George: A Memory of George Michael

George: A Memory of George Michael
Sean Smith

George is the story of two extraordinary lives – the private man and the public legend.Georgios Panayiotou was just eighteen when he decided to adopt the stage name of George Michael. Sometimes his two worlds would collide with shattering consequences.Bestselling biographer Sean Smith has gone back to the neighbourhoods of North London to trace the astonishing journey of a sensitive but determined boy who grew up to be one of the biggest British pop stars of all time.Along the way, he talks to those close to George, revealing the real man – funny, articulate, intelligent and generous spirited – who hid behind the powerful image he created.He reveals the complex relationship with his high-achieving Greek-Cypriot father; the unconditional love of his mother; his teenage relationships with girls; and his first tragic love affair with another man.George’s career began falteringly with a schoolboy band, exploded with Wham! before he became a solo phenomenon. But at the height of his fame, the world seemed to turn against him. Smith describes his despair at losing the two people who mattered most, how he sought consolation in drugs, his notorious ‘coming out’ and how he ended up in jail.His health failed him and he died heartbreakingly alone on Christmas Day, 2016.Affectionate yet honest and moving, George is both a celebration of George Michael’s music and a lasting tribute to a decent and much-loved man.

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2017

SECOND EDITION

Text © Sean Smith 2017

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Source ISBN: 9780008155643

Ebook Edition © November 2017 ISBN: 9780008155650

Version: 2018-05-22

Also by Sean Smith (#ua0116fdc-5f3c-5042-b653-1095569ef191)

Adele

Kim

Tom Jones: The Life

Kylie

Gary

Alesha

Tulisa

Kate

Robbie

Cheryl

Victoria

Justin: The Biography

Britney: The Biography

J.K. Rowling: A Biography

Jennifer: The Unauthorized Biography

Royal Racing

The Union Game

Sophie’s Kiss (with Garth Gibbs)

Stone Me! (with Dale Lawrence)

Dedication (#ua0116fdc-5f3c-5042-b653-1095569ef191)

For David and Marian

Contents

Cover (#u213a2ed3-be4c-558c-8b9a-175840d5b638)

Title Page (#uf4015158-f261-5e3e-bf24-b6ba2f072bf6)

Copyright (#u470d7825-1a03-56fc-a111-3bc031fe63e1)

Also by Sean Smith (#ubb72e2b5-c9dc-57d0-83ac-d3a77067b716)

Dedication (#ua31d0a1e-89f0-5964-b1f9-6aef50b2404a)