Gorgeous George Michael

Longevity in the music industry is down to one undeniable factor: talent that makes history. He has remained one of the world's biggest music icons - George Michael. This was an interview done by one of my colleagues who is more than glad to share it with me.

"If I could stay home without ever having to sit in front of the camera is one of my biggest dreams," George begins with a laugh, although he seems pretty much excited about the prospect of touring and still admitting that it is the most ego-striking thing he can do. But when I come to think of it, George has always been in for the music rather than fame. Even before I knew who he was, I was already humming his song, Careless Whisper.

But now, at 42 years old, he still makes women fall head over heels in love with his songs. But rather than the fame he has created, George still chooses to express himself through his lyrics and that's probably why his songs never seem to fade. "It is because writing songs always seem to reflect my innermost being," he explains.

George was then asked to share a short summary of how his career began. "I was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (reflecting his Greek lineage) and I admit that, at a young age, I was told that I couldn't sing." He then laughed hysterically.

Get on with it, George! "My father wanted me to go to a private school, but because of both my determined nature and hard headedness, I ended up at a school in Hertfordshire (UK). This was where I met Andrew Ridgeley. Although we were an unlikely duo, we both had a passion for music. We then formed our first band, The Executive, in 1981. Within a year, we were renamed as the duo Wham! (with songs such as Wake Me Up Before You Go Go). Then my career took off from there. My emergence of being a solo artist after Wham! was so delightful because I had no idea that it was coming," he shares.

George also reveals that Careless Whisper was written on a school bus when he was only 17. "Oh my, that was ages ago!" Laughed hysterically again and stopped after a minute or two. "Lyric writing to me was and still is one unenviable task of reinventing myself, so that's probably why I wrote such lyrics".

In 1988, George released his album entitled Faith, which was accompanied by a new bad boy leather and shades image. "I said to myself, then, oh my god! I'm a massive star and I think I may be a poof, what am I going to do next? This is surely not going to end well, I thought". But he was wrong because George established a new and good relationship with the public, which brought him more success.

One of George's most memorable performances was a duet with Sir Elton John in a song entitled Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. "Having to perform with Sir Elton is always one of my biggest achievements. He has a great voice apart from writing very meaningful lyrics. I especially loved that one song he wrote entitled, Goodbye England's Rose for our late Princess Diana", he says.

With both humour and frankness, George has always managed to regain his dignity through controversies. He smiles and admits and is certain that this is in connection with his sexuality. "Ok, everyone knows I'm gay.That's a fact and I'm not shy to admit it. I remember the first time that my sexuality was publicly revealed. You probably know about this story, but I'll tell you anyway. It was when I was followed into the restroom" he joked. "And then, there was this cop and he started playing this game. I should call it, 'I'll show you mine, you show me yours and then when you show me yours, I'll nick you! When I think of this today, I say to myself, 'Oh, what an idiot' and I start laughing again".

Many of us choose to remember George Michael for the scandal, but above all, there is so much more to him. As well as being one of the most iconic entertainers of our time, he is also a great humanitarian. Benefits for AIDS and war-torn countries are just a couple of examples where he has used his profile to help the needy. Until today, he continues to work with many other charities.

His new single, An Easier Affair, is yet another phase in his ever-evolving career. This includes the tragedies and struggles of his life, which would certainly produce an even more unforgettable outcome.

Many thanks for E.M.K. and L.P. for sharing with me such a great interview with George Michael.