I wrote the following a few years ago when George Michael passed away and I found it in my drafts.

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley nearly ran over my cousin Erika and her friend Sarah in Toronto, during the one and only concert Wham! held in Toronto.  I had forgotten that story and it was the first thing mentioned after breaking the news at Christmas Dinner about George Michael passing.

George Micheal was one of the artists that my cousin Erika and I connected over.  I often listened to her walkman and a tape she had picked up in Korea.

He was quite brilliant.  A vibrant pop act, an amazing voice and gone way to early.

It’s funny reading a friend’s post completely dismissing George Micheal’s music as pop crap.  They really have no idea the power of his music, nor the work he did behind the scenes for people and the world.  Quite an understated force.

Faith, for me, came out at the height of really good pop music in 1987.  The album dripped with sex, romance, love – someone trying to shed their pop roots to become a contemporary serious artist. I am surprised I was even allowed to listen to the album at the age of 13, but hey, I did. It seemed transcend the topic, taking it to a new level.

Listen without prejudice, Vol 1 – Completely changed the George Michael game.  A way more serious album. A completely brilliant, underrated album and a staple of my high school years.  Most notable tracks include Praying for Time, Heal the Pain and Mother’s Pride.

It never bothered me that it took him such a long time to come out as gay.  People do it on their own times. The pressure he was under, everything he dealt with, considering he had lost his first partner to HIV and then his mother in quick succession, it’s not surprising as he had other things to deal with in his life, including Sony and his fight for a new fair contract.

Listening back to Listen without prejudice, Vol 1; it’s not surprising that album spoke volumes to me.

I somewhat lost interest in George Michael after this. Albums such as Older, Songs From The Last Century, and Patience did not resonate with me until more recent times.

When I got on Twitter, I decided to follow George.  I followed, and I found him quite interesting and I enjoyed his banter. I miss his banter these days (updating this post in 2025).

His album Symphonica is amazing. His voice is amazing. I wish I had a chance to see him in concert.

RIP George Michael. You are missed.