10 Fun Facts About George Michael

What was the birth name of the artist known as George Michael?

George Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in London. He adopted his stage name for broader appeal while still honoring his Greek Cypriot heritage.

In April 1985 Wham! became the first Western pop act to tour which country?

The Chicago Tribune headline read 'East meets Wham!, and another great wall comes down'; members of the government sat in the audience.

Who was the other founding member of the musical duo Wham! alongside George Michael?

The two met at Bushey Meads School in Hertfordshire, where the future star was nicknamed 'Yog', and formed the duo in 1981.

What was the title of George Michael's highly successful debut solo album, released in 1987?

George Michael's debut solo album, 'Faith,' was released in 1987. It became a global phenomenon, selling over 25 million copies worldwide and earning him a Grammy Award.

Which Wham! single, stuck at number two in 1984, finally hit UK number one in January 2021?

It was held off the top in 1984 by a famine-relief charity single that Michael himself sang on, and he gave the song's royalties to the same cause.

Which George Michael solo hit is known for its music video featuring supermodels?

Michael refused to appear in the David Fincher-directed video, so Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz and Cindy Crawford lip-synced the song instead.

With which soul legend did George Michael record the 1987 duet 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)'?

It was his third consecutive solo UK number one from three releases, and it gave the Queen of Soul her first UK chart-topper.

George Michael sang on which 1984 charity single for Ethiopian famine relief?

He sang his lines third on the Band Aid record, after Paul Young and Boy George, and the single went on to become the biggest seller in UK chart history until 1997.

Who joined George Michael for the 1991 Wembley duet of 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me'?

The pair had first sung the song together at Live Aid in 1985; Michael split the proceeds from the 1991 single among ten charities.

In what part of London was George Michael born?

His father was a Greek Cypriot restaurateur and his mother an English dancer; the family later moved out to Radlett in Hertfordshire.