George: A Memory of George Michael

by Sean Smith

George is the story of two lives - the private man and the public legend. Georgios Panayiotou was just eighteen when he decided to adopt the stage name of George Michael. Sometimes his two worlds would collide with shattering consequences. Bestselling biographer Sean Smith has gone back to the neighbourhoods of North London to trace the astonishing journey of a sensitive but determined boy who grew up to be one of the biggest British pop stars of all time. Along the way, he talks to those close to George, revealing the real man - funny, articulate, intelligent and generous spirited - who hid behind the powerful image he created. He reveals the complex relationship with his high-achieving Greek-Cypriot father; the unconditional love of his mother; his teenage relationships with girls; and his first tragic love affair with another man. George's career began falteringly with a schoolboy band, exploded with Wham! before he became a solo phenomenon. But at the height of his fame, the world seemed to turn against him. Smith describes his despair at losing the two people who mattered most, how he sought consolation in drugs, his notorious `coming out' and how he ended up in jail. His health failed him and he died heartbreakingly alone on Christmas Day, 2016. Affectionate yet honest and moving, George is both a celebration of George Michael's music and a lasting tribute to a decent and much-loved man.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, British Literature

320 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Sean Smith is the UK’s leading celebrity biographer and the author of the number one bestseller Cheryl, as well as bestselling books about Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Kate Middleton.

His books about the most famous people of our times has been translated throughout the world. His subjects include Adele, Kim Kardashian, Gary Barlow, Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston and J.K. Rowling. The film Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story was based on his biography of the Harry Potter author.

Described by the Independent as a ‘fearless chronicler’, he specialises in meticulous research, going ‘on the road’ to find the real person behind the star image.

Reviews

[Chris Stanley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't usually read 'celebrity' biographies because I think it'll be a waste of time, but since George Michael's death I've read up a little on the man himself and find him quite an interesting bloke, much more of a contrast than I guess I had him down for. So I wanted to read up on his life - not necessarily for salacious reasons, but because I found the Freedom documentary very moving and thought there was more to events than met the eye. George Michael was gay at a time when that wasn't widely accepted, and not only was his professional life a barrier to coming out, but the AIDS crisis which evolved during the height of his fame must have been a frightening prospect for somebody who hadn't really thought of a way to square who he was with who everyone knew him to be.

Sadly, this book is a less than fitting tribute to the man. Rush-released and barely researched, it takes a few fresh quotes from the peripheral figures and welds it badly to much which was publicly known, cribbed from news stories and interviews. At the most interesting time of his life, between coming out and his death, much of what we find out is a glorified list of events: 'George performed here, then he bought that, then he said this.' It's fluff of the most frustrating kind. The documentary mentioned above gives much more depth to a monumental musical icon, and for a biography to be outshone by footage sanctioned by the man himself, it's unforgiveable. Much better to wait, really speak to everyone and get to the heart of the matter. Maybe it was vanity to publish the first post-mortem look at the man's life, who knows?

The massive foul-up is left to the end: we get an astrological look at George Michael's life. Spiritual he may have been, but at no point in the book is any interest in this nonsense mentioned, so what was the point in including it? Aries being in Jupiter or all the other mumbo-jumbo that's dished up had nothing to do with the guy's voice, application or attention to detail. I'm mystified why a book that had such a fanfare thought to include it and it caps a pretty motley attempt.

I hope for the sake of George Michael's fans that a proper music writer bides their time and puts together a biography that does justice to their idol. I can't think the man himself would have thought a lot of this crap.

[Keith CARTER · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a gift and I felt pressured to read it, Jeez am I glad I did. This book is exceptional, it shows George stripped down to the bare bones. He was a greatly flawed human being, he was also a musical genius and mainly a terrific philanthropist. Although George gave away tens of millions anonymously what stood out to me was an occasion where George was sat in a bar and overheard a trainee nurse crying that she could not carry on training as she in no way repay the 6k she owed so far. George secretly wrote out a cheque and left it behind the bar, again anonymously. George Michael may have had his demons but what a beautiful human being he was. Buy this book.

[Mirela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreakingly beautiful... :')
Miss him ... xx

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zwiespältig. Einerseits wird George Michael als Person hier schon plastischer. Man wird bestätigt in seinem Eindruck, dass er ein "guter Mensch" war, allein dadurch, dass wirklich jede im Buch zitierte Person (und v.a Frauen) ihn als "sweet, shy, polite and nice" bezeichnet, auch durch die Qualität seine Beziehungen zu seiner Mutter, seinen Schwestern oder auch dass, er scheinbar so etwas wie eine Vater Figur für z.B. Geri Halliwell war. Neu war mir wieviel er wirklich anonym spendete an Kinder, Behinderte Menschen, AIDS Forschung, seine Heimatstadt, fremde Studenten in Bars die ihre Studienkredite nicht zahlen konnten etc. etc. und dass er z.B. immer wieder gratis Konzerte fürs NHS Pflegepersonal gab oder dass er sich öffentlich kritisch ggü dem Irak Krieg und der Beteiligung des UK äußerte und sich besorgt zeigte um die muslimische Bevölkerung im Vereinigten Königreich und dessen Sicherheitsgefühl nach dem 11. September.

Allerdings kommen mir viele Dinge viel zu kurz auf den nur 300 Seiten. Die Wham Ära wird viel zu schnell abgehandelt und auch die Beziehung zwischen ihm und Andrew spielt im Grunde kaum eine Rolle. Andrew kommt selbst überhaupt nicht zu Wort ! Der Prozess zwischen George und Sony geht ebenfalls komplett unter, obwohl der doch der erste seiner Art war und George als Künstler mit weniger als 10% beteiligt wurde (ich war schockiert über diese Zahl). Auch die Beziehung zur angeblichen Liebe seines Lebens wird auf einige Seiten gequetscht. Am Ende werden dann die Drogensucht und die "Sexkapaden" ziemlich verharmlost und irgendwie kaum ins Gesamtbild eingepflegt. Als wenn man sich die erste einfängt wie die Grippe und die zweite keine Bedeutung haben kann. Da hätte mich noch mehr interessiert was George bewegt hat bzw. wie er mit der lauter werdenden Kritik umging.
Das Horoskop das als letztes Kapitel erstellt wurde, ist einfach nur wild. Passt einfach überhaupt nicht.

Fazit: Die Person Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotu ist mir näher gekommen und fasziniert mich weiterhin. Ich habe aber immer noch Fragezeichen und sehe dieses Buch daher als Ausgangspunkt der weiteren Recherche (Freedom Doku und weitere Biographien)

sidenote: Wer gute Biografien mag, sollte Robin von Dave Itzkoff (über Robin Williams) lesen. So ein sogartiges Buch hätte ich mir gewünscht.

PS In Georgios Worten: You have been loved.
(and are missed....)

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of George Micheal, this is a book that I needed to have on my shelves and it gives a really good insight into the personal and professional life of an extraordinary man. Fitting that I finished this on Xmas Day - 5 years to the day of his sad passing. Gone but never forgotten.

Well written and researched, this book gives a good background to the early life of George, trying to make it in the business and dealing with success alongside the darker times in his life but treats all aspects with respect and isn't sensationalised.

[Lou Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad summing up of George’s life, but wasn’t particularly well written and light on detail in some areas, ran out of steam towards the end.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that this book would be a difficult one for me. At the age of 12 was when my love of this man started. His music was and still is something that means so much to me. This biography was an interesting gaze into the man the world knew as George Michael, but was loved by so many simply as George as the title would suggest.
Whilst I found the majority of this book moving and informative, I did find it interesting how Sean Smith seemed to downplay the significant part of Andrew in George's life. It came across to me as if Andrew was just a minor player in the story of George's life, when George himself had stated otherwise so many times.
Apart from that it was a very interesting, moving and emotional look back on the life of a man loved and admired by so many regardless of all the things that happened to him throughout his life on a personal level.
Thank you George..."You Have Been Loved"

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from Good Reads.
Interesting book to read, extremely well written & the author has gone to great pains to research it.
A very sad story, I wonder how things could have changed out differently for George Michael.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got to say, I was never especially a fan. I liked the odd song, but I always kind of disliked George Michael the man. No particular reason, he just always stuck me as someone who would be conceited and arrogant. I was stunned after his death when the stories about his kindness to others started to emerge.
What can I say, I am thoroughly ashamed I ever judged the book by its cover. This book gives a good indication of his true personality and all the contradictions. I could totally relate to a lot of his feelings and struggles. I was so sad by the end of this.
The star sign nonsense at the end doesn’t really fit and the actual story is brief at 300 pages, but this was a good introduction to the man himself and also interesting to read about how some of the songs came about.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

My other half bought me this book as a stocking filler for Christmas because I'm a fan of George Michael. The book was very interesting, however I wouldn't say it was particularly well written. It was a quick read and gave a good insight into the life of George Michael.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

George: A Memory of George Michael by Sean Smith felt like so much more than just a biography. It felt personal. It felt like what Smith was writing meant more to him than just his next subject, but rather it was an emotional and intimate retelling of the life of somebody that the author clearly looks up to and respects... and if that is not what Smith was going for, then I am blown away by his writing, and extremely impressed at how he can so easily make his writing come across as meaning more than it does to him.

The book itself was not too intense or in depth, and for this reason I found myself being immersed within it, losing my sense of reality for hours as I lived the life of one of the world's greatest pop stars. There was not too long spent on any one part of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou's life, and was particularly interested in George Michael's early years and how he came to be in WHAM!

The author, Sean Smith, has written numerous biographies of other celebrities such as Duchess of Cambridge Katherine Windsor (nee Middleton) and bestselling author JK Rowling, however this book felt like there was something special to it. The way that Smith writes is with absolute finesse.

[Tim Basuino · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had admittedly been awhile since I read anything about George Michael when I ran across this at Copperfields and thought "eh, why not?" Happy to have made the investment, as Michael proves to be something of an inspiring story without being sappy. And the author's telling of the story underscores that - yes, Michael had challenges being a gay man, with the environment not exactly being conducive to his practices (even considering the most newsworthy bust came but a century ago), but he, at least publicly, exhibited positivity, proving once again that with the right attitude, even a seemingly life-destroying event can actually be made positive.

I like the pace - we never spend too much time in any one era, and we almost always progressed forward. Sean Smith is something of a fanboy at times, but I've definitely read worse in that regard. My only true complaint would be the lack of editing - sometimes we have the same characteristic of a supporting character repeated ad nauseum - did you know that Kenny Goss was Michael's partner being the prime example. But overall this is a Goodread.

[Laila Khalil · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who has immensely loved and followed George Michael, the man, his music and his style, I deeply enjoyed reading this book and discovering his private side - the simple Yogi who was so dearly loved by his family and friends. It was heart breaking to read that though he appeared fashionably comfortable being popular and famous, and loved by millions for possessing that perfect voice and being lyrically gifted, he was tormented by his insecurities and his pursuit for happiness and acceptance. The book delves into his rise to fame, with parallel insights to the conflicts he faced in his personal life leading to strained relationships with his contemporaries and his record label. One aspect that stood out greatly for me in this book is that it spoke highly of the numerous charities and donations George made throughout his career to make a difference in the lives of the countless needy. For a man so gifted with his music, he was also beautifully gifted with a large and generous heart. This is an easy book to read and definitely a collectible for any fan of George Michael.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely to find out more about the supremely talented and sometimes criminally underrated George Michael, especially to see extensive acknowledgment of his private but astounding generosity. Unfortunately this offering, which was churned out in the months following George’s death, is not especially well-written and often lacks depth, which is a crying shame considering the depth, complexity and talent of the person being examined. Despite this, Yog was such a kind, brilliant and compelling person that I found myself absorbed enough as the book went on. The main part of the book closed on what seemed like a perfectly apt note - and was then immediately spoiled by the bizarre inclusion of the astrology chapter, which (after the first few lines) I didn’t bother reading. The timeline at the end also seemed a waste of space, taking the reader out of the mood built up in the final (main) chapter. The book had already covered these events so it felt quite redundant. 2.5 stars.

[Anna-Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sean Smith has apparently written many biographies of celebrities, but this is the first one I've read by him, as I am a huge fan of George Michael. Smith wrote the book by assembling otherwise available information as well as speaking to neighbours and those peripherally connected to him. For someone who knows a lot about him, it's an interesting read, but it is still somewhat of a 'surface' description of his life. I found out about his many charitable donations after his death, and I appreciated the way Smith referred to these throughout the book. He was a very generous person and this was a heavily emphasized point (rightly so). The chapter at the end regarding his astrological chart felt random and out of place.

[Chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"George: A Memory of George Michael" by Sean Smith was informative!

While George often stated that his father wasn't highly supportive of his musical career, this book did mention that he tried to introduce George to a music producer before he signed that first lousy record deal, he did help him obtain the job as a DJ in which he introduced "Careless Whisper" to a crowd for one of the first times and provided him access to a lawyer for future contract negotiations. He cared in his way. Because his father was in the restaurant business, I have always wondered if George had some resources for future success.

There were other things that I did know, and it was confirmed. This is a must for fans. It was enjoyable!

[Shelly Dabbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to know about the man who became George Michael & this book covered his life in a structured way that was easy to follow. He told up the ups & downs, the highs & lows, & what life was like for the man who was George Michael. He had so many highlights in his life but also some pretty big lows also. He didn't always handle things in the best way but he was in high demand & had lots of projects he was working on, right up to the end of his life. This all made me miss the chance to really listen to a lot of his music but there are a lot of videos to watch to see those I didn't know about. He is finally at peace, sad that he died alone...

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

For such an incredible talent this was a very lukewarm read. The chapter devoted to his star sign at the back was a giant eye roll.

It felt reasonably researched, but the delivery was lacking. Also, more pictures would have been appreciated. He was a superstar with an amazing life after all.

Will not be any huge insights for anyone who is a relatively involved fan.

Looking forward to Andrew Ridgeley’s book

[Geraint griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good .

Absolutely loved wham and George Michael his death was far too early . He was determined ,talented and very generous man who funded lots of charities anonymously. I thought what a kind gesture when he gave money to a couple who were going through IVF and the nursing student .This book was very interesting and was nice to remember songs and pop stars I loved listening to and watching on top of the pops . Excellent read .

[Stuart Hargreaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book on George Michael, having read another of Sean Smith's biography I really looked forward to read this Pop Icon stories, I was not disappointed. this book gives a comprehensive account of his early years right through Wham and then his solo career as well as his " mistakes". Read, Enjoy you also will not be disappointed.

[Anne McGregor]

Enjoyed this book but so sad to read of his troubles. He was a tormented soul but his experiences and honesty created his incredible talent. Disappointing end to the book as I am not interested in star signs and forecasts and therefore did not read that end part. However, may be interesting for those readers who follow the stars.

[AJE]

I really enjoyed reading this book. There was lots of detail about his life before he was famous, especially his schooldays. The author had a respectful tone to his writing unlike some of the other authors who have previously written about George’s life. I would recommend this to any of his fans, old or new..

[Claire Mcneal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Goodreads giveaway win, thank you a great read.
A very interesting book about a great , generous and a talented man who is greatly missed.

It covers his early childhood, changing his name , his troubles to his sadly, early death.

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth look at the entertainer's public and private lives, warts and all. I have to take one star off though, because it's written in the typical British over the top, flowery style that irritates me.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

im missin ma baby

[Pat Cavill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched and well written book although I did not feel that I learnt much that was not already common knowledge but it was very pleasant to revisit our time with George.

[Tina Choy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book to read of you're a fan of George Michael. The books is about his life and also has quotes from his family and friends.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed learning more about one of the musicians I loved, I did not enjoy the writing.

[Laura Tolomei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it and not just because I'm a fan. It's very well-written and gives readers a profound insight into the sensitive and shy man who had hidden behind the artist.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave me new in site for a very troubled life