What are your thoughts on George Michael?

Do you think that his music was cool? or catchy? or cheesy? or gay?

Regardless, I think that he was a super talented dude that passed away too soon. I got the impression that during his last years he did not take care of himself. The rumor was that he suffered from depression after losing his mother to cancer and his partner to AIDS, and that he never recovered. God bless his soul, he was a great philanthropist and hated to make it public when donating to charity. He left a fortune of $100 million pounds and 3 houses.

Saw him in Miami back in 1988 for his 'Faith' tour and he really knew how to put on a good show.

I mention him b/c I just finished reading his book "George" by Sean Smith, awesome book.

3 things stood out from reading the book:

1) Before Wham! was famous, Andrew and him saved 100 pounds to record a demo tape. No record label was interested in them at the time (this was sometime in early 1982). So they showed up at Innervision's office (Columbia record's branch label in the UK), told the receptionist that they had an appointment with a record executive (it was a lie), and when she checked the schedule agenda, she said that their names are not on the list. So they "acted" to be angry and demanded to see an executive stating what a incommunicative bunch of staff members the company represented. Long story short, she allowed them to see a record executive and well you know, the rest is music history.

The other story is on a boring Sunday afternoon, Andrew and him were watching tv. Suddenly George got up and ran upstairs. 20 minutes later Andrew went to check on him, and he was finishing writing "Last Christmas" with a tape recorder in hand. He said that the melody started playing in his mind after watching a commercial and he ran to write it before he had forgotten it.

And last story, "Careless Whisper" was written 4 years before the song was released in 1984. He was 17 y.o. at the time, knew nothing about relationships, and put together a well written song with probably the most iconic sax solo of the 80's (or in pop music history). He added Andrew as the writing partner so that he could get royalties out of the song if it ever became successful.

I recommend this book. $6 used on eBay.

His music legacy will live on.