around the harbour front, quietly taking in the sights.

News of the singer's Sydney holiday (his second in 12 months) sent a ripple around Surry Hills' Beresford Hotel on Sunday, with the mostly gay Sunday session crowd anticipating a visit from the recently-incarcerated pop singer.

Alas, there was no sign of George among the hordes that packed the rear beer garden.

Better luck next week.

George Michael’s Range Rover for sale

2011-01-14T10:50:00.000-06:00

from Small World
He crashed the £80,000 off-roader into an articulated lorry in August 2009 – only a few months after regaining his license following a two-year ban.

Eyewitnesses feared Michael, 47, had been seriously injured in the smash on the A34 in Berkshire but he emerged unscathed – although the luxury motor was written off.

He spent five hours at a police station being questioned on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol but was released without charge.

But despite being an insurance write-off, the 2007 Range Rover has undergone a drastic overhaul to look like a 2010 model.

It has been re-bodied, fitted with new wheels and suspension as part of a £15,000 project. Funky features include Freeview TV, Harmon Kardon sound system and a roaring 4.4-litre V8 engine.

The Range Rover, which now looks as good as new, is for sale through Nightingale Autos on the Auto Trader website for just £20,995.

Dealer David Nightingale said: ”It’s a rare opportunity to own a car owned by a world famous celebrity.

”It’s undergone a huge restoration project to look like a 2010 model and has been finished in the most sought-after colour – you won’t find another in Fuji white for less than £30,000.

”The car is for sale at a trade price and, considering its history, the new owner has the potential to make a lot of money on it.”

Serial motoring offender Michael is currently three-months into a FIVE-YEAR driving ban after crashing ANOTHER one of his Range Rovers into a photo-processing shop while under the influence of cannabis.

The singer was sentenced to eight-weeks in prison for the offence – the latest in a long line of run-ins with the police.

Multi-millionaire Michael wrote off his BMW in 2004 and in 2006 he was involved in FOUR separate motoring incidents – two crashes and two drug-related incidents.

George Michael could be American X Factor judge

2010-12-13T14:11:00.000-06:00

George Michael is being considered for judge's chair on American X Factor.

Show boss Simon Cowell, 51, believes that he could help the 'Careless Whisper' singer revive his career following his spell in jail earlier this year for drug driving.

Simon was located going into George's London home in November, sparking rumors they were on the brink of signing a new music and TV deal.

Now it has been revealed that Simon wants George, 47, to sit on the panel with him when he launches the X Factor in the US.

A source close to the music mogul said George would be ideal as he has a high profile in both the States and Britain.

"Simon has always been a huge fan of George's. His knowledge of the music industry is immense and he would be the perfect mentor for any up-and-coming artist," the Daily Star quoted him as saying.

Earlier, Cowell said that, "I won't be announcing the US X Factor line-up until January. No contracts have been signed yet. We are still in the discussion stages."

December Song 2010 Re-Release 2CD Set

2010-11-30T11:07:00.001-06:00

December Song [Dreamed Of Christmas] (2010 UK 2-CD single set - Following the enormous success of 'December Song' in 2009, with special edition versions selling out almost instantly making it one of the greatest Christmas singles of all time, George Michael will be re-releasing this national perennial hit as a special Xmas card featuring a personal message from George himself and including a new, re-illustrated video. MORE details to follow...). Released 13 December 2010

Cowell Planning Michael One-Off with Ross?

2010-11-03T10:26:00.004-05:00

from the Daily Mail

Simon Cowell and Jonathan Ross certainly made an unusual pair as they giggled like schoolchildren after meeting at George Michael's house.

But what appeared to just be a random evening together has now been revealed as the music mogul's first step in relaunching Ross and Michael's careers.

It has been claimed Cowell is planning to put together a one-off TV show which will see Michael give Ross an exclusive interview about his time in jail and his plans for the future.

A source told the Daily Mirror: 'Simon is a big fan of both of these guys. He thinks it's a shame they're no long front of the entertainment business - other than for all the wrong reasons.

'Basically, George will tell all, sing a few classics and remind people why he was a pop god, and Ross reclaims his crown as the man they all want to talk to. It will be a great one-off special.'

The television show is likely to be similar in format to ITV's current show Piers Morgan's Life Stories, which sees the former newspaper editor grill his guests about their most controversial issues.

And the one-off special will undoubtedly focus on Michael's career in recent years, as well as controversy surrounding his personal life.

The 47-year-old singer spent 28 days in prison last month for crashing his car while under the influence of drugs.

Michael served half of an eight-week sentence for crashing his Range Rover while high on cannabis.

Cowell's television show will also mark a return to the small screen for Ross, who has been absent from the television since leaving the BBC.

And, as well as starting a new chat show on ITV before Christmas, Ross's planned interview with Michael would undoubtedly restore faith in the presenter.

Things are apparently already going well in the initial plans for the interview, and Ross and Cowell certainly appeared to be having fun as they left Michael's home following their meeting.

An insider added to the Mirror: 'Simon and Jonathan were in hysterics.

'There is great chemistry between them all, and Simon has the full support of ITV, so the project looks like a real goer.'

WELCOME HOME GEORGE!

2010-10-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

OK folks, enough of all the tabloid bullshit. The man is home and ready to get back to work. Let's all wish him well and good luck on all future endevors. Time for an album Yog!

P.S. You have my number, gimme a call when you have a moment.

Video : Sky News : George Michael Arrives Home from Prison

2010-10-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

Freed George: 'I Just Want To Start Again'

2010-10-11T11:21:00.000-05:00

from Sky News HD

George Michael has said he will embark on a fresh start after his release from jail and hinted he is ready to step back into the limelight.

"Fantastic, it's a beautiful day," was the pop star's reaction to his freedom after serving half his sentence for driving and drug offences.

"Thank you to everybody that's supported me," he said, adding the well-wishers had been "quite inspirational" during his stretch behind bars.

Asked about his future plans, he told reporters "I just want to start again", before suggesting he was ready to return to public life.

"You're going to be seeing a lot more from me," he told the pack of paparazzi outside his house.

"I'm not going to be running away from you guys any more."

Michael headed back through the gate towards his home, before adding: "Oh, by the way, I've just thought of a really good song.

"It's gonna be nothing to do with prison."

The singer spent four weeks inside Highpoint in Suffolk after being transferred from Pentonville in north London.

He is returning to an apparently-contented household.

From outside his house, his partner Kenny Goss earlier told reporters: "I'm glad he's home. He's really happy and we're glad he's back."

Michael was jailed for eight weeks last month after whamming his Range Rover into the front of the Hampstead branch of Snappy Snaps while high on cannabis.

He was found slumped at the steering wheel after the crash in north London in July.

The 47-year-old, real name Georgios Panayiotou, admitted driving while unfit through drugs and possessing two cannabis joints when he appeared at London's Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on September 14.

Michael, who had been convicted of driving while on drugs previously, was told by District Judge John Perkins a jail sentence was the only option.

He was moved to the softer Category C prison from Pentonville last month.

Michael Taking Legal Action Over Prison Claims

2010-10-06T10:35:00.000-05:00

from Contact Music

Jailed GEORGE MICHAEL is taking legal action against editors of a British tabloid over reports alleging the singer has been boozing behind bars and was bullied by fellow inmates.

The Sunday Mirror published an article over the weekend (02-03Oct10) claiming the former Wham! star had been threatened by inmates at London's tough Pentonville jail, where he was sent last month (Sep10) to serve time for drug-related charges.

He has since been moved to Highpoint Prison in Suffolk, England, where editors at the newspaper alleged Michael had befriended a "violent robber", who was protecting him from the reported bullies.

They also claimed he had been drinking "prison hooch" to get drunk, before stripping off and walking around "completely naked".

But Michael has been left fuming by the report, and has instructed his legal team to take the publication's bosses to court.

In a statement released on Sunday (03Oct10), the star says, "Much as I would prefer to rise above the usual rubbish that I'm reading day after day about my time here in prison, I think it's only fair to my fans, family and friends to respond in some way, even though I will be home soon.

"Please believe me when I tell you that in the last three weeks there have been no tears, no anxiety, no bullying, in fact not so much as a sleepless night for me. On the contrary, I have been treated with kindness by fellow in-mates and prison staff alike and as far as I can tell, have received no special treatment of any kind whatsoever.

"Most of my days have been spent reading thousands of letters and postcards of incredible support from people around the world. I promise to repay their kindness with new music as soon as I possibly can, and as far as running around this place "naked" and "drunk" on "Hooch" with an inmate for a bodyguard, let's just say that the Sunday Mirror will be hearing from my lawyers very shortly. With Love always, George Michael."

The 55 year old was sentenced to eight weeks behind bars for possession of cannabis and driving under the influence of drugs following an accident in London in July (10), when he crashed into a shopfront near his home in the city.

GMFan Note : Evidently George has aged rapidly during the 3 weeks he has been locked-up... he's now 55! Also, it goes without saying... 'papers' like The Sun and The Mirror are tabloid trash, their stories are usually fabricated by C grade writters like Tony Parsons. The only reason I link to them is so true fans can see the bullshit that is being printed. As Public Enemy once said 'Dont Believe the Hype'. See ya in a week Yog!

George Michael Denies Special Treatment in Jail

2010-10-06T10:26:00.002-05:00

from Reuters

Jailed singer George Michael has denied newspaper reports that he is receiving special treatment while in prison for driving under the influence of drugs.

In a statement, the 47-year-old former Wham! frontman said he felt compelled to address what he called "the usual rubbish" reported in the press.

Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in jail last month following a car accident in London in July. He was also banned from driving for five years and fined.

The singer was told he would serve four weeks behind bars and spend the rest of his sentence on license.

"Much as I would prefer to rise above the usual rubbish that I'm reading day after day about my time here in prison, I think it's only fair to my fans, family and friends to respond in some way even though I will be home soon," he said.

"So please believe me when I tell you that in the last three weeks, there have been no tears, no anxiety, no bullying -- in fact, not so much as a sleepless night for me.

"On the contrary, I've been treated with kindness by fellow inmates and prison staff alike and, as far as I can tell, have received no special treatment of any kind whatsoever, unless, of course, some of the guys here are letting me win at the pool table.

The star behind hits including "Careless Whisper" and "Faith" also hinted he would return to the recording studio after years without releasing new material.

Michael has a history of drug and driving offences. He was banned from driving for two years in 2007 and sentenced to 100 hours of community service after admitting driving when unfit due to drugs.

In 2008 he apologized to fans after being arrested and cautioned by police for possession of drugs.

The Grammy award winner has sold an estimated 100 million albums as a solo artist.

Paul McCartney Writes To George Michael In Jail

2010-10-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

from RTT News

Paul McCartney has reportedly reached out to former Wham! frontman George Michael, who is currently serving an eight-week prison sentence on drug charges. Sources close to Michael say that the former Beatle wrote him an encouraging two-page letter.

"He got the letter on Monday and was really chuffed. Sir Paul said he would see him soon and told George to keep his chin up. The letter was two pages long and George read it over and over again," the source tells the Sun.

Michael was sentenced to jail time after he was found guilty of driving under the influence of marijuana. He crashed his SUV into the side of a camera shop in London's Hampstead neighborhood in July.

Michael had initially planned to fight the decision in the Blackfriar's Crown Court but has since given up on the appeal.

McCartney's letter may come as a showing of solidarity. He too served time for a marijuana arrest after being caught with the drug in Japan back in 1980.

Hulking Con is George Michael's 'Pen' Pal

2010-10-06T10:23:00.000-05:00

from the New York Post

George Michael doesn't have his freedom -- but he does have protection.

An inmate at the English prison where Michael is serving a DUI sentence has told the former Wham! singer "I'm Your Man" and appointed himself as his big-house bodyguard, it was reported yesterday.

Robert Bleach, a 6-foot-3 career criminal with a string of violent robberies on his rap sheet, has announced that if anyone threatens Michael, 47, he'll make sweet music on their skulls.

"He's one of the hardest men you're going to meet, but he's got a real sense of honor and pathologically hates bullies," one source told the Mirror newspaper in London.

George Michael "He took a liking to Michael instantly and told him that if anyone messed with him, then he could use his name to get them to back off."

A grateful Michael -- serving an eight-week sentence for crashing his car in London -- now wants to hire the 280-pound con as a real bodyguard, the source said.

A US-based representative for Michael didn't return messages yesterday.

George Michael Wins Support from Former Drug Dealer Howard Marks

2010-10-06T10:21:00.001-05:00

from the Telegraph

Although George Michael has assured his fans that he has been “treated with kindness” since he was imprisoned for driving under the influence of drugs, Howard Marks, the former drug dealer, who is the inspiration for the film Mr Nice, wonders if a custodial sentence was sensible.

Speaking at the West End opening of the film in which Rhys Ifans plays him, Marks said it was time to break the endless cycle of addiction followed by an offence followed by imprisonment.

“I think that treatment is better than prison,” said Marks, 65. Still, he believes that the 47-year-old pop star, who checked himself into rehab the day after he crashed his car under the influence of drugs, would be able to cope with prison.

“I think George will get on all right in jail actually,” he said. “He is a very popular guy and he is also a gentleman.”

George’s Jitters Over His Late Love

2010-09-24T20:59:00.003-05:00

from The Sun

JITTERY George Michael was kept waiting yesterday when his gay lover turned up late for his prison visit.

Kenny Goss missed the first 15 minutes of their two-hour meeting, leaving the banged-up singer, 47, sitting in his cell.

A source said: "George seemed really worried why Kenny hadn't turned up on time, but when he arrived they hugged."

Prison visitor Michelle Bond, who saw the star's reunion, said: "He was eating prawn cocktail crisps and drinking Diet Coke. He was smiling and laughing."

At the end of his visit, Kenny, 50, gave George a snap of the pair of them.

The star - jailed for drug-driving - was moved to Suffolk's category C Highpoint prison from London's Pentonville eight days ago.

But Michelle, of Chingford, Essex, warned: "The guys in there aren't happy at his VIP treatment. They have to earn the privilege to be in the good behaviour wing, but he went in straight off."

George is Self-Harm Risk, Jail Staff

2010-09-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

from The Sun

JAILED George Michael has been secretly logged as at risk of self-harm.

The warning was given to prison officers by court staff monitoring the pop idol moments after his conviction over a drug-fuelled car smash.

It will stay on his record for the rest of his stretch - even though he is now in a cushy open jail and is understood to have insisted he is NOT depressed.

Last night a source said: "A self-harm warning is typically added if a prisoner gives court security staff reason to fear for their state of mind.

"If Michael had told them he did not think he could cope with going to prison and showed signs of mental breakdown, then a self-harm and suicide alert would instantly be filed."

The warning came last week at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court, which heard how the ex-Wham! singer crashed his £80,000 Range Rover into a Snappy Snaps shop in Hampstead, North West London.

He was seen by medics within hours of arriving at Pentonville prison.

Michael, 47, spent three nights there before being switched to category C Highpoint jail near Newmarket, Suffolk, on Friday to serve out the remainder of his eight-week sentence.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on individual prisoners."

Feels Good... to be Free???

2010-09-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

A little bird just whispered in my ear, that a friend of ours might be out and about in 14 days time. The bird has a track record of being right. Fingers crossed.

George Moved to Category C Highpoint Prison

2010-09-19T23:35:00.002-05:00

from the BBC News

The singer previously pleaded guilty to driving under the influence Jailed pop star George Michael has been transferred to a softer Category C prison.

The former Wham! star was moved out of Pentonville Prison on Friday after abandoning plans to apply for bail.

The 47-year-old, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, moved to Highpoint Prison in Suffolk.

The singer was jailed on Tuesday for eight weeks after crashing his Range Rover while under the influence of cannabis.

Michael was found slumped at the wheel of a car after it smashed into a branch of Snappy Snaps photo store in Hampstead, north London, in July.

The singer admitted driving while unfit through drugs and possessing two cannabis cigarettes when he appeared at London's Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in August.

Michael, who had a previous conviction for the same offence, was told by District Judge John Perkins there was no option but jail.

On Friday, a bail application on his behalf was cancelled.

Michael is expected to serve four weeks in prison.

Pentonville Prison, where former inmates have included Oscar Wilde and fellow 1980s singer Boy George, houses close to 1,000 male convicts.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said the department did not discuss the movement of prisoners.

George Michael is A National Treasure, Despite the Funny Fags

2010-09-19T23:32:00.000-05:00

from the Guardian

Oh, but it is hard not to feel sorry for George Michael, isn't it?

Yes, his tendency to drive while under the influence of cannabis is potentially dangerous, but Michael isn't wilfully malicious. He never meant to cause anyone any harm; he never actually did cause anyone any harm. Indeed, you could argue that the Hampstead branch of Snappy Snaps, into which Michael rammed his car in July, has profited from an enhanced profile as a direct consequence, along with the entire chain. And he is so obviously ill-equipped – physically and emotionally – to spend eight weeks in clink.

Let's face it, George Michael occupies a special place in the hearts of the British public. We are enormously fond of him and we hate to see him hit bad times.

Our fondness is partly rooted in the fact that he has made some phenomenally good pop music. Michael peaked as a solo artist with 1987's Faith and you have to wonder how much his predilection for funny fags has affected him creatively.

But Wham! were a staggeringly good all-in pop proposition, easily one of the best this country has ever produced. They were cartoonishly pretty and upbeat, but also musically deft and inventive and lyrically inspired.

The unexpected chord change on the chorus of Last Christmas is a thing of great beauty; I could write entire theses on the homoerotic subtext of Young Guns, while Wham! Rap was every bit as subversively politically as anything Frankie Goes to Hollywood ever produced.

Beyond the music, we are deeply fond of Michael as a long-term feature of the celebrity landscape.

For a formerly closeted gay man, he has pursued life in an unapologetic and shame-free manner for the last 15 years.

You get no sense that he ever bothers trying to hide anything from us, in the manner of other, more suppressed and suppressing celebs.

He does and says ill-advised things on a regular basis, sure; but he also holds his hands up to them, doesn't try and pretend they're indications of anything other than a somewhat inept approach to being alive. There's no tedious "journey" at play here, no pretence that he is striving to be better – just a sense that he is muddling on as best he can. Perhaps that's the only approach you can take, once you've been nabbed cottaging in Los Angeles by a passing cop.

For these reasons, we are truly, unconditionally fond of George Michael.

In illustration of which, he once nearly reversed a car into my goddaughter and her father as they walked through the streets of Highgate in north London.

George braked at the last minute and waved an apology out of his window.

Jon texted me the full details immediately. I responded: "George Michael nearly ran you over? You're so lucky…"

He texted back: "I know!"

We both meant it.

Tony Parsons Royal Douch Bag

2010-09-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

Royal Douch-Bag Tony Parsons

I usually dont go on the offensive, but after reading a few columns recently written by Tony Parsons (one time BARE co-scribe, and long time George hating asshole) I just had to logon and give it a rip.

Who the fuck is this guy, seriously? The other day he posted an 'open letter to George' in the Mirror (link) and today this absolute piece of shite (link).

Do you have no fucking compassion you two bit hack? Lets forget any sort of respect for the man... after all he did put a few quid in your pocket for ghost-writing that horrible auto-bio of his back in 1990.

I guess jumping on the 'let's fuck over George' bandwagon is working well for you. Getting printed-up in that all prestigious newspaper (The Mirror) must make you feel great about yourself. Hell, tabloid rag papers are the aspiration of every serious writer. What happened to you Tony??? ...you used to do some good work.

Ergh... I've had enough. If you see Tony Parsons in the street, let him know what you think. If any of you have his email address, forward it to me and I will post it here for you all to contact him directly.

George Michael Freedom Bid Is Cancelled

2010-09-17T11:45:00.004-05:00

from Sky News

A bail application on behalf of pop star George Michael has been cancelled.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the singer were due to apply for bail before a judge at Blackfriars Crown Court.

But a court spokeswoman said: "The bail application has been abandoned."

The 47-year-old, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, was jailed on Tuesday for eight weeks after crashing his Range Rover while high on cannabis.

He was found slumped at the wheel of the car after it smashed into a branch of Snappy Snaps in north London in July.

Michael, who has a previous conviction for the same offence, was told by District Judge John Perkins there was no option but jail.

The former Wham! star admitted driving while unfit through drugs and possessing two cannabis cigarettes when he appeared at London's Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court last month.

Prison Move for George Michael

2010-09-17T11:42:00.001-05:00

from the UKPA

Jailed pop star George Michael will be transferred to an open prison next week, a source said.

The 47-year-old, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, was jailed on Tuesday for eight weeks after crashing his Range Rover while high on cannabis.

The singer, who was taken to Pentonville Prison in north London, will be downgraded from a category C prisoner to category D and transferred to an open prison, a source said. It is understood the move will take place next week.

George Michael's 'Faith' Reissue Postponed

2010-09-17T11:37:00.003-05:00

from Billboard

The re-release of George Michael's classic album "Faith" has been postponed after the singer was jailed for driving while under the influence of drugs.

The remastered and extended "Faith" package had been due to hit stores in the United Kingdom on Sept. 27. No new release date has yet been announced, although Amazon's U.K. store now lists a Jan. 31, 2011 release date.

An official statement about the release is expected to be issued on Michael's Web site later today (Sept. 17), but a source within Sony Music denied tabloid reports that the label was distancing itself from the star, who is no longer under contract to Sony.

"We're very supportive of George," said the source. "'Faith' was a culturally important album for Sony Music and we want to do the right thing by him. He may not be signed to us any more but he'll remain important to us forever."

"Faith," initially released in 1987, was Michael's debut album as a solo artist. It hit No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic and went on to sell a reported 20 million copies worldwide.

Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in jail on Sept. 14 after pleading guilty to driving under the influence and possession of cannabis following a July 4 collision between his car and a Snappy Snaps store in north London.

George Michael to Appeal for Bail

2010-09-17T07:26:00.002-05:00

from the UKPA

Pop star George Michael is to appear in court via videolink to ask a judge for bail after being jailed for crashing his car in north London while high on cannabis.

The 47-year-old, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, was jailed for eight weeks on Tuesday after crashing his Range Rover.

He was found slumped at the wheel of his car after it smashed into a branch of Snappy Snaps in July.

Michael, who has a previous conviction for the same offence, was told by District Judge John Perkins there was no option but jail.

The former Wham! star admitted driving while unfit through drugs and possessing two cannabis cigarettes when he appeared at London's Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court last month.

The singer is listed to appear at Blackfriars Crown Court via video link from Pentonville Prison.

It is understood lawyers acting on his behalf will ask for bail for the singer while they appeal against his sentence.

Kenny Goss Manages A Smile As He Visits George In Prison For The First Time

2010-09-16T13:49:00.002-05:00

from The Mail On-line

He was last seen sobbing as he left the court after partner George Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in prison for crashing his car while high on cannabis.

But Kenny Goss seemed to be in a better mood today, even managing a smile as he visited Michael at Pentonville Prison.

Wearing a padded khaki jacket, black T-shirt and jeans, Goss looked calm and relaxed as he made his way into the facility where Michael has been held since Tuesday.

Managing a smile: Kenny Goss smiled for photographers as he arrived home after
visiting partner George Michael at Pentonville Prison

Goss's visit comes after he had an emotional minute-long phone call with Michael earlier this week, which saw the singer reduced to tears as he poured his heart out to his partner.

A source told the Sun newspaper: 'When he went to use a payphone in the communal area he was hunched over it, distraught and in tears.

'He was whispering and very emotional.'

Today was the first time Goss, who shares a £5million house in Highgate, North London, with Michael, has been allowed to see the singer as there was a 48 hour ban on visitors after his arrival at the prison.

Paying a visit: Goss was quick to visit Michael as soon as the 48-hour restriction on visitors was up

Chatting: Goss talked to some friends outside the prison before making his way inside

Since arriving at Pentonville Prison, Michael has been moved to a high-risk unit where he was kept in solitary confinement last night due to concerns about his safety among his fellow prisoners.

On his first morning behind bars, Michael was taunted by the prisoners, who sang versions of his hits Freedom and Faith.

A prison insider told The Mirror: 'George was locked up in his cell having breakfast when an inmate burst into song.

'He sang the lyrics to Freedom and a couple of others joined in. They then burst out laughing.'

Making his way in: Goss looked slightly apprehensive as he headed inside

Other prisoners chanted,'Guilty George has got no Freedom', to the tune of Careless Whisper.

Joao Sena, 36, who was released from Pentonville yesterday after serving three weeks for shoplifting, said the star had been strip-searched before being taken to the high-security wing.

He said: ‘He is in the G1 wing, which is for sex offenders and people who have committed serious crimes. Everyone was shouting. They said: “Where’s George Michael – bring George Michael.” Everyone was just cheering.

‘It’s not tough in there, but for someone who hasn’t been there before it can be hard.'

It is expected that Michael will serve approximately four weeks of his eight-week sentence.

Solitary confinement: Michael has been moved to a high-risk unit as officials are said to be concerned about his safety

George Michael`s Album Promotion Scrapped After Prison Sentence

2010-09-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

from Monsters & Critics

George Michael's planned promotion for the re-release of his album Faith has had to be scrapped after he was sent to prison.

The 47-year-old singer is currently serving time in Pentonville Prison in north London after a judge gave him an eight-week sentence for driving under the influence of cannabis and crashing his car into a building.

His music label Sony had planned a worldwide promotion ahead of the re-release of his album Faith, which is due out in the middle of his sentence on September 27.

A source said to UK newspaper Daily Mirror: 'They had set aside a large budget and wanted George to do a lot of work backing it up. They couldn't promote it after what happened in court.

'There's been a scramble to recoup all the effort and money that has gone into this.'

George Michael's Image Will Outlast Scandal

2010-09-15T10:29:00.001-05:00

from The Telegraph

So George Michael is in prison. It still seems an incredible notion, even though his tawdry recent progress across the tabloids and through the courts in a succession of sex, drugs and driving scandals has been there for all to witness. Somehow, he doesn’t quite belong in the pantheon of rock and roll outlaws, the desperados who fought the law (and the law won). Never even as provocatively transgressive as fellow eighties pop jailbird Boy George, Michael instead came to represent the very model of the blue eyed soul icon, an adult oriented pop star as smart as he was sexy, lustily healthy rather than debauched.

It is, astonishingly, 23 years since Michael’s solo debut 'Faith’ made him a global superstar. Released in 1987, the album somehow remains extremely resonant in pop culture. Sony was scheduled to reissue it in a deluxe remastered version at the end of this month, but have subsequently announced they are delaying that release to prevent it looking like a cynical attempt to capture some of the paparazzi glare of their fading star’s court appearance.

'Faith’ is an album and an image that still defines a certain kind of pop ideal. In leather jacket, ripped jeans, mirror shades and blow dried hair (as fixed in minds by the iconic video for the title track), Michael made the difficult transition from skinny teenybop idol with Wham! to adult star.

It sold over 20 million copies, spawning hits as striking as luscious, gospel tinted ballad 'Father Figure’, the acoustic flavoured updated rock and roll groove of Faith itself and the lean, Prince-like syncopated tease of 'I Want Your Sex’. There was melody in abundance, clever lyrics that hinted at emotional depths, and all delivered with a smooth, rich singing voice displaying a technical control more usually associated with the US than the UK. This near perfect balance of commercial and artistic instincts suggested a man in complete command of his talents and destiny. It is the kind of record Simon Cowell dreams of for his parade of talent show wannabes. Two decades on, and even after all the scandal, Michael is a star regularly namechecked and covered by TV hopefuls. Perhaps even more significantly, 'Faith’ is the benchmark for any pop star leaving the safety-in-numbers of a manufactured band to strike out on their own, from Robbie Williams (who, it might be recalled, launched his post Take That solo career singing Michael’s 'Freedom’) to Cheryl Cole. The difference between Michael and most of those that have followed in his wake is that he really was the architect of both music and image, writing his own songs, playing the instruments, overseeing artwork, sometimes directing his own videos.

There is a scale of talent on display many degrees greater than most who have tried to emulate his model.

No one in pop maintains that level of success forever, but it is hard not to link Michael’s commercial decline to his arrest in a Beverly Hills public toilet by an undercover policeman in 1998. There had been rumours and gossip but Michael somehow went through the glaring mega watt exposure of superstar fame while concealing his sexuality.

Since being “outed” as a homosexual, Michael has become outspoken on that subject and many others. There is a sense of overreaction to the kind of careful image control with which he created and nurtured his pop persona, so that now he conducts himself with an almost belligerent candour and an insistence that he will not allow celebrity to compromise how he wants to live. This has meant, apparently, smoking industrial quantities of dope. It has been a recipe for a kind of low rent disaster, with several arrests and lurid tabloid stories. What is baffling is that most of the scandals Michael has endured could have been avoided by employing a chauffeur. The fact that he never took such an obvious precaution is in keeping with his delusion that he can live free from either the attention or responsibilities that come with his position.

This kind of prison sentence is meant to serve as a wake up call to the individual, and he certainly needs to think about his behaviour as a responsible adult. But rather than being a public relations disaster, going to jail could draw a line under all the sleazy stories and provide the springboard for a comeback, with all the ingredients for a narrative of redemption. If he wanted to be redeemed, and if he wanted to come back. I’m not sure that he does. When I have met him, on brief occasions, he has struck me as self assured, self aware, confident, articulate, and content with his reduced status.

I am fairly sure he will continue to occasionally make interesting records.

But he’s 47 now, not a teenage wannabe desperate to mould his character for the pop market place. The image he established on Faith will outlast the scandal of his fall from grace, because it has become a pop prototype, capturing not just a moment in time, but a whole idea of how a modern star can create a look and sound that crosses all the bases, risqué without alienating the mainstream, sexy without being too trite or immature for adult audiences. Maybe, over the course of time, what happened to George Michael next will make this artfully constructed persona seem more interesting, rather than less. You’ve got to have faith, as the man himself might suggest.

Mark Wahlberg Reacts to George's Prison Sentence

2010-09-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

from ITN

George Michael Begins Drug-Drive Jail Sentence

2010-09-14T14:16:00.001-05:00

from The Independant

Pop star George Michael is starting an eight-week prison sentence tonight for crashing his Range Rover while high on cannabis.

The 47-year-old, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, was found slumped at the wheel of his car after it ploughed into a branch of Snappy Snaps in north London in July.

The former Wham! star admitted driving while unfit through drugs and possessing two cannabis cigarettes when he appeared at London's Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court last month.

Police who banged on the window found him "spaced out" and with no memory of what had happened.

Blood tests showed he had chemicals linked to cannabis in his system.

The singer sighed heavily as District Judge Perkins said he would serve four weeks in prison and spend the remainder on licence.

Michael was also banned from driving for five years and ordered to pay a £1,250 fine, £100 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

One fan sobbed in the public gallery as he was taken down from the dock by security guards.

Michael's guilty plea and remorse allowed District Judge Perkins to reduce the sentence, he said, but not to offer the community sentence requested by the defence.

Michael was arrested in Hampstead shortly before 4am on July 4 when two police officers found him apparently unconscious in his grey Range Rover in Rosslyn Hill.

When told he had crashed into a shop, he added: "No I didn't. I didn't crash into anything."

At Hampstead police station he failed a test to find whether he was fit to drive.

The musician admitted smoking a "small quantity" of cannabis about 10pm the previous evening and said he also took the anti-depressant Amitriptyline to help him sleep.

He told police he decided to drive between his homes in Highgate and Hampstead to meet a friend and forgot he had taken the sedative.

District Judge Perkins said: "You drove your motor vehicle about a mile while suffering from a severe impairment as a result of mixing not only a prescription treatment with which you were unfamiliar but also with cannabis.

"That's a dangerous and unpredictable mix and something which for you is dangerous given your record.

"It does not appear that you took proper steps to deal with what is clearly an addiction to cannabis.

"That's a mistake which puts you and, on this occasion, the public at risk."

The district judge said he took into account that Michael had checked into a clinic after the crash to seek help for anxiety, depression and insomnia, which had led him to depend on prescription drugs and had noted he was dealing with bereavement issues.

"I accept entirely that you have shown remorse for the offence, that you are ashamed of it, that you admitted it," he said, but added that "with regret" a jail term was inevitable because of Michael's previous conviction.

Michael's long-term partner Kenny Goss threw his head into his hands in despair at that point.

Mukul Chawla QC, mitigating, said Michael personally repaid the cost of the damage to the shop owner and had asked that his "profound shame and horror of having repeated the conduct of 2006" was made clear to the court.

"He acknowledges his actions of driving had the effect of causing other road users to be in danger and that stark fact is something about which he is greatly ashamed.

"The prospect he could have put anyone else in danger is an appalling prospect to him."

He said Michael had tried to turn his life around.

"For the first time in many years he has started writing again. His creativity, so long hampered by his drug dependence, is re-emerging."

Mr Chawla said Michael had tried to come off prescription drugs without professional help earlier this year but symptoms returned so he sought medical help and was given Amitriptyline.

Michael remained an outpatient at the rehab clinic, he added.

The singer, wearing a charcoal suit with a black tie, spoke only to confirm his name and address and to say he would prefer to be addressed by his stage name.

The jail sentence is the culmination of a long line of clashes with the law for the singer, who has been open about his use of cannabis and claimed in the past that he was trying to cut down.

Michael was banned from driving for two years and sentenced to 100 hours of community service after he was convicted of driving while unfit through drugs after he was found collapsed in his Mercedes in 2006.

He was cautioned twice in 2006 for possession of cannabis and cautioned for possession for crack cocaine and cannabis two years later.

He was fined for "engaging in a lewd act" in a California public toilet in 1998.

Fans gathered outside the court to get a glimpse of the star, screaming his name and trying to break through a barrier of 12 police officers as he arrived at court this afternoon.

One fan passed a good luck card for Michael to Mr Goss.

Shelly Williams, 41, from east London, sobbed from the public gallery as Michael was sentenced.

"I have been a fan for 26 years - that's longer than a marriage.

"I hope he continues with the process of making himself better."

Michael Jailed for 8 Weeks

2010-09-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

from the Wenn.com

George Michael has been jailed for eight weeks for driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis.

The former Wham! singer was warned last month that he faced a possible prison sentence after he admitted smoking dope before climbing behind the wheel of his Range Rover in the early hours of July 4.

He later crashed into a shopfront near his home in Hampstead, north London and was found dazed and confused in the vehicle by a passing police patrol.

Careless Whisper star Michael pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and driving under the influence of drugs, and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison by officials at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court in London on Tuesday. He was also fined $1,725.

District judge John Firkin told the star, "I accept that you have shown remorse over the offence and that you are ashamed of it", but added that to climb behind the wheel of his car having taking prescribed drugs and cannabis was, "dangerous and unpredictable, even more dangerous for you given your record."

Michael smiled in disbelief as the sentence was passed and he was led to the cells.

The singer was previously banned from driving for two years following his 2007 conviction for driving while unfit. A year later, he received an official police caution for possession of cannabis.

George Michael Jailed For Eight Weeks

2010-09-14T09:47:00.003-05:00

from Sky News HD

George Michael has been sentenced to eight weeks in jail after admitting crashing his Range Rover while under the influence of cannabis.

In the hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in London the singer was told he will spend four weeks in prison and the rest of the time on licence.

He was also banned from driving for five years and ordered to pay a £1,250 fine, £100 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

The 47-year-old sighed as District Judge John Perkins sentenced him and one fan sobbed as he was taken to the cells by prison guards.

Michael was told he had taken a "dangerous and unpredictable mix" of prescription drugs and cannabis.

Police found the singer, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, slumped at the wheel of his vehicle and "spaced out" after the accident on July 4.

At a court appearance last month, Michael pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and possessing two cannabis joints.

Michael was banned from driving as he already has a conviction over a similar charge from three years ago.

In the July incident, the singer was driving home in the early hours of the morning when he mounted the pavement and crashed into a Snappy Snaps shop in Hampstead, north London.

The store's windows were shattered and the yellow wooden panels of the shopfront were cracked.

Officers at the scene suspected the former Wham! star had taken drugs because he was sweating and had dilated pupils.

He was arrested and taken to Hampstead police station, where two joints were found on him.

A blood sample was taken and chemicals linked to cannabis were found in his system. He had not been drinking alcohol.

Michael apologised to fans soon after the incident via his website, saying he had attended a London clinic for a detox programme.

"Personal problems which I had tried to deal with myself had clearly got the better of me, and I am sorry that my pride has prevented me from seeking help before now," he wrote.

In May 2007, Michael admitted another charge of driving while unfit through drugs after police found his car obstructing traffic lights in Cricklewood, London.

In October 2006, he was convicted of the same charge after he was found collapsed in his Mercedes.

He has also been cautioned for drugs possession, questioned over several minor accidents and, famously, fined for "engaging in a lewd act" in a California public toilet.

George Michael Court Case – Outcome And Sentence

2010-09-14T09:16:00.000-05:00

from Remarkable's Buzzin' Blog

Today, at around 1.30pm, the singer George Michael arrived at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in London with a small entourage to be sentenced for his recent drug possession and drug driving offenses. Dressed soberly in a dark suit and tie, and with hair freshly dyed, George appeared anxious as he walked the short distance from his car to the court room. Nevertheless, he turned and waved to the fans waiting outside court to support him.

Due to his prior guilty plea at the magistrates’ court, the maximum sentence George faced was twelve months in jail. However, he must have been hoping that the fact he had voluntarily entered into a drug rehabilitation program prior to charges being brought, would enable him to escape a custodial sentence.

After a short meeting with his legal team in a private room, he entered the court room at 2pm to be sentenced. The expectation was that the hearing would be short. However, it took almost an hour before the district judge retired to consider his verdict. When he returned a short time later, the judge handed down a sentence of eight weeks in jail, and banned from driving for five years. The judge said, “I accept that you have shown remorse over the offense, and are ashamed of it.” He said, however, that he could not move from the sentencing guidelines for this offense.

George shook his head, and smiled in resignation, as the judge told the singer he would go to jail. He was immediately led away from the court by two security officers to begin his jail term. He likely to serve four weeks of the eight week sentence. A short time later, George’s partner Kenny Goss, emerged from the front entrance of the court in tears.

A Letter from George to His Fans...

2010-08-27T10:43:00.002-05:00

from the official site

My Dear Fans,

As usual I am overwhelmed by the support and genuine concern that so many of you around the world have expressed in recent weeks. I want to thank you all sincerely, and also to reassure those of you who worry so much for me. I fully appreciate the seriousness of my current situation, for which I truly apologise.

You will understand that it would be wrong of me to go into details before the court case has ended but I feel you should know that on the day after the incident I checked in to a clinic for a 14 day detox program here in London, which has been followed by ongoing outpatient drug counselling several times a week. Personal problems which I had tried to deal with myself had clearly got the better of me, and I am sorry that my pride has prevented me from seeking help before now.

I would also like to express my thanks to those whose discretion allowed me to begin this process in private, which has helped me greatly.

With love and my apologies,

George Michael

Video : George Michael Admits Drug-Driving Charges

2010-08-24T21:50:00.001-05:00

from The Showbiz 411
The former Wham! star has admitted crashing his car into a shop in Hampstead, London, while under the influence of cannabis.

George Michael Pleads Guilty to Drug Offenses

2010-08-24T21:44:00.000-05:00

from the Associated Press

LONDON — It was a slow-motion car crash — a handy metaphor for George Michael's career.

The multimillion-selling singer was warned Tuesday that he may face jail time after driving his car into a London photo shop while under the influence of drugs.

It was the latest in a string of bizarre automotive and drug-related mishaps that have raised fears for Michael's safety, but done little to dent the 47-year-old's iconic status, which endures more than two decades after he released his best-selling records.

Michael was mobbed by several dozen photographers Tuesday as he arrived at London's Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, where he admitted driving under the influence of drugs and possession of cannabis.

He was charged after plowing his Range Rover into a branch of Snappy Snaps in Hampstead, north London, in the wee hours of July 4. The dent in the wall is still visible, and someone has added one word of graffiti: Wham.

The car's engine was still running when police arrived, but Michael had to be roused, police said. They described Michael as appearing "spaced out."

"Mr. Michael looked at the officer with his eyes wide open and the officers could see his pupils were dilated," said prosecutor Penny Fergusson. "They opened the door and could see he was dripping with sweat."

Prosecutors said Michael acknowledged smoking marijuana and taking a prescription sedative.

The former Wham! lead singer, booked under his real name of Georgios Panayiotou, spoke only to confirm his identity and plead guilty to driving while unfit.

Judge Robin McPhee banned Michael from driving for six months, and warned he could face jail time when he is sentenced Sept. 14.

"It is a serious matter. Your driving was extremely poor and there was an accident," McPhee said, adding that Michael has already had one conviction. "I make it clear all options in respect of sentencing remain open, including powers to imprison."

Michael and cars have a checkered history. In February 2006, he was found slumped at the wheel of his car at London's busy Hyde Park Corner. That April, he hit three parked cars while trying to maneuver out of a parking space, and admitted being "a terrible driver."

In October 2006, he was found slumped over the wheel of his car, which was blocking an intersection. He pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and was sentenced to community service.

Last year, he was involved in a late-night crash with a truck outside London. Michael released a statement stressing he was "stone cold sober" at the time.

"The man could solve all his problems by getting a chauffeur," said Neil McCormick, rock critic for the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Michael has an acknowledged fondness for marijuana, and also said in a 2007 television interview that he was addicted to prescription drugs. At the time, he blamed his erratic behavior to an attention-seeking and "self-destructive" impulse brought on by the death of his mother a decade earlier.

None of it has dented his status as a musical icon — and a survivor.

Michael gained mega-stardom in his early 20s as half of Wham! and went on to a successful solo career. His first solo album, 1987's "Faith," has sold 20 million copies.

His sexuality became public in 1998 when he was arrested for lewd conduct in a public toilet in Los Angeles after being spotted by a male undercover police officer.

Michael went on to release a single and video, "Outside," that poked fun at his arrest.

His recent albums have not matched the sales of his early work, but his first tour in 15 years, in 2006, was a sellout.

At Tuesday's court appearance, the public gallery was filled with fans who shouted out "you're an inspiration" and "I love you" and asked for autographs as he left the courtroom.

McCormick said Michael's legacy as an artist, and an influence on other musicians, is secure.

"It's not only him who's not going to sell as many records as he did in the 80s — nobody's going to sell as many records as anybody did in the 80s," McCormick said.

"He seems incredibly together. He has a sense of humor, he looks pretty healthy and he has a good idea of himself, what he means and what his life is in this post-superstar fame world that drives people mad."

Tracklisti for Faith 'Remastered & Expanded'

2010-08-17T14:30:00.001-05:00

Disc 1 - Faith Remastered

Faith
Father Figure
I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 & 2)
One More Try
Hard Day
Hand To Mouth
Look At Your Hands
Monkey
Kissing A Fool
A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part 3)

Disc 2 - Remastered Bonus Tracks

Faith (Instrumental)
Fantasy
Hard Day (Shep Pettibone Mix)
I Believe When I Fall In Love
Kissing A Fool (Instrumental)
Love's In Need Of Love Today
Monkey (7" Edit)
Monkey (A Capella)
Monkey (Jam & Lewis Remix)

hmm... what does Fantasy and I Believe have to do with Faith????

Glee To Pay Tribute To George Michael

2010-08-16T22:27:00.002-05:00

from PopDash

George Michael, soul singer, spliff-smoker, cop-cottager and car-crasher extraordinare, will get the Glee treatment next season.

Just like Lady Gaga, Madonna and KISS, George's songs will be covered by the effervescent cast in the hit FOX series.

According to The Sun, bosses hope the show will "introduce a new generation of fans to his music".

But with some of his best hits being I Want Your Sex, Fast Love and Outside, which are pretty much about non-commital sexual liaisons with strangers on Hampstead Heath, will strait-laced Fox bosses allow his best songs to be covered in the show?

We really hope so, as we think post-Wham George Michael craps all over Wham George Michael. But we doubt it. At best, we expect the destruction of eternal tearjerker Careless Whisper.

Which George Michael songs would you like to hear on Glee?

Paul Mac Interview : Pick-Up Line Lures Michael

2010-08-13T22:38:00.000-05:00

AS BLIND dates go, it was a successful, if platonic, one. Sydney musician Paul Mac has been dabbling in the world of songwriting retreats, with his publisher sending him out on ‘‘ blind dates’’ with other writers.

It fits in between Mac reactivating his techno duo ItchE & Scratch-E, his remix project Stereogamous and a solo career. ‘‘ I’m spreading my wings as a songwriter,’’ says Mac, who will work on the next Potbelleez album. ‘‘ I don’t need to have my name up the front all the time. It’s nice to be part of the creative process and let it go.’’

One of those random pairings was with David Austin, George Michael’s long-time musical offsider and best friend who accompanied the superstar to Australia in January.

Austin and Mac hit it off musically – he invited George Michael to Mac HQ.

Before long Stereogamous (Mac’s duo with DJ Jonny Seymour) were working on the music played before Michael’s Australian tour. They have also been offered a chance to remix one of Michael’s classic hits. ‘‘ He’s also sent us a new song from his next record to work on,’’ Mac says.

‘‘ He does take five or six years to make an album, but that’s how he maintains quality control.

‘‘ It’s exciting to be part of the new blood he’s injecting into the project.’’

While Mac’s solo career spawned hits Just the Thing and The Sound of Breaking Up, he had hit a creative wall working on his next release.

‘‘ I’m always working on multiple projects because they feed energy into each other,’’ Mac says.

‘‘ Part of the reason for ItchE was because I was sick of what I was doing, which was beautiful but melancholy, gentle pop songs over dancey beats. I’d done two albums of that. Itch-E was a blast of steam to make some more pumpy electronic stuff.’’

George Charged With Being A Massive Stoner

2010-08-13T22:25:00.001-05:00

from Heckler Spray

Breaking news type of thing alert! George Michael has reportedly been charged with driving under the influence of drink and drugs. Honestly! He’s a one-man Cheech and Chong. We reckon he could smoke Method Man and Redman under a table. Probably.

The former Wham bar was also charged with possession of cannabis, reports Sky News. How many packets of Space Raiders do you think he goes through in a week?

Anyway, Michael was freed on bail following his arrest this morning and is due to appear before Highbury magistrates on August 24th. This is all because he had a slight accident when he crashed his car into a shop.

George 'Could be Jailed for 3mo Over DUI Charge'

2010-08-13T22:19:00.003-05:00

from The Mirror

George Michael could be jailed for up to three months if found guilty of driving while on drugs, legal experts said last night.

The troubled singer was charged yesterday and will appear before magistrates after his Range Rover smashed into a shop last month.

In addition to allegedly driving while unfit through drugs or drink, he is also accused of possessing cannabis after an investigation into the crash.

If he is convicted, it will be his third drug-related motoring offence - and traffic law experts warned he was at "serious risk" of being jailed.

Solicitor Ian Kelcey, of Kelcey and Hall, said: "It is quite possible a magistrate will take a view and say 'I consider that you are a risk to the public'.

"They will think 'You are in charge of a potential lethal weapon and you need to stop doing this'. A prison sentence would be a consideration especially if it is a third offence."

George, 47, was banned for two years in 2007 after being found unconscious at the wheel in north London.

And in 2006, he was cautioned for possession of cannabis after being found asleep in his car in central London. In the latest incident, he was arrested after losing control of his vehicle and hitting Snappy Snaps photography shop in Hampstead, north London, at 3.35am on July 4.

The impact buckled the shop door frame and shattered glass a few hours after the former Wham! star, real name George Panayiotou, attended London's Gay Pride event. Witnesses said he told police he had not been drinking but he was later drugs-tested.

A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed yesterday George had returned on police bail and was charged with both alleged offences.

He was released on police bail again to appear at Highbury Corner magistrates court on August 24.

Even if he avoids jail, George faces a road ban of up to five years and a heavy fine. Another possible punishment is community service, or sentencing could be deferred pending detailed reports into his drug issues.

George has never hidden his use of cannabis but has insisted he was "trying to smoke less".

He announced last year he had cut down from 25 joints a day to "seven or eight".

But friends including Sir Elton John have repeatedly urged him to seek help over his drugs habbit.

UNLUCKY NUMBER 7...

It is the SEVENTH time George Michael has been at the centre of a police investigation into his driving in the last six years.

May 2004: Wrote off his BMW convertible.
Feb 2006: Cautioned for possession of cannabis after being found asleep at the wheel.
April: Hit three parked cars in his Range Rover in North London.
May: Crashed into a bollard near his home after nodding off.
Oct: Arrested after being found unconscious in his car. Later banned for two years after admitting driving while unfit through drugs.
Aug 09: Crashed into truck on dual-carriageway.

Faith Limited Edition Box Set Now Available!

2010-08-13T22:08:00.001-05:00

from the official site

We're thrilled to announce that on September 27, 2010, Sony Music will be reissuing George Michael's iconic album, Faith, fully remastered! Although it will be available in multiple special formats, a very special limited edition numbered collectors box set is available for pre-order right now and GeorgeMichael.com is the only place to get this exclusive version before it sells out!

This AMAZING package includes:

Re-mastered album
CD of re-mastered 12" versions/B-sides
DVD featuring four specials from 1987, George Michael and Jonathon Ross Have Words, a 25-minute Music Money Love Faith EPK & seven re-mastered promo videos
Stunning 60-page, hard-bound book that includes an exclusive interview with George Michael, rare photos & memorabilia
Vinyl album replica of the original LP
Memorabilia envelope that includes five art prints, reproduction poster, tickets & tour pass from the Faith tour
All housed in a 12 x 12 numbered, black and gold-foiled slipcase

THE FIRST 2,000 ORDERS WILL RECEIVE AN EXCLUSIVE NUMBERED ART PRINT DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR GEORGEMICHAEL.COM FANS!

In addition to the limited edition numbered collectors box set, Faith will also be made available to two more exciting formats: a two-CD/DVD special edition and a two-CD duo box edition! For more information on these, visit GeorgeMichael.com!

To add to the thrill, the GeorgeMichael.com Forum will be re-launched later this month! There, you'll be able to chat with others who have purchased the limited edition box set and share in the excitement already building around everything that's waiting to unfold in the weeks and months ahead!

We've already received many emails from enthusiastic fans from around the world and we can proudly say that we're happy to be a part of the GeorgeMichael.com community! Thank you all for your continued patience as we grow and build your new "home". We can't wait to unveil all very, very soon!

The GeorgeMichael.com Team

Faith (2010 Remastered Edition) to be Released in Three Collectors Formats + Three Digital Editions

2010-08-13T22:00:00.003-05:00

from the official site

LIMITED EDITION NUMBERED COLLECTOR’S BOX SET
Limited Edition Numbered Collectors Box Set

Includes:

Re-mastered album
CD of re-mastered 12" versions/B-sides
DVD featuring four specials from 1987, George Michael and Jonathon Ross Have Words, a 25-minute Music Money Love Faith EPK & seven re-mastered promo videos
Stunning 60-page, hard-bound book that includes an exclusive interview with George Michael, rare photos & memorabilia
Vinyl album replica of the original LP
Memorabilia envelope that includes five art prints, reproduction poster, tickets & tour pass from the Faith tour
All housed in a 12 x 12 numbered, black and gold-foiled slipcase

2CD/DVD Special Edition

Includes:

Re-mastered album
CD of re-mastered 12" versions/B-sides
DVD featuring four specials from 1987, George Michael and Jonathon Ross Have Words, a 25-minute Music Money Love Faith EPK & seven re-mastered promo videos
40 page hard-bound book with exclusive interview, rare photos and memorabilia
All housed in a black buckram-covered, gold-foiled slipcase with original cover removable overlay

2CD Duo Box Edition

Includes:

Album remastered
CD of re-mastered 12" versions/B-sides
16 page booklet

Kenny Goss at a Business Meeting

2010-08-13T21:54:00.000-05:00

from Zimbo

Kenny Goss arrives for a business meeting looking worried maybe due to his partner George Michael possible being jailed for three months over drug-drive charges.

Sony Music Proudly Announce the Reissue of George Michael's Iconic Debut Solo Album Faith

2010-08-04T10:33:00.005-05:00

from Connie Filippello Publicity

On the 27th September 2010, Sony Music will be reissuing George Michael's iconic album, Faith, now remastered. It will be available in multiple special formats including Limited Edition Numbered Collectors box set.

When George Michael released his debut solo album Faith in 1987 it instantly caught the imagination of the entire pop world, becoming a milestone in both George Michael's career and in popular culture. It remains a high point in pop music, as well as a measure for any artist wanting to cross musical genres and gather both popular and critical appeal.

The album confirmed George's status as a songwriter of outstanding ability and emotional depth and it propelled him to superstar status equal to that of Elton John, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson and Madonna. After hitting the Number One spot in the UK, the USA and many other countries across the globe, Faith went on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide. It became the best selling US album of 1988 and was awarded the prestigious Diamond Award for sales of 10 million copies.

Faith rapidly became a record-breaking phenomenon, not only producing six Number One singles but also putting George Michael on the map as the first white male artist to hit Number One on the US R&B chart. Faith features some of George's greatest songs including Father Figure, One More Try, Faith, Kissing A Fool and I Want Your Sex.

The album was written, produced and arranged entirely by George Michael. His artistry has resulted in countless accolades, including a Grammy for "Album of the Year" and three American Music Awards, namely: Favourite Album (Soul/R&B); Favourite Male Vocalist (Soul/R&B) and Favourite Male Vocalist (Pop/Rock). Additional tributes included an MTV Award for Father Figure" (Best Direction) and two Ivor Novello Awards for "Songwriter of the Year" and "International Hit of the Year".

To date, George Michael has sold over 100 million records throughout the world; his music sounds as fresh as it did when Faith was first released in 1987. So much so, in fact, that George Michael's songs – including tracks from Faith – recently featured in the hit US TV show Eli Stone. As well as appearing on the show himself, George's songs were used as a theme for each episode.

Today, George Michael continues to inspire young talent and his influence can be heard amongst many of today's pop and R&B artists. The remastered, reissued Faith will not only delight George's legions of fans across the world, but it will continue to influence a whole new generation of musicians.

George Michael's Faith will be reissued globally by Sony Music. The UK release date is the 27th September.

Track listing:

Faith
Father Figure
I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 & 2)
One More Try
Hard Day
Hand To Mouth
Look At Your Hands
Monkey
Kissing A Fool
A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part 3)

All songs written, produced and arranged by George Michael with the exception of Look At Your Hands by George Michael and David Austin.

Official Site or Re-Launch

2010-07-26T21:08:00.001-05:00

from the official site

GeorgeMichael.com is currently under construction in preparation for some exciting new changes. At this time the Forums are unavailable but will return in the coming weeks. Sign up for the GeorgeMichael.com mailing list to stay up-to-date with all developments!

Big Changes in store for GeorgeMichael.com
July 15th, 2010

GeorgeMichael.com will be unavailable for the next few weeks as the site undergoes some significant changes in preparation for a very exciting announcement that's waiting right around the corner!

We want to thank the all members of the great George Michael community for your patience during this time and can't wait to unveil what we're working on, very soon.

In the meantime, you can continue to shop in both the official US and UK George Michael online Stores. Lastly, don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list so you can stay on top of all developments as they happen!

Sincerely,
The GeorgeMichael.com Team

GeorgeMichael.com Forums currently unavailable
July 15th, 2010

We want to inform all members of the GeorgeMichael.com community that the George Michael Forums will be unavailable for the next few weeks as we prepare the site for re-launch in August!

We thank you in advance for your patience during this time and look forward to welcoming you all back to the official site in the coming weeks!

George Finally Makes News in the USA

2010-07-08T00:12:00.000-05:00

from E! Online

(gotta love the photos they used!)

George Michael Arrested Over Shop Smash

2010-07-06T09:21:00.003-05:00

from ITN News

George Michael's skills behind the wheel are under scrutiny again. The star was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive near his home in Hampstead, London.

Police were called after a car crashed into the front of a photo shop.

The singer and songwriter was questioned at a local station and was eventually released on bail until August.

The former Wham frontman has had a string of other incidents on the road. In 2007 he was banned from driving for two years, after pleading guilty to driving while unfit through drugs.

Last year he was arrested for a similar offence when he collided with the back of a lorry.

George Nicked in New Smash

2010-07-06T09:17:00.000-05:00

from The Sun

GEORGE MICHAEL has been arrested after his car crashed into a SHOP on the night of a gay festival, The Sun can reveal.

The troubled singer, 47, was held on suspicion of being unfit to drive after he lost control of his Range Rover and it smashed into a Snappy Snaps.

The impact buckled a door frame and shattered windows at the photo store in posh Hampstead, North London - near the star's home.

The singer - who only last year ended a two-year ban for drug driving - was held at 3.35am on Sunday after London's Gay Pride parade.

He was quizzed at a nearby police station and released on bail. He must return next month.

Cops said: "A man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive."

Last night the singer's spokesman refused to comment.

It's the latest brush with the law for the gay ex-WHAM! star. His ban came after he was found slumped at the wheel in Cricklewood, North West London, in May 2007.

He admitted drug driving. On top of his ban he got 100 hours' community work. Last year he was again held on suspicion of drug driving after a late-night smash with a lorry on a motorway in Berkshire. He was released without charge.

In February 2006 he was cautioned for possession of a class C drug. He was cautioned and released.

He was held again in September 2008 for possession of a class A and a class C drug after being caught by cops in a public toilet on Hampstead Heath.

In 1998 he was arrested by US cops in California for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public loo.

Happy 47th Birthday George

2010-06-28T12:41:00.001-05:00

from Zimbio

George Michael celebrates his 47th birthday with his Kenny Goss and close friend Geri Halliwell, along with her daughter Bluebell Madonna at the Red Lion & Sun Pub. George looked skinny and in great spirits as he left holding a children's DVD.

Massive 'Wake Me Up" Lip Sync Video!

2010-06-23T13:15:00.004-05:00

A group of students of the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) presented in June of 2010 a LipDub with 1200 participants, a current world record. Participants included students, teachers and administrative personnel. The chosen song was "Wake me up, before you go go" and the last scene included 700 persons dancing at the same time.

What an amazingly massive choreographed lip-sync. You have to see it!

"Wake me up before you go-go" (Barcelona, 2010)

George Michael Buys Sydney Pad for $6 Millon

2010-06-23T12:41:00.002-05:00

from news.com.au

HE had a "whale" of a time during his extended Aussie visit early this year.

So it's only fitting that Brit pop legend George Michael has taken a bite out of the Sydney real estate market and snapped up a home at Sydney's super-posh Whale Beach.

It's understood Michael recently splashed out $6 million for a slick three-storey, five-bedroom pad on mega-exclusive Whale Beach Rd, overlooking Palm Beach cliffs.

Boasting a lap pool, glass walls, a terrace and a huge deck, the home is described as "ideal for entertaining" which is perfect for the ex-Wham! singer who makes no secret of his love of a good time.

Originally planning to stay for just a few nights during his world tour in February, Michael ended up hanging out here for two months and impressed Sydney's gay crowd with his voracious party power.

The Fast Love singer, who put in a surprise performance at the official Mardi Gras party, was a fixture on Oxford St and was spotted smooching his share of hunky Aussie men - perhaps one of the reasons he decided to put down roots in the Harbour City.

"He loves Aussie guys ... loves Sydney and plans to split his time between here and London," a well-placed source said.

Rumoured sale agent Glenn Lee, of Raine and Horne Palm Beach, was coy when contacted yesterday, telling Confidential: "I would like to help you but I have signed a confidentiality clause in regards to this sale."

Michael's reps at Lippman Entertainment didn't comment when contacted yesterday.

Back in London and Looking Good!

2010-06-03T14:46:00.001-05:00

from The Sun

GEORGE MICHAEL went for a spin in his swanky convertible yesterday - with his pet Labrador riding shotgun.

The chilled pooch played it cool when snappers descended on the vehicle as it passed through North London.

Both George and his four-legged friend turned their heads in unison to acknowledge the flashbulb clan and give them a nice photo op.

Like father, like dog...

Man who Blasted George Michael is Evicted

2010-06-03T00:37:00.002-05:00

from the South Wales Argus

A man was evicted from his Newport home for playing George Michael hits excessively loud for the past three years.

The 41-year-old was made to leave the Newport City Homes (NCH) owned property on the Old Barn estate, St Julians, the social landlord revealed yesterday.

It took action after receiving 100 complaints from neighbours who said the man had repeatedly played George Michael favourites, the Shabba Ranks song Mr Lover Man and songs by Oasis at a high volume.

NCH said the problems started in May 2007, when the home was still owned by Newport City Council.

Since then the council’s environmental health department has twice seized and destroyed music stereos from the man for causing a statutory noise nuisance, but he bought new equipment and continued to cause a nuisance to other residents, a spokeswoman said.

In October 2009, NCH obtained a demotion of tenancy through the courts, which resulted in the tenancy being “demoted” to an shorthold tenancy for a period of one year. When the man continued to play loud music NCH served him with a Section 21 Possession Notice, to bring tenancy to an end.

Staff started possession proceedings in January, to allow them to remove him from the property, but he applied to have the possession suspended, which was refused.

The eviction, which was carried out last Thursday, is the first of its kind to be carried out by NCH because of anti social behaviour.

Sharon Wilkins, head of house services at NCH thanked residents and staff who worked together to demonstrate anti-social behaviour would not be tolerated.

She said: “We are aware how difficult it is for residents to come forward and give evidence, but without their active involvement we would have been unable to achieve such a successful outcome.”

George to Display the Imagine Piano in Phoenix

2010-04-25T10:13:00.004-05:00

from YourWestValley.com

PHOENIX — One man’s dream to build a museum dedicated to musical instruments from around the world becomes a reality Saturday as a $250 million global musical instrument museum rises out of the Sonoran desert in north Phoenix.

From bagpipes to bongos, the World’s First Global Musical Instrument Museum, or MIM, features sax appeal and more than 12,000 instruments and objects collected by the museum.

Former Target stores chairman Bob Ulrich founded the MIM, inspired by a visit to a musical instrument museum in Brussels, Belgium.

“There is nothing that really covers the world in music and yet day in and day out what has more impact on people’s lives than music?” Ulrich said. “It really did intrigue me to do something that had not been done before in the world. That’s what really made it quite exciting.”

The two-story, 190,000 square-foot museum sits on 20 acres at Tatum Boulevard, south of the Loop 101 near the Mayo Clinic Hospital.

The entrance features soft, cream colors, big picture windows that let light in and a grand staircase that creates a symphony hall feel. The windows in the staircase will look like piano keys when the building is lighted at night.

A restaurant and gift shop are on the first floor along with an auditorium for guest concerts and gatherings, and children on field trips will have their own special entrance and gathering place.

Crews have been busy installing, mounting, cleaning and preparing for the grand opening.

“We’ve got about 280-some exhibits that relate to every country in the world, relate to some of the famous celebrity and artist instruments that we have,” said Bill DeWalt, president and director of the Musical Instrument Museum.

Headsets and video will let visitors see and hear people playing instruments in their traditional costumes and settings.

One of the high notes is the special exhibit area.

The actual Steinway piano on which John Lennon wrote the song “Imagine” is on display. Lennon bought the piano on Dec. 15, 1970, soon after the breakup of the Beatles.

“This instrument really represents the launch of his solo career, his emergence as a spokesperson for peace and world harmony,” said Alan di Perna, development associate for the MIM.

The piano has toured the world in the name of peace. It’s been to the sites of the Kennedy and King assassinations as a way to turn the vibe around in places associated with violence, di Perna said.

The piano is encased in plastic, but visitors can get up close. It will be at the Musical Instrument Museum for one year on loan from singer George Michael.

The Steinway Corp. has loaned the MIM the first Steinway piano, made in 1836 and brought to the U.S. from Germany.

It lacks some of the features of contemporary pianos.

“It doesn’t have the standard 88 keys and only has two foot pedals instead of three. It’s an early instrument. It’s not in that playable shape,” di Perna said.

Other instruments on loan include two guitars from Eric Clapton. One is the Fender Stratocaster “Brownie” that Clapton used for the songs “Layla” and “Bell Bottom Blues,” and a Gibson guitar that Clapton played with the band Cream.

A set of drums from the Black Eyed Peas, a surf board from the “King of the Surf Guitar” Dick Dale and guitars from George Benson round out the collection.

Fender Guitars is a corporate sponsor of the MIM. Its display depicts the evolution of Fender guitars and the electric guitar.

Fender Guitars’ presence is a natural for the museum given the role and scope of the brand in popular music of the 20th century, company spokesman Jason Farrell said.

Ulrich said he wants visitors to have fun, enjoy the exotic instruments and appreciate the music. “They can hit a 5-foot gong from Indonesia, they can play an African Samba piano,” he said.

Ulrich provided the seed money for the museum and though it was built during a recession, real estate was more affordable along with building supplies and labor.

He said Phoenix is a good location for the museum because of the climate, the proximity to Los Angeles and other tourist destinations.

“It’s a magnet for a variety of reasons for convention and tourism,” Ulrich said. “We’re very interested in attracting international visitors, and it’s only a few hours from the Grand Canyon.”

Admission for adults is $15 and $13 for seniors.

Someone's Been Using a Razor, Down Under

2010-04-02T23:35:00.001-05:00

George in Melbourne on April 2nd, 2010

George Michael, Avid iPhone User...

2010-03-26T11:43:00.004-05:00

from the Herald Sun

BEING a multi-millionaire global superstar, you wouldn't think George Michael would have to try too hard to find someone to play with in the sandpits of Sydney.

But Confidential has discovered the swinging singer has been using the men-only dating website Grindr to meet buddies on what is becoming a never-ending Down Under holiday.

On the same day Michael was photographed frolicking on a boat in Pittwater with a super-fit mystery man, he was setting up dates with other men via his trusty iPhone.

At 10.16am on Monday, using the profile name Back for Wood, Michael used Grindr to send the message "Hi there" and a picture of himself taken in a hotel room mirror to someone he liked the look of , who happened to be just 185m away, according to Grindr GPS.

He then asked if the man was at the Hyatt, presumably the Park Hyatt near The Rocks.

The man replied that he was at nearby Circular Quay and then asked: "How you going sexy?"

A source told us: "He couldn't believe it when the picture of George popped up on his phone. They exchanged a few messages but they haven't met up yet."

The UK singer has been on one long holiday since arriving Down Under last month.

After sell-out shows in Sydney and Melbourne he was the star attraction at Mardi Gras.

Since then he has been spotted in numerous Oxford St bars. He's almost an app in himself.

Please kiss and tell

THE George Michael pash mystery took another twist yesterday when we had yet another call claiming to know the hunk's identity.

This time we were told he was a guy called Scott.

Alas, when we contacted "Scott" he made it quite clear he has never gone for a dip with Michael.

"That aint me, mate," insisted Scott when we called him. "I'm not gay."

Scott now joins a spoken-for yoga teacher, a servo owner and a male escort as people wrongly identified as that man.

Blog Editors Note: I know these last few stories have been a bit more tabloid than I would regularly post... but I absolutely love the idea of George Michael iPhone user... It's one of the greatest inventions of the last decade. If you don't already have one, toss your crappy mobile and run to the Apple store. It's a real game changer.

George Michael Cruisin' in Sydney with a New Man

2010-03-24T23:19:00.003-05:00

from The Daily Telegraph

GEORGE Michael's love affair with Sydney is undisputed.

He adores his Aussie fans and he's mad about our long summers, cancelling his air ticket back to England to extend his post-Mardi Gras stay.

And now, it seems, he has developed a little thing for a certain Aussie bloke.

The pop singer and his new unidentified friend were making the best of the balmy weather on a romantic cruise around Pittwater.

On Monday the pair chartered a 19.5m cruiser and explored the private coves of the sleepy waterway on a long and languid expedition.

The MV Enigma - which can cater for 20 - costs $890 an hour on a minimum three-hour charter and comes with its own skipper.

With the craft moored, the former Wham! star applied some suntan lotion to his companion's tattooed torso before leaping into the water.

Although the singer is usually more at home paddling about in the sea off the coast of France, he looked perfectly comfortable as he and his Aussie friend shared a kiss.

Michael was to have headed home a fortnight ago but extended his stay.

Sources close to the singer said he was delighted by the positive reviews for his tour and the huge reception he has been given by both Sydney's straight and gay communities.

Michael checked out of Sydney's luxurious Park Hyatt Hotel and rented a serviced Potts Point apartment for a week.

He thwarted the paparazzi by hiring his own economy car and driving himself around.

He ditched industry invitations on the night of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade to visit Oxford St cafes and make new friends.

A week later, having performed at the Mardi Gras afterparty with US singer Kelly Rowland, he sought out more palatial digs and booked himself into the $4300-a-night royal penthouse at Sheraton on the Park in the heart of Sydney.

Although he has not commented on the status of his long-term relationship with sporting goods heir Kenny Goss, it is believed their "open" 14-year relationship means Michael has been free to date whomever he likes Down Under.

He is said to have dated up a storm with a series of men, even exploring online dating.