George in Metrosource – the article

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It’s been 20 years since George Michael last performed in the United States, but this year George stands poised to conquer
America once again. “Touring the States and seeing my television show debut will indeed make 2008 a big year for me, artistically,” Michael told Metrosource from his studio in London. But before we delve into the details, it’s time to bring America up to speed on how your favorite father figure and mine has been spending the last couple of decades.

I’M YOUR MAN: 26 YEARS OF GEORGE
“Wham! Bam! I am! A man!” 18-year-old Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou rapped, and with his big hair and new stage name,
George Michael had a dream of becoming a man who conquered the music world. Though “Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do)” wasn’t quite the song to make it happen, Michael, along with his buddy Andrew Ridgeley, hatched their plan to be the biggest pop band ever. And for a while, they were. Wham!’s second album, 1984’s Make It Big, spawned three number-one singles in America, including “Careless Whisper,” and made them poster children for the ‘80s video era.

But the beginning of the end for Wham! came quickly. In 1985 the pair became the first Western pop act to visit China, but
only a year later, they performed their final concert at London’s Wembley Arena. (The duo reunited only once, at Rock in Rio 2 in 1991, where Michael met someone whom he later referred to as his first true love, Brazilian Anselmo Feleppa.)

By the end of the 1980s, solo success had come to Michael. He’d had four number-one singles in America from his solo
debut, 1987’s Faith, and performed duets with artists including Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Smokey
Robinson. But after 18 months of touring, burnout was inevitable: Michael did not appear in videos or grant interviews
for his 1990 release, Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1.

Nevertheless, George gave the performance of his life for Queen’s Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992, resulting in the
release of a live charity EP, Five Live. Tragically, Feleppa was suffering from the same illness that took the life of Mercury, and in 1993, he passed due to an AIDS-related brain hemorrhage. George found himself unable to write and fell deep into clinical depression. The block lasted until 1994, when “Jesus to a Child” came to him, Michael has said, in a friend’s kitchen. The song suggested Michael was back on form musically, even though his depression hadn’t lifted.

Older came in 1996, spawning six top three singles in the U.K. but none in the U.S. (though the general consensus outside
America is that Older is Michael’s career masterpiece). Following a greatest hits album in 1998, Michael teamed with Phil Ramone to produce Songs from the Last Century, a cover album of classics; later came anti-Bush/anti-war political statement “Shoot the Dog” and his 2004 comeback, Patience.

I REMEMBER YOU: GEORGE IN PERSON
But before he could release Patience, I was standing patiently outside Air Studios in North London in October 2003. I jumped as a nearby silver Range Rover tooted its horn, and I turned to see George Michael in the driver’s seat, waving and smiling at me. As his usual king-sized parking space was taken, his only option was to squeeze in between a fence and a red sports car. Amused, I watched as the car jumped, jerked and eventually navigated the spot. Finally, he emerged from the car, sporting a broad, genuine smile and shook my hand. “Hi, how are you?” he asked, beaming. “Have you got a question for me?”

An elaborate discussion ensued about an upcoming single that he, with amusement, informed me was called “John and
Elvis Are Dead” (released in the U.K. in early 2005). He added, “I should get the thing out now, shouldn’t I?”, cheekily referring to the new album for which fans had been waiting seven years. We later parted with a laugh with Michael adding, “Oh, and I’ve booked Wembley for next Christmas!” I laughed too; ”Christmas” had become George Michael’s in-joke answer to every question about future plans. “I’ll see you again!” he promised, before entering his studio. Indeed, those dates at Wembley never came… not that year, anyway.

AMAZING: GEORGE ON TOUR AGAIN
In 2006, something happened that every George Michael fan had written off for at least a decade: He announced a major European tour. Although the American leg has yet to be officially confirmed, we hear whispers that he will likely appear at Madison Square Garden circa June 2008, with additional U.S. dates certainly possible.

But I was not about to miss a chance to see him perform live; so on the 23rd of September, 2006, I found myself a few rows away from the front of the stage in a Barcelona venue called Palau Sant Jordi; it was opening night of George Michael’s first tour since 1991. “Maybe he’s actually at home in London?” my friend worried earnestly as the show began, because, although we could hear his voice, Michael was still nowhere to be seen.

[This, comment, by the way, was originally: "Maybe he's at home in London wanking?"]

The song was “Waiting (Reprise)” and Michael’s very live voice sang, “You once said there’s a way back for every man, so here I am. Is it too late to try again, here I am…” Then came the moment for which we’d all waited a decade-and-a-half: George Michael entered the stage to screams that made our ears ring, embarking on “Flawless,” the unofficial gay anthem from his 2004 album Patience.

The show’s second half included “Jesus to a Child,” the song about Anselmo Feleppa. As the melody began, it was just Michael on stage, with the microphone and some melancholy leaves falling on the screen in the background. We in the audience tried to offer our support by joining him in song as the performance became more and more emotional — as if he were falling deeper and deeper into his personal memories as the song progressed. But though his face showed pain, his voice remained unwavering.

As the end of the concert loomed, I noticed the saxophone player preparing and knew what was coming. Michael was going
to do it — the song he’d said so many times that he’d never sing again. “I think you’ve all been waiting for this one!” he
announced, and then it came — “Careless Whisper.” He was right. This was what we’d all been waiting for, and we all obliged his request to sing along, “We could have been so good together,we could have lived this dance forever but now, who’s gonna dance with me? Please stay!” With that, George Michael had done what he’d come to do: We all left with the surreal feeling that what had just occurred was actually a dream.

A DIFFERENT CORNER: WHAT’S NEXT FOR 2008
If you’re an American fan of George Michael, chances are you haven’t seen him live since the days of DayGlo and eyeliner. But George Michael seems set to conquer America once again. “The response I received my from my 25 Live tour was astounding,” Michael said. “It’s tough to know if your fans are still there after taking off so much time; so having the exceptional turnout to my European shows blew me away and encouraged me to bring the tour to America. … My American fans have always been incredibly supportive of me, so I really look forward to coming back and reconnecting with them all!”

And in addition to the release of a greatest hits record, Twenty Five, and the thrilling likelihood Michael will bring one of
the world’s best concerts (it’s already been the hottest ticket in Europe during 2006 and 2007) to the U.S., he’ll also be coming to your television.

In his first acting role, Michael will play a guardian angel to Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting) on ABC’s new drama, Eli Stone. The show — scheduled for a January 2008 debut — features Michael appearing in dream sequences in which he advises and encourages the lead character, a cutthroat lawyer, to do good deeds. As a result of this newfound ability, Eli starts to believe his destiny is to become a spiritual prophet, whereas Eli’s doctor thinks the hallucinations might be due to an aneurysm.

The show, described as a combination of the fantasy and spirituality of Ghost Whisperer, the sincerity and passion of The Practice and the quirky humor of Monk, explores the question of whether we can change the course of our lives in midstream. But you’ll have to tune in to find out whether it takes a spiritual experience or brain damage to get George Michael to come to you in your dreams.

Perhaps this is how we’ll primarily get to see George Michael in the future: acting on screen rather than singing on stage.
Michael has already shown an affection for the medium, appearing in cameos for British cult comedy smashes including Little Britain and Extras. But whether the next time you see George is on the ABC network or on a live stage, rest assured, America. Your patience has been rewarded. More George Michael is just around the corner. ——————————————->

Faith-ah, faith-ah, faith-AH!

Who could it be?

Lemme give you a hint:
About 500 guys in London just went
“Ah, I recognise him!”

Cuzzzzzzz I gotta have…

Faith-ah

Faith-ah

Faith-AH!

George on Eli Stone