The first time I heard of George Michael was when "Careless Whisper" came out. Back then I was teenager living in Baghdad, Iraq where it was not THAT easy to know who this guy was. By the time I watched the video and listened to the song on radio (FM Baghdad, I miss those days!), he was taking the world by a storm. I hated the guy because I was young and very jealous of the attention he was getting especially from the girls I knew.
While watching taped TOP OF THE POPS on video, my mom and dad, the coolest parents any person would dream of having, admired the guy. My mom, the passionate power house, thought that “he is gorgeous” while she watched parts of “Careless Whisper”. My dad, the logical and wise liberal, said that “He is clean, and has a great voice”. Their opinion cleared the fog of my pride and teenage stupidity, and I started to pay more attention.
I am a kind of a person that would demand effort and quality in things to accept them and start appreciating them. So it took me another couple of years for me to declare George Michael and Wham! as great performers. The thing that impressed me most was how Wham! evolved in three albums, "Fantastic", "Make it Big", and "Music from the Edge of Heaven". All were excellent albums. Each has its own vibe. And they were getting better.
The music that I loved to listen to during that period came from Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Rod Stewart, Sting, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Tina Turner and Queen. It was George Michael though who made my friends complain and make jokes about how many times I played his songs in my car.
I was a fan. “Faith” came out, and I was a BIG fan. It was the most diverse, fresh, real and professional album I have heard (and still to this day) in my life. Anyone who knew me in college knew that I liked George Michael’s music a bit too much. Many of them I recall made jokes about the guy calling him a sissy, or say things like “he sings like a girl“, or “he is gay” (using the term “gay” as in insult, and back then George Michael was not known as being gay) and tried to link me to these insults because I liked him. Hypocrites is what they were. They copied his hair cut, tried to copy his beard and listened to his music all the time.
All the people I considered their opinion and I would look up to, starting with parents, admired George Michael.
I decided to defend myself and my opinions. I started to study things, collect facts, organize headlines and work on the best way to present them. And it worked, big time! I became a reference of information with whatever had got to do with the entertainment world in general, music and movies in particular. Until this day I have people who would call me or email me asking my opinion about this movie or that album. ALL of these people are educated people, either engineers, doctors, theatre directors or writers. My passion toward George Michael’s music started this.
Life happened, I left Iraq to travel the middle east trying to find a place to start my life in. When that did not work, I left to live in Europe. Although I finally resided in a country without fear of being harassed or threatened to get kicked out (thank you Germany), life was not easy. My parents were still living in Iraq, ruled by ruthless dictator and one of the worst regimes in that period. And there was my younger brother Aus (the closest person to me and the coolest DJ you have never met!) that I felt responsible of getting him out of that hell and get him to start the life he deserved to live. When Aus settled in Germany (100% by my efforts. I am still giving myself pats on the back) things started to move forward and getting better. I moved to the USA looking for better opportunities.
Almost a decade of traveling and hardships. Many things changed in my life during that time, ultra rare things stayed the same. One of these rare things was my love to George Michael’s music.
I was impressed by how diverse his work was. How many paths he took and on so many levels. The thing I was most impressed with was how he SURPISES me with his songs, originals and remakes, fast and slow, excited and sad.
When he went through the “indecency in the park” incident, I was not affected by it that much. The man admitted what he had done, he was not proud of it. I did not like what he did, I did not (and still don’t) approve it, but it was not THAT big of a deal.
I was astonished by the storm the media caused (not that far from another storm with former President Bill Clinton) , and how people where shepherded into it.
It is the way my maker made me, and with the way I was raised, I did not like to be guided, or to be “fed” the things I would know. My knowledge and opinions are based on my own research and logic. Sometimes I am wrong, still it is my opinion. Many people are not like that.
George Michael was EXCLUDED to be the target of the media. The same media that uses the phrase “There is no better news than bad news” as a commandment. George Michael was alienated because he was George Michael. It was troubling me to witness these direct attacks on him, and the thing that troubled me most were the people who took (and still take) these attacks as a reference. They were eating the shit the media was feeding them.
“George Michael was involved in a sexual act in the park”. How many of you know that actor Eddie Murphy was caught with a transvestite in his own car?
“George Michael is gay”. Not my business, and I don’t care.
“George Michael was caught with illegal drugs”. And other stars (music and film) don’t use illegal drugs?! The whole residents of Alaska can use pot legally as long as they are using it within their personal properties and homes!
What I care about is that he declared that "he was happy". I am truly happy for him. "He is in love". Good luck mate, I’d love to attend the wedding. "He is working on his music". My patience is growing thin, please PLEASE hurry up!
Till this day George Michael is the best artist I have known. He is the best writer/singer/dancer who reflected and is still reflecting his life experiences through his work, more than anyone else and by miles. He has the best duets I have witnessed in my life. Now and forever I am waiting for more.
Check http://www.georgemichael.com/ it is his official website, you can listen to all his music and albums (HD quality) and judge for yourself.
I couldn't attend his 25 Alive tour, for no other reasons but the financial ones. I couldn't imagine anything that would make me happier (beside Kaylee) than watching George Michael perform live. When I watch bits of it here and there on youtube, I know what I great pleasure I have missed.
I am a straight guy, if you were wondering. Father of a beautiful and intelligent girl (Kaylee). I am teaching her the things that I have learned and proud of through life and the George Michael Experience. Teaching her to make her own opinions and stand by them. To accept all without prejudice. And through all this teaching I am learning from her too. And LOVE is our bond.
She likes George Michael by the way (she experienced what her age would permit her to). You should see her performing “Last Christmas” and “Careless Whisper“. She just started a band in her school with her friend Hanna (the Band is called Ocean Land Blue) and the first song they are working on is GM's “Amazing“. She is seven years old.
