Singer George Michael dies, 53
LONDON — George Michael’s moment of liberation followed what seemed at first to be a time of deep humiliation.
He was blessed with extreme good looks and an exquisite voice, attributes he used to become first a teenybopper heartthrob and then a mature solo artist with videos that played up his considerable appeal to the opposite sex. He kept his own sexual preference private, until he was arrested in 1998 for lewd conduct in a public toilet in Los Angeles after being spotted by a male undercover police officer.
In an earlier era, that might have doomed his career. Instead of retreating, however, he made a single and video — “Outside” — that ridiculed the charges against him and mocked the Los Angeles police officers who busted him.
The image of the two uniformed policemen kissing in the video — it was both funny and outrageous at the time — helped Michael come out as a proud gay man. He was unashamed, unapologetic and ready to poke fun at himself even as he produced a steady stream of hits.
But Michael, whose death from heart failure at 53 was announced Sunday, struggled in his later years, fighting a number of health issues and substance abuse problems. His voice remained golden — at times it seemed there was almost no limit to his range — but his behavior in public became ever more erratic.
Despite his great talent, he never found a niche for himself as a senior statesman of the rock world. His fans stuck with him despite it all, and many expected one more comeback. People rooted for Michael, even as they felt he was slipping away, giving in to his torment.
Michael shot to stardom at an early age in the teen duo WHAM! and moved smoothly into a solo career. It was a classic show biz story — a lad named Georgios Panayiotou with strong Greek Cypriot roots takes the name George Michael and forms a band with Andrew Ridgeley that brings him wealth and fame.
The photos and videos from that era show Michael with long locks, piercing eyes and a cheerful, show-stopping smile. He was made for MTV, which was emerging as a dominant force, and he had a powerful video presence, borrowing some of his dance moves from Elvis Presley and sometimes styling himself as a motorcycle rebel.
He seemed to be on top of the world when he graduated from WHAM! and started scoring his own hits, but later said he was struggling with his sexuality and remembers his late 20s as a very depressing period.
AIDS was hitting the gay community extremely hard at the time, and he lost one partner to the disease. He said it took him several years to recover.
He was unsettled and unhappy and, at the same time, became that rare artist who enjoys both chart success and tremendous respect from his peers. He sold well over 100 million albums, walked away from awards dinners weighed down with trophies, and recorded duets with the giants in his field.
