Review: George Michael: A Life – James Gavin

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The definitive biography of George Michael, offering an expansive look at the troubled life of the legendary singer, songwriter, and pop superstar

George Michael was an extravagantly gifted, openhearted soul singer whose work was both pained and smolderingly erotic. He was a songwriter of true craft and substance, and his music swept the world, starting in the mid-1980s. His fabricated image—that of a hypermacho sex god—loomed large in the pop culture of his day. It also hid—for a time—the secret he fought against revealing: Michael was gay. Soon his obsession with fame would start to backfire. As one of the industry’s most privileged yet tortured men began to self-destruct, the press showed little sympathy. George Michael: A Life explores the compelling story of a superstar whose struggles, as well as his songs, continue to touch fans all over the world.

Acclaimed music biographer James Gavin traces Michael’s metamorphosis from the shy and awkward Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou into the swaggering, dominant half of the leading British pop duo of the 1980s Wham!; he then details Michael’s sensational solo career and its subsequent unraveling. With deep analysis of the creative process behind Michael’s albums, tours, and music videos, as well as interviews with hundreds of his friends and colleagues, George Michael: A Life is a probing, definitive portrait of a pop legend.

George Michael: A Life by James Gavin is the perfect title for this book because there is a lot I discovered about George Michael while reading this book. Before reading this book, I felt I knew a reasonable amount of information about Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou – but I was wrong. George Michael: A Life is a very intricate, thorough, and captivating biography of the legendary singer, songwriter, and icon.

My first introduction to George Michael was listening to the song, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go on my radio as a kid. Who can forget the music video for the song that showed George and Andrew having the time of their lives on stage. Wham’s music was easygoing and put everyone in a great mood. When Careless Whisper was released – it showed a different side of George Michael (no shade to Andrew, but my attention was on George Michael). My love for George Michael grew more when I saw him singing with one of my favorites, Stevie Wonder. It showed me that George Michael could hold his own against some music greats.

George Michael: A Life covers George’s early life, his untimely death, and the aftermath of his death. Even though George was extremely private, the book shed light on his rollercoaster life. Unfortunately, subjects like homosexuality were swept under the rug by his Greek family. By the time George Michael became famous, he was used to keeping his sexuality a secret.

The book detailed his rise to fame, his drug issues, family issues, health issues, and the drama that ensued for a piece of his fortune after his death. I devoured this 500+ page book in less than 24 hours – let me add the last few pages are notes/references.

After reading this book, I felt tremendous sadness because I had no idea about George Michael’s burdens. I also believe that George Michael’s life will serve as an inspirational and cautionary tale.

This last from the book will stay with me for a long time – “He was “adored by millions,” he said, “but couldn’t work out why.” I wished George Michael loved himself as much as we loved him.

Reviewed by: Orsayor

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