George Michael: A Life

by James Gavin

The definitive biography of George Michael, offering an expansive look at the troubled life of the legendary singer, songwriter, and pop superstar.

George Michael was an extravagantly gifted, openhearted soul singer whose work was both pained and smolderingly erotic. He was a songwriter of true craft and substance, and his music swept the world, starting in the mid-1980s. His fabricated image—that of a hypermacho sex god—loomed large in the pop culture of his day. It also hid—for a time—the secret he fought against revealing: Michael was gay. Soon his obsession with fame would start to backfire. As one of the industry’s most privileged yet tortured men began to self-destruct, the press showed little sympathy. George Michael: A Life explores the compelling story of a superstar whose struggles, as well as his songs, continue to touch fans all over the world.

Acclaimed music biographer James Gavin traces Michael’s metamorphosis from the shy and awkward Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou into the swaggering, dominant half of the leading British pop duo of the 1980s Wham!; he then details Michael’s sensational solo career and its subsequent unraveling. With deep analysis of the creative process behind Michael’s albums, tours, and music videos, as well as interviews with hundreds of his friends and colleagues, George Michael: A Life is a probing, definitive portrait of a pop legend.

Genres: Biography, Music, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, LGBT, Memoir

528 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2022

About the author

James Gavin is a writer and music biographer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Time Out New York, and Vanity Fair. He is the author of Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker, Is That All There Is?: The Strange Life of Peggy Lee, and Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Michael — or more precisely, Wham! — was my first concert as a kid. I had harbored a long-standing and passionate sixth-grade crush on George (whose full Greek name, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, I also knew), and I was certain he would somehow see me in my lawn seat beside my father and our fates would intertwine. (My father, who had mysteriously “volunteered” to take me to every George Michael concert of my childhood, had a lot more in common with George than I did, but I would not find that out for twenty more years.)

If my introduction seems personal, it is — and this book is too. James Gavin does justice to the gifted, tortured, closeted, and magnetic life led by George Michael, with a very specific focus on what Michael’s life — and death — meant to the gay community. At times heartbreaking to read, the through line of the book is both George’s immense talent and his darker side — George’s discomfort in his own beautiful skin, his self-destructive tendencies, his internalized homophobia, and his creative struggles. The book also sensitively explores his latter day reckless behavior (there was one incident that particularly saddened me, in which he seemingly intentionally got into a car accident without a seatbelt), his drug use, and the illnesses that finally claimed his life.

I never really understood how George Michael died. I remember my devastation and the series of weird tweets that preceded the event — both the tweets by George before his death and the ones that followed his death that were made and deleted by his boyfriend at the time. This book takes a hard look at George’s final days and while an answer is never conclusively given, you get a good sense of the total picture.

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved George Michael. But more than that, I recommend it to gay men, and to anyone who has ever loved a gay man. I think it will be particularly moving and enlightening for anyone who has ever been closeted or loved a closeted person. It definitely was for me.

A tough and heartbreaking read that does true justice to its incredible subject and also to the larger problem of homophobia in America, then and now — this is a beautiful and heartfelt work by James Gavin.

Many thanks to Abrams Press and NetGalley for this five-star read.

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all this book is over 500 pages and was a bit of a slog finally getting through it all. When I reached the 80% mark it transitioned to End Notes and I was relieved. This is not to say it wasn't a good book...it certainly was. In its marketing blurb it says it is the "definitive biography" of George Michael...and I'm sure it is!

I get all warm, fuzzy and nostalgic when I think of George Michael's dreamy "Careless Whisper" undulating through my stereo back in the eighties when I was dating my future husband and going to college. I bought that single, and it's my favorite song of his. I was on the fence about whether to read this because I'm just a casual fan, but because of his rather early, untimely and mystifying death, as well as his inner torture about revealing his sexuality- it intrigued me. One of my favorite music videos and recordings is of George Michael and Elton John performing a duet of "Don't Let the Sun go Down on me" in concert. I think George absolutely killed it and outsang Elton on this one!

The book spans the total arc of his life from youth until his death and the public aftermath. One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was how he met his future Wham! musical partner, Andrew Ridgeley. When George transferred to a new school at about the age of 12, he was at the stage of a very gawky appearance. He wore thick, large glasses, had a unibrow, and dense hair that defied combing. His pathetic stature prompted the teacher to ask the class for a volunteer to to look after "Georgios". The classmates were mystified when Andrew Ridgeley raised his hand. Andrew was handsome in an androgynous way, with all the girls swooning over him. He oozed with confidence and swagger and sometimes even wore a touch of makeup. They seemed an odd couple, but Andrew became Georgios' mentor and they soon bonded over a shared love of music.

A large swath of the book covers George's secret turmoil over his homosexuality. His Greek Orthodox family sensed George's persuasions, but it was mostly swept under the table because it was a great taboo- especially with his father Jack. His mother Lesley later confided her fears to George because his uncle was thought to have committed suicide because of his closeted homosexuality. She sensed the same proclivities in George and his sensitive nature troubled her. When his professional career in music took off, the record companies did not want George to reveal his sexuality; they wanted him to appeal to women and promote this lie in his music videos. He dated an Asian woman named Kathy Jeung who appeared in the video for "I Want Your Sex", and made sure that they appeared in public for publicity photos. Regardless, he was constantly hounded in interviews about his rumored gay sexuality. He was finally outed after getting caught in a compromising situation by an undercover policeman in a public bathroom in a London park.

George was a control freak about the recording process in the studio, as well as making music videos. He often took over both mediums until it met his liking. He grew disgusted with the publicity hounds and decided to not even appear in his own music videos, preferring to hire and orchestrate famous models to lip synch his songs. He was addicted to various drugs and got into repeated car accidents where he would nod off at the wheel. Often times he would get off with a slap on the wrist because of who he was, but there came a time when the law could no longer look away without repercussions.

I came away from this book realizing what a tortured soul this passionate singer was. It wasn't a surprise that he died in such a way...he actually predicted his own untimely death. He died on Christmas Day in 2016 under mysterious circumstances, found dead in his bed by his live in lover with whom he had purportedly argued with earlier. This is certainly an all-encompassing study of this very talented singer/songwriter/performer.

Thank you to the publisher Abrams Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Michael: A Life
By James Gavin
This book really goes into about everything in George's life, from beginning to end. It was a very sad life. Even with the fame and fortune, he wasn't happy. A cruel father, low self-esteem, closet gay, and felt he was ugly. He was betrayed by people when trying to get a record deal. He never trusted after that. It goes into so much. I really felt sorry for him. I think his dad caused most of his self-esteem and lack of love issues. His dad didn't believe in the family hugging. Sad life.

[♥️Annete♥️loves❤️books♥️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sometimes the clothes do not make the man"
George Michael, Freedom '90
🎤🎵🎷
That verse from the popular song sums up Georgios Kyriakos Panagiotou, the artist's known to the world as George Michael, troubled personality. An artist that as a greek myself, has always made me proud of what he achieved.
What a talent! What an icon! What a performer! What a gorgeous looking man! I have been one of his most devoted fans ever since i remember myself. George was huge. When he performed he set the stage on fire.
I was so pitied to read this book and find out how much he struggled with himself,with his sexuality, with his persona as an artist and most of all with his endless addictions which ultimately lead to his tragic passing. When you play with fire, you'll get burned. It was like he was playing russian roullette with the amount of drugs he consumed in his everyday life. However, isn't it always the case with the majority of great artists? They seem to be lead by their self-destruction. Like they can not stand their success and try to loose themselves on substances. They are rich, famous, talented and yet they are unhappy. Thus was the case with George Michael. At least that's how James Gavin depicts him.
Though this was a thorough biography, i had the sense that the writer somehow disliked George by constantly picturing him in the darkest colours. I don't know whether what i read was about the real George Michael but i sensed that the writer overexaggerated some parts in his narrative. The last chapters were so difficult to read. He was among so many people, yet no one saw through him. He felt lonely and depressed. Even after his death people close to him, tried to manipulate his legacy. What a sad soul! May he rest in peace. His fans still love him and keep listening to his wonderful music.
I will always be grooving to his dance hits or get sentimental listening to his ballads featuring his beautiful voice.
Three stars for this book only because i think that the writer showed mostly the negative side of a true musical idol.
Forever in love with you, George!!!

[Michael Hurlimann · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I am currently doing my own work on George Michael, I rushed out to get a copy of this book a few days ago and read it cover to cover.
Whilst it had some interesting insight, i just could not get over the judgemental tone Gavin uses, especially when it came to Michael's demons. A deeply private man, Michael was also a beacon of hope and joy for many. I am not saying he was a saint, or 'Flawless', by any means.

Gavin seems to obsess over Michael's use of weed, his love for casual sex and his being closeted. His tone of writing slips from pitying to sneering to judgemental at various times, and the rehashing of tabloid scandal without much critical evaluation feels very shallow for someone claiming to write a biography.

Overall I would say this is definitely interesting for fans of Michael, however the reader should take much of Gavin's writing with a pinch of salt. I would not recommend this to someone new to Michael, as it's both a slog and gives a very one-sided impression of a very complex character.

From someone with Gavin's credentials I would expect better - but maybe that's too much to ask from an establishment writer.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Michael — or more precisely, Wham! — was my first concert as a kid. I had harbored a long-standing and passionate sixth-grade crush on George (whose full Greek name I also knew), and I was certain he would somehow see me in my lawn seat beside my father and our fates would intertwine. (My father, who had mysteriously “volunteered” to take me to every George Michael concert of my childhood, had a lot more in common with George than I did, but I would not find that out for twenty more years.)

If my introduction seems personal, it is — and this book is too. James Gavin does justice to the gifted, tortured, closeted, and magnetic life led by George Michael, with a very specific focus on what Michael’s life — and death — meant to the gay community. At times heartbreaking to read, the through line of the book is both George’s immense talent and his darker side — George’s discomfort in his own beautiful skin, his self-destructive tendencies, his internalized homophobia, and his creative struggles. The book also sensitively explores his latter day reckless behavior, his drug use, and the illnesses that finally claimed his life.

I never really understood how George Michael died. I remember my devastation and the series of weird tweets that preceded the event — both the tweets by George before his death and the ones that followed his death that were made and deleted by his boyfriend at the time. This book takes a hard look at George’s final days and while an answer is never conclusively given, you get a good sense of the total picture.

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved George Michael. But more than that, I recommend it to gay men, and to anyone who has ever loved a gay man. I think it will be particularly moving and enlightening for anyone who has ever been closeted or loved a closeted person. It definitely was for me.

A tough and heartbreaking read that does true justice to its incredible subject and also to the larger problem of homophobia in America, then and now — this is a beautiful and heartfelt work by James Gavin.

Many thanks to Abrams Press and NetGalley for this five-star read.

[T · Rating 1 out of 5]

This biography is not good. It’s essentially an excessively long tabloid article. It’s like the author read The Sun, The Daily Mail, & some gossip forums and decided to write a book. He seems far more interested in gossip and negative stories than anything else. Not to mention there are a bunch of mistakes that you wouldn’t expect to see from a supposedly well researched biography. For example, in the prologue alone, the author gets the years wrong for George’s Symphonica tour & the year in which he had pneumonia.

a couple other random mistakes:
-Gavin states that Paul Weller told George off at the recording of Band Aid, but it was the other way around. A simple google search would tell you that but he obviously didn’t bother.
-He also talks about how George sampled Marvin Gaye for Freeek! but that is just not true at all? There’s actually quite a few mistakes regarding music in this book which is odd considering it’s a biography about a musician.
-Gavin talks about how Nile Rodgers met with George at his home in Goring on Dec. 23 2016, but that’s not true. Rodgers was at GM’s home in Highgate that day and did not meet with George.

Those are just a couple of the mistakes that are scattered throughout this book, but I could go on and on. I would take just about everything Gavin says in this book with a grain of salt.

[DJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Gavin’s over 500-page tome, George Michael's dazzling artistry and rebel heart is ultimately overshadowed by a tabloid-like chronicle of addiction and excess. This is unfortunate because Michael was an artist of rare complexity – both tortured and anchored by a poetic genius that laid bare his soul and garnered him legions of fans.

Michael’s shyness and insecurity are contextualized against the savagery of the music industry in the first part of the book. For this examination, Gavin deserves credit. Michael’s years as front man in Wham! serve as backdrop to the evolution of his creativity and the stubborn perfectionist he would become. But what we miss in this telling, is an evaluation of the musical bible Michael was creating – something he would refer to in his final interview as the “Red Line.” It was a transcendent artistic reckoning borne of deep pathos he would mine again and again and it would define his unique catalog of work from one metamorphosis to the next.

Michael’s ability to synthesize pop, rock, and soul, then merge them with his own lyrics created a unique sound unlike any of his contemporaries. Plus, his beautiful, soulful voice could deliver the rockabilly funk of “I Want Your Sex” then transform into a poignant spiritual on “One More Try.” Few had the song-writing skill, nor chops, to turn out music of such contrasting dimension.

A huge part of that dimensionality owes its vigor to the fact Michael was a gay man who had spent years in the closet. He’d meticulously created an alter ego of a “straight” man who could appeal to the masses – and it worked. But, coddled by a vicious industry whose very existence depends on absurd levels of scrutiny, Michael had pinioned himself into an untenable position. The era of AIDS unleashed a homophobia that was normalized through a lens of oppression and fear. Michael was in the bullseye of this maelstrom and without doubt it had to both exhaust and terrify him.

But despite the constant scrutiny, the steadfast derision of the press, and associates and lovers who abused his generosity and vulnerability, Michael never stopped evolving and refused to be categorized. Gavin unpacks some of the exhaustion, depression, and loneliness Michael suffered, but omits an intrinsic part of Michael’s legacy – his ability to reinvent himself and channel inspiration and grief into brilliant hooks and unforgettable choruses. "Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1," derided by critics when it first appeared, is now considered a classic tour de force – but Gavin barely mentions this. Creatively, Michael never stood still and pushed those around him to keep up – at times provoking associates to anger and exasperation. Hey, he was the boss after all... Just days before the end of his life, he was in the studio, working.

The author abandons a more measured approach in the first part of the book to rehash a tabloid Hell in the second half. Gavin rhapsodizes on escorts, gold-diggers, peevish lovers, and drug-fueled parties. It’s what sells, apparently, and no doubt it will catapult the book to substantial sales. Private email exchanges from drug dealers, deleted Twitter posts from vulgar gigolos, sensationalized tabloid articles, dubious forum gossip, and copious quotes from an ex-confident who sold private information about Michael to the tabloids because he “needed money,” plus numerous other annotations from acquaintances and session musicians, are presented verbatim – most in service to the fact Michael was desperately struggling with addiction.

The very thing Michael despised in life, the incessant scrutiny of the press and their relentless judgement of him, ends up superseding all else in Gavin’s biography. Of course, addiction was a part of Michael’s life and it’s a tragedy that bears recounting, but not at the expense of the very thing that endeared him to millions – his transcendent talent and his refusal to compromise his artistic vision.

As I wrote this, “Praying for Time” came on my play list and I marveled at the beauty of his voice, his ability to effortlessly interpret a lyric and deliver a tsunami of emotion on one delicate, gossamer note. It is heartbreaking to think he was so unhappy despite being able to provide joy to so many. And though Gavin charts the heartbreak and sadness, what is most sorely missing from this book is heart and soul.

For a legendary artist that journeyed through delirious highs and ruinous lows, whose vulnerability and pathos cast him as savior or Satan – depending on who was looking – and as someone who desperately strived for grace and beauty even in calamity, there is a perfunctory coldness to the narrative. Yes, thorough research was conducted, but we never feel the author is trying to do much more with it than convey his sources’ insider perspective – and it sometimes reads as bitchy gossip.

Though in the epilogue Gavin concedes, Michael “Left his mark” on the cultural cataclysms of over three decades and provided gay artists with a conduit to pursue their endeavors openly, he also observes Michael suffered greatly for all his success. Sadly, this is true. Michael was vulnerable, guarded, frail, full of bravado, angel – and sometimes, demon. He was messy, and in that caldron of tumult he unearthed a searing creativity that only now – after his passing – do we realize the beauty of. George Michael’s legacy is his music – not his addictions. This biography does little to advocate for that bounty.

Many kind thanks to Abrams and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in the 80s I definitely knew of George Michael and Wham! but that's really where it ended for me. I still knew of GM and heard him on the radio but I was never a huge fan, just a kid who knew who he was and an adult who was saddened to hear of his death. As someone who was a teen in the 80s and knew that GM was a big part of that era, I wanted to read this biography to learn more about him. This book is hard to rate as parts were very slow and took a long time to get through, mostly the first half, with lots of details and things that didn't particularly interest me but the second half picked up and honestly, became so sad. I ended this book feeling so depressed. There are reviews that comment on the last half feeling like tabloid reads and I can see that but it also showcased what a difficult time of things GM had, not only in his struggle to be his true self but also to find his true self amidst the times and the spotlight. I feel like this was a well-researched book with lots of information but maybe overall a bit too detailed at times and perhaps a bit too long, it took me a long time to get through it. Not sure if it's because I had the ARC but there were no pictures which to me is really key when reading a biography. I hope the published editions will have photos.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4

Thanks to Netgalley and Abrams Press for an advanced copy of the ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Bon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy for review. This title will be out next spring, and gets three stars from Bon.

It was very thorough examination of George Michael's rise to stardom, his time in the sun, and the tragic close to his life.

Unfortunately, I found this book an extremely slow start and a slog to get through, its very thoroughness comprising its readability and appeal. It's probably a good long-haul coffee table or bedside table read, though, and fans of his music get a complete picture of what was going on.

Balancing sheer volume of fascinating info with the tedious feeling as I read it, this gets three stars.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an exhaustive coverage of the life of George Michael, this book taught me much I hadn’t known about the singer/songwriter I listened to back in the day. I had his Faith CD and had to keep replacing it as my younger relatives kept making it disappear. It dives into his early life with a father who was against him going into music. His friendship with Ridgeley and their various attempts at bands before eventually making it with Wham. Also his solo career and the ever present search for love. His sad later years and too early death are also covered. His demons seemed to rule his life in many ways. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched but incredibly sad to read what happened to an amazingly talented person. I have to admit I had no idea the dark depths George sunk to in his later years and found it a bit sordid at times.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Makes me so sad that this author so gleefully took every opportunity to sully the name and reputation of such a lovely man. Was George Michael troubled and often ill- equipped to deal with everything life threw at him? Yes, he most certainly was. That is not an excuse to take advantage of the tragic fact that he is no longer here to defend himself. By sensationalising and speculating about the details that he has no more insight into than anyone else, he shows himself to be no better than the media and paparazzi who pursued him throughout his life. Nobody has an unkind word to say about George Michael, in fact nothing but heartwarming stories about his kindness and compassion have surfaced since his death. This author however, has somehow managed to paint a sordid picture not only of Michael but of those closest to him. It is a shame that the author could not have learned a lesson about humanity from the man who he sought to tear apart.

[mk · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Michael with his tremendous voice spent most of his life looking for “Somebody To Love”. This book was too long and slow to start, but I enjoyed once it got past the “Faith” years reading how the fame affected and the drug addiction and tabloid scandals overrun his life. Such a talent, gone too soon. Thanks for netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

[Marta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting in that Gavin takes a more negative approach than other biographies. George Michael was vocal about his preference to be photographed from his left side, and yet here is the right side purposely placed. I think biographies are better when the author treats the subject with empathy and care. This reads like a lab researcher examining an insect with tongs.

[Bryan Cebulski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tore through this! It suffers from some of the shortcomings that all celebrity biographies suffer, mainly the way the popular image and the myth overshadow the individual, but it was well done and compelling overall! I appreciate that it did avoid the flaw of most music biographies, which is following the subject's life album by album rather than life event to life event.

George Michael comes out of this as having lurid and sad life, being a complicated, difficult, but compelling figure.

EDIT: I thought this book had come out before 2019 so I gave the he/himming of Sam Smith a pass but it came out in 2022!? Crap off with that!!

[Shelly Cerullo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I swear to God, if I have to read one more sanctimonious profile of a queer person that implies or states directly that they somehow owe it to their public to come out, I AM GOING TO LOSE MY FUCKING MIND. I think what made this so infuriating is that Gavin didn't even have the courage of his convictions to put it in his own words, it was just a whole bunch of pointedly placed quotes from Boy George and other queer folks in Michael's life that gave the reader the impression that Michael had done something hypocritical by not coming out of his own free will. Where is the hypocrisy? He spoke up for AIDS research, never condemned anyone for being gay, and CERTAINLY didn't do anyone any harm by being closeted. (Also I'm not really convinced that Gavin even liked Michael's music, but that's a pet peeve that I feel less strongly about.)

In other news that isn't really relevant to the book as a whole, WHY DO YOU HATE ELTON JOHN AND WHITNEY HOUSTON GAVIN? DO YOU JUST HATE JOY? AND MUSIC??? (Seriously, calling Elton John a "bloated, balding clown" and Whitney Houston's ballads "schmaltzy" just made me so ANGRY.)

[Takisx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Γιώργος,το αλάνι,η κορμάρα. Πολύ νέος για να ζήσει, πολύ μεγάλος για να κατάφερει να ξαναγγενηθει, αυτός για μένα θα ήταν ο πρόλογος αυτού του κατά άλλα, εκπληκτικού βιβλίου, μία βιογραφία που ευτυχώς δεν έγινε αγιογραφία,κι ο Γιώργος μπορεί να κοιμάται ήσυχος, αφού όλα τα μυστικά είχαν κοινοποιηθεί όσο ζούσε,κι έτσι ο οποιος διασυρμός μοιάζει τουλάχιστον εδώ με χάδι

Έλειπε μόνο η υπογραφή:την έβαλε ο βιογράφος του κι έτσι τα μυστικά πήραν άλλη διάσταση,κι εγώ που δεν υπήρξα ποτέ ένθερμος φαν,με κάνε να θέλω να γυρνάω και να γυρνάω αχόρταγα τις σελίδες για να συναντηθώ με το παρακάτω

Ποιο ήταν το παρακάτω;;

Μα η αληθινή του ζωή,που περιείχε ντρακζ,σεξ, ποτό, ξανά σεξ, και πολλά τσιγαριλικια

Και τι έγινε που πέθανε νέος;

Τόσες φορές είχε πεθάνει στην αληθινή του ζωή,η κανονική δεν μας πειράζει καθόλου

Άλλωστε το επιθυμούσε διακαώς,όπως όλοι οι διάσημοι,οι πολύ διάσημοι πλήρωσαν με ζωντανό νόμισμα την ίδια τους την φήμη

Κι έτσι από κει που είναι, πλήρως αναπαυόμενος κι ίσως γαληνεμενος, ίσως να μας χαιρετάει σιωπηλά.

[Nicki - The Overflowing Bookcase · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a teenager growing up falling in love with George Michael and using his music as an anthem of my youth his story behind the façade has always interested me. Although this book was very slow moving and seemed to revolve solely around the fact that George was gay and had trouble coming to terms with it, it was also the undercurrent of a man so possessed with trying not to fail that he ended up isolated and afraid. I had no idea that he struggled to keep writing and singing after the SONY debacle and that up until the very end the drugs he was abusing played a huge role in his demise. After reading this book I can now say that George Michael was a man filled with self hatred and consumed with the idea of failure. Not something I would have felt with his otherwise.

[Liesl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive look at a very complicated man. As I was too young to fully appreciate Michael in his heyday, I became a fan of his music later as an adult, and this book provided the perfect opportunity for me to learn much more about him, especially as a person. Those smooth vocals emitted from an individual who lived a tortured existence and never seemed completely happy with his career, even during its early successes. Gavin has done an impressive amount of research and while the length of the book was initially quite daunting, I'm glad to have read it and now have an even greater appreciation of Michael's catalogue.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title.

[Yannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Είναι σχεδόν θρίλερ. Σου σφίγγει το στομάχι. Και όχι μόνο στο τέλος.

[Mediaman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Superficial, verbose, poorly written, and surprisingly boring biography of a man whose life should have made for a fascinating read. It's over 400 l0ng pages of bits of facts mixed with lots of over-the-top emotional adjectives, confusing asides, quotes from odd inclusions, and some gay rights preachiness. It needed a more objective biographer, a really good editor able to cut out the many unimportant parts, and fewer attempts to guess why something happened or what someone might have been thinking.

Some in the gay community might enjoy this lop-sided propaganda that lacks much titillation, but the rest will find it's an unfathomable manuscript that tires quickly. You'll have to ask someone to wake you up but you certainly will want to go-go.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there are plenty of facts, and the book is well-researched and thorough, there's no feeling in this book. It's like reading a well-written Wikipedia page about George Michael instead of a thoughtful account of his life. This is probably because the author doesn't have any real connection with the subject. Overall, the book is interesting but dry.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

[Samantha Noonan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly enough love shown for George in this book. Feels like it was written for American readers. It’s impersonal, often judgemental & lacks empathy. I feel quite angry about it upon finishing it. This beautiful, tortured, generous, talented and charismatic soul deserved so much more than this.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

That was gut-wrenching.

I was never a fan of Wham! or George Michael's music. In high school, I was a "freak" and you'd find me wearing a black leather jacket and spiked armbands, smoking a joint or drinking Jack Daniels straight from the bottle, hidden behind the tennis courts at lunch break. I thought Wham! was absolutely horrifying. Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Ozzy, et al. were my idols, not these cotton candy colored goofballs. I wanted to puke every time "Faith" or "Freedom 90" came on MTV.

So why did I read this HUGE biography of George? I don't know. When he died in 2016, I thought, "Heart failure? That's weird, he wasn't that old... such a shame." Didn't think too much about it or him. But I've noticed over the past few years, I've been hearing "Careless Whisper" and "Last Christmas" a lot more. At the mall, in restaurants, radio, Spotify, TV, I don't know, it's been a resurgence it seems. And then I found myself singing along. 🫢

I heard rumors that George had been extremely generous and had anonymously donated tons of money to charities. There's also the rumor he added Andrew Ridgeley (the "other Wham! guy" as most people probably think of him) to the writing credits of "Careless Whisper" to ensure that Andrew got royalties from the song though George actually wrote it by himself. I was curious. What was this dude really all about? Then my sister was watching the new documentary on Netflix about George, which was based on Ridgeley's memories of their growing up together and time in Wham! The film ends when Wham! breaks up and doesn't address George's incident á la Pee Wee Herman or his death.

So, yeah. I dove into this 500+ page monster and I freaking loved it and now I love George Michael! The author has done a spectacular job of research, interviewing, and writing. This covers George's entire life and death in a way that had me entranced. If you look and see just how many books I am "currently" reading, that will show you how hard it is for me to maintain enough interest to actually complete a book. Other reviews said this should have been edited down 100 pages or so, but I disagree. As George became increasingly dependent on drugs and alcohol to keep his demons at bay, the book does seem a bit repetitive - but I think it's important to show that he kept doing all these self destructive and stupid things, denying he had any addictions, getting a pass from police, and then screwing up again. And again. And again. As the book goes on and on, you start feeling trapped and antsy along with George. I thought it really conveyed this claustrophobic feeling that nothing was ever going to be all right - there was always something to knock George down again.

I hadn't been aware that George had been addicted to pot and GHB and smoked crack. I didn't know about all his arrests for DWI, smashing into cars and buildings and passing out at the wheel. I didn't know he had made suicide attempts, and one was especially shocking to me because he threw himself out of a moving vehicle on a 4 lane highway. It's so sad, his sycophantic entourage covered up all these things as best they could and didn't try to force him to go to rehab. They enabled him to keep on that gravy train. I knew about George's arrest for masturbating in a public toilet but didn't know that George was so tormented by his sexual orientation and terrified his career would end if he came out (Yay, the 80s!) that the fear truly ruined him. This book is so heartbreaking, especially when George was considered "washed up" at the age of 35, but he kept trying to show the world he was a serious songwriter and talent. Unfortunately the world had moved on to Nirvana and Oasis and rap, and he was deemed irrelevant. He was bloated and fat, hair was graying, and he started going off the rails.

The author talks about his mysterious death and it seems to be believed that he committed suicide on his late mother's birthday. His shady ass boyfriend later declared that George had been HIV+ and also admitted that he took PHOTOS of George's dead body before calling 999, over an hour after he found him. WTF.

The epilogue made me tear up because George isn't here to see that his work is being celebrated by a new generation and he's even viewed as having paved the way for gay men to feel free to be who they are and to live their lives the way they want. He died a very sad and tormented man, all alone on Christmas Eve.

TLDR: worth the time to read!

PS: I think that Netflix documentary on Wham! is clearly all Ridgeley's spin on things and he comes off like the very bestest friend in the whole wide world. George isn't here to refute anything or tell his side, which is very convenient for Ridgeley to be all "The decision to end Wham! was mutual." 🤔

PPS: dang, this review is as long as the book

[Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really not sure how to rate this book. It was both interesting and very depressing. It made me sad not only for George Michael, but there were many echos of the life of a dear friend, gone far too soon in the early years of AIDS.

It also reminded me of a younger version of me who danced to his music. Older me still dances to it now and then. To my way of thinking, Faith was a masterpiece album.

I’m going to ding a star for the way that the author handled his Notes section. Though I understand that it makes for an easier read to not have them referenced throughout the text, I prefer to have it directly referenced. That makes it easier for me to look things up when I want to.

If I could give a 3.5, that would be my rating.

[Anders Rosen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a Shakespearean tragedy GM’s life was! It brought him wealth and fame but contributed to his fall eventually.And everything was created by an upbringing where he wasn’t allowed to be genuine which forced him to create another persona which turned out to be the artist George Michel we all know.A very sad story indeed.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my 11-year-old self listened to “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” I thought Wham! was going to be bigger than the Beatles. Infectious pop music, two cute guys, the sky’s the limit, right? It was not to be. When Wham! broke up after only two records and George Michael started his solo career, I couldn’t wait for his first album, Faith. The debut song, “I Want Your Sex” made my 14-year old self extremely uncomfortable to listen to around my uber-conservative parents, but they must have been oblivious because my parents let me buy the album. I remember that album as the soundtrack to the time shortly before and after my father’s death. After that, I sort of lost track of George Michael and what he was doing, beyond his duets with Aretha Franklin and Elton John. He dropped off my radar, and now I know why.

George Michael: A Life takes a deep dive into the life of one of the biggest pop stars of the 1980’s. Most of what I knew of George Michael was incorrect, fed to me by teeny bopper magazines. There was speculation for a long time that Michael was gay, but I didn’t care. He was drop dead gorgeous, had a smooth and silky voice, and wrote some of the best songs to the soundtrack of my formative years. Even at a young age, I didn’t care about sexuality, but George Michael did. In the early to mid-1980’s, coming out was not something one did without serious repercussions, and George Michael did not want to alienate his rabid female fan base. He was also keeping his sexuality a secret from his parents, although he did eventually come clean to his mother shortly before her death.

Because Michael was in the closet, he led a tortured life. I can’t imagine what it was like living a lie for so long, especially to his very traditional Greek father. He was a genius, but a tortured one. Isn’t that always the case? As he craved and then received fame and adulation, his perfectionism and fright at his sexuality being found out put a huge strain on Michael.

Michael’s life seems like a textbook case of sex, drugs and rock and roll. He began to smoke pot and graduated to various harder drugs and alcohol to numb his internal pain. In the late 1980’s George finally came clean to his fans and admitted he was gay because he’d finally found love. That bliss was not to last, however, as his partner contracted AIDS and died. The U.K. press was vicious to him throughout the rest of his life.

George Michael’s career after that did not make too many headlines in the U.S.A., which may explain why he sort of dropped off my radar. His subsequent albums following Faith did not register too high on the American charts, and he got very little radio play. And that really bugged him. He was successful in the U.K. and other countries, but continued success with North American audiences eluded him.

I had no idea until reading this book just how many times Michael crashed his Range Rover or was caught with his pants down in a public bathroom. I simply don’t know why or how I missed these scandals, as at that time it was my habit to watch celebrity gossip shows like Entertainment Tonight. What’s most shocking is how lightly Michael got off for each offense. Well, maybe not. In Wisconsin, where we have seven of the ten drunkest cities in the U.S., repeat drunk drivers rarely make the news until it’s their tenth OWI. Reading about Michael’s slow decline and repeated drug use was hard to swallow. George Michael’s various run-ins with the law just didn’t gather much press in the U.S.

I do remember the shock of hearing of Michael’s death at a relatively young age. The official cause of death was heart failure, but now I know there was more to it than that. Michael became one in a long line of entertainers who killed themselves with drink and drugs, and I got really depressed reading the book, as often happens when I read the truth about celebrities I’m interested in. I’m glad I got a closer look at Michael’s life, because his music brings me joy, and hope that he’s found peace at last.

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from NetGalley and Abrams Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a teenager I, like billions of others around the world, fell in love with George Michael and his rebellious style and ways were the soundtrack to my youth so to have a look behind the facade was fascinating to me. His relationships with people, both famous and not, we’re nothing short of tragic and heartbreaking to see how people took advantage of his generous spirit. While I kind of felt this may have been a little too long, I understand why the author felt it necessary to go to minute details around some situations because they affected things later down the line, he seemed to just reinforce the fact that George was gay over and over. Which, while I understand at the time was shocking to some, but it didn’t make up his complete personality and for the author to pound that fact over and over seemed a little trite and unnecessary.
That being said, looking behind the curtain at how he made music and moreso how he struggled when he couldn’t find any music in himself so he resorted to drugs and sex to ease his pain was so painful to read about. He was consumed with self loathing and I had no idea and it just breaks my heart to think that someone so talented had no value of himself.
Thanks to Abrams Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are gen X like myself I think you will enjoy hearing the back story of George Michael and his life. If you are younger or older, I still say read the book because a lot of what George suffered still applies today. George was not a saint by any means and sometimes was a real pain in the neck and this book does not sugar coat his faults. I definitely recommend the book for an un-white washed look at the star. This is coming from an unabashed fan of Wham! from the beginning-I loved the songs, "Bad Boys" and "Young Guns" and have all the Wham! and old George Michael cassettes. It is a sad story which began with huge promise. The biographer did a lot of research and is a very good writer in my opinion.. I would read more James Gavin in the future.. In any event, this is a kind of Greek tragedy ..ironic that George had roots in Cyprus. RIP Yorg. ​

Thank you to the publisher and Net galley for the chance to read and review