Wham! member and renowned musician George Michael has been the most popular icon of history. He had given one after another hit. But his arrest, while ridding success, led to negative publicity for the singer. However, he knew how to deal with this matter and finally came out strong. But his sexuality always remained a question, especially after his arrest. Is George Michael Gay? Even Michael himself questioned whether he was gay or straight, or bisexual. But ultimately, he revealed his insecurities in an interview. Keep reading to know what he stated years ago.
Early Life
Born on June 25, 1963, in East Finchley, George Michael is the son of Kyriacos “Jack” Panayiotou and Lesley Angold. His father emigrated from Patriki to England, while his mother was an English dancer. Once in an interview, George said that his maternal grandmother was Jewish and married to a non-Jewish man and never told her children that they had a Jewish background. He grew up in Kingsbury, London, and attended Roe Green Junior School, then enrolled in Kingsbury High School. His family then moved to Radlett. So Michael attended Bushey Meads School in Bushey.
There he met Andrew Ridgeley, who had the same ambition, and they later formed a band named Wham. But before that, Michael started as DJ and singer on the London Underground. He later formed his band, which lived short. Its name was The Executive with Ridgeley, Ridgeley’s brother Paul, Jamie Gould, Andrew Leaver, and David Mortimer (later popular as David Austin).
George Michael’s Career
Michael formed a band named Wham with his childhood friend Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. But they later decided to change the name when they started achieving success. The band’s first album was Fantastic, which peaked at No.1 in the UK in 1983. They later came up with their singles, soon reaching No.1 on the US charts. He continued to come back with brilliant songs, one after the other, which remained blockbuster hits in various countries, including the US and the UK. Michael also contributed background vocals to David Cassidy.
He gave credit to Cassidy for being a major career influence, and he also interviewed Cassidy For David Litchfield’s Ritz Newspaper. Wham’s China tour in April 1985 gained worldwide media coverage as it was the first popular Western music act to visit China. Before their appearance in China, the country banned many types of music. In fact, the band’s manager Simon Napler-Bell took 18 months to convince the Chinese officials to let the group play. It was also documented for film and left a huge remark.
Without Wham!
In 1987, Michael came up with his solo performance. He dropped mega-hit songs that scored number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. The same year he released his debut solo album, Faith. The first song released was “I Want Your Sex,” which was banned in the US and UK radio stations for the use of sexually suggestive lyrics. MTV only broadcasted that song in the night hour. Michael later argued that the lyrics were about “explore monogamy” and not “casual sex.” After then, the radio stations played the song with a toned-down version where “love” replaced “sex.”
Despite this, a movie used that song. After then, it reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and in the UK chart, it ranked No. 3. The same year, he released another song named Faith which became one of the popular songs of the year. He continued to give hit after hit. Later he recorded the Five Live EP that featured five live recordings of Michael, Lisa Stansfield, and Queen. They recorded it at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
Was George Michael Gay?
Back then, many believed that George Michael was gay. But he revealed in a statement that he fantasized about women before he realized that he was bisexual. Michael had feelings for both men and women. He told this to one of his sisters and Andrew Ridgeley. But her sister told him not to reveal this in front of his parents. Later in an interview with The Advocate, Michael told Editor-in-Chief Judy Wieder that he was bisexual and dated men and women. He said found women attractive during the Wham! days but he never committed to them because he was a gay man and committed to staying loyal to his sexuality.
He stopped sleeping with the women when Britain was facing AIDS-pandemic. Two years later, Michael mentioned that he was in depression because he realized that he was gay, not bisexual. In the late 1980s, Michael had a relationship with make-up artist Kathy Jeung, who also appeared in the “I Want Your Sex” video and was his artistic muse. He stated that she was his only bona fied girlfriend and knew about his bisexuality. He later had a relationship with Anselmo Feleppa, who died from an AIDS-related brain hemorrhage.
Michael tributed a song, “Jesus to a Child,” to Feleppa. Four years later, he established a relationship with Kenny Goss, a former flight attendant and sportswear executive from Dallas, Texas. They planned to register their relationship as a civil partnership in the UK. But Michael didn’t want to gain negative publicity, so he postponed the plan, leading to their separation. In 2012, Michael and Fadi Fawaz were in a relationship that ended with Michael’s death.
Michael Arrested For Lewd Act
On April 7, 1998, Michael was arrested by an undercover policeman for engaging in a lewd act. It was a sting operation, and to clear the air, Michael finally revealed his sexuality in front of the public. But soon, he returned with a song that spoofed the undercover cop who sued Michael. Apart from this, Michael also got arrested for drug-impaired driving and engaging in anonymous public sex. But is George Michael Gay?
Is George Michael Alive?
Sadly, Michael died at his home in the early hours of Christmas Day in 2016. His partner Fadi found his dead body in his house. However, because of the delay in determining the reason behind his death, his funeral was held on March 29, 2017. But later, it was revealed he died because of a fatty liver, myocarditis, and dilated cardiomyopathy. He was buried beside his mother’s grave, and his sister died exactly three years after she was buried on the other side.
What do you think is Michael’s drug addiction was the main cause of his death? Was he a loyal boyfriend as he engaged in anonymous public sex while with Kenny? Comment down your thoughts below. Stay tuned. TechRadar247 will keep you updated.