50 Surprising Facts About George Michael

George Michael—born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou—was more than just a pop icon. He was a master of reinvention, a voice of his generation, and a quiet but powerful force in philanthropy. Behind the leather jacket and mirrored shades was a man who gave anonymously to families in need, championed causes close to his heart, and left a legacy of compassion as much as music. As we mark his birthday, here are 50 surprising and wholesome facts about the one and only George Michael.

  1. George Michael’s real name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou.
  2. His father was a Greek Cypriot restaurateur, and his mother was an English dancer.
  3. He began showing interest in music after a childhood head injury at age 8.
  4. George met his future Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley at Bushey Meads School.
  5. Before Wham!, he busked on the London Underground performing Queen songs.
  6. He worked as a DJ at local restaurants and schools before making it big.
  7. The ska band he played in before Wham! was called The Executive.
  8. Wham!’s first album Fantastic went to No. 1 in the UK.
  9. “Careless Whisper” was technically George’s first solo single, despite being on a Wham! album.
  10. Wham! became the first Western pop act to tour China in 1985.
  11. At the historic China concert, George tried to get the crowd clapping, but they thought he was asking for applause.
  12. The documentary Wham! in China: Foreign Skies captured their groundbreaking tour.
  13. He legally changed his name to George Michael as he entered stardom.
  14. George won his first Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year in 1985.
  15. He donated all profits from “Last Christmas” to Band Aid.
  16. He performed with Elton John at Live Aid, singing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
  17. He co-wrote “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” with Aretha Franklin, earning a Grammy.
  18. His debut solo album Faith sold over 25 million copies globally.
  19. The single “I Want Your Sex” was banned on many stations but still became a huge hit.
  20. “Faith” was the top-selling single in the US in 1988.
  21. He performed with Aretha Franklin during the Faith Tour in Los Angeles.
  22. The Faith album won Album of the Year at the 1989 Grammys.
  23. Despite superstardom, he opted out of promotion for his second solo album.
  24. The video for “Freedom! ’90” famously featured supermodels instead of himself.
  25. He performed “Somebody to Love” with Queen at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
  26. George considered it the proudest moment of his career.
  27. His duet with Elton John from that show went to No. 1 in both the US and UK.
  28. “Jesus to a Child” was a tribute to his late partner Anselmo Feleppa.
  29. The album Older produced six UK Top 3 singles in a two-year span.
  30. George was awarded Songwriter of the Year for the third time in 1996.
  31. His Ladies & Gentlemen hits collection spent over 200 weeks on the UK chart.
  32. “Outside” poked fun at his own 1998 arrest and became a hit.
  33. He performed a duet with Mary J. Blige called “As,” reaching the UK Top 5.
  34. His 1999 album Songs from the Last Century consisted entirely of covers.
  35. He co-produced a duet with Whitney Houston, “If I Told You That,” in 2000.
  36. George released a protest song, “Shoot the Dog,” criticizing UK-U.S. politics.
  37. He performed at the 2005 Live 8 concert with Paul McCartney.
  38. His 25 Live tour in 2006 marked his first tour in 15 years.
  39. George was the first artist to perform at the renovated Wembley Stadium.
  40. He guest-starred in Eli Stone and inspired a season’s worth of episode titles.
  41. He recorded a wedding gift cover for Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.
  42. George fell into a coma from pneumonia in 2011 and later performed a free concert for the hospital staff who saved him.
  43. His final concert took place at London’s Earls Court in 2012.
  44. George funded the annual Christmas lights and fair in Highgate for over a decade.
  45. He anonymously paid for a woman’s IVF treatment after seeing her story on TV.
  46. He tipped a barmaid £5,000 to help pay off her student debt.
  47. George was a major donor to Childline, Macmillan Cancer Support, and the Terrence Higgins Trust.
  48. His piano from John Lennon was sent on a peace tour across America, funded entirely by George.
  49. The song “Last Christmas” finally hit UK #1 in 2021—36 years after its release.
  50. Even after his death, George’s legacy continues through posthumous releases, documentaries, and tributes to his generosity.