The chances are George Michael was a richer human being than most of us.But as Elvis once said ”The image is one thing…the man is another”
Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou had issues with his self creation….George Michael-
”…And even though they would get underneath that, part of them would still see me as George Michael and would always see me as George Michael.And I can’t take that.I feel a great need to be away from George Michael most of the time”
The last lines from Bare -George Michael in his own words – (1990)
On Christmas night,my 15 year old daughter had enough tact to walk into the living room and switch off the TV .Bless her -she’d heard of George’s passing on social media and knew …like a lot of you… I LOVED GEORGE MICHAEL… When she told me he’d died ,I couldn’t register it ,a quick flick to Sky News confirmed matters.I wept silently, at first,then floods weren’t long in coming – the only consolation being that my little daughter understood and cradled me as I cried… I was vaguely aware of being pleased my wife and I have raised a good young woman.A full 24 hours older than myself George Michael was a person I always had a great affinity for.I remember sunbathing one summers day in 1981 and listening to a BBC Radio 1 discussion on Wham and the Young Guns single.In 1982 those Wham boys were everywhere they represented a Make it Big mentality (remember that album?) it was OK not to be Johnny Rotten anymore,fuck austerity we’re off to Club Tropicana ! where drinks are free and Don’t Worry, you can Suntan.As a young pirate DJ I played and replayed Wham,cliche alert! George Michael was the soundtrack to our 80s hormone riddled optimistic lives.Lesson – CHOOSE LIFE celebrate your youth ,Bill Gates and Donald Trump can’t buy youth …and would probably give every dime if they could(would you?).
Lesson 2 – ”…George Michael had a maturity about him one rarely sees in someone so young…he had a great maturity about him...” – Jon Roseman,showbiz king the man behind the Careless Whisper,Young Guns and Club Tropicana videos.I was fortunate enough recently to have a good long conversation with Jon and this gem of an insight was one of many.An unashamed plug ,if you ever wanted to know the real people behind the celebrities Jon’s –From Here to… Obscurity– is a MUST buy it here http://amzn.to/2jbbJtN
George knew what he wanted from the get-go ,he may not have been too happy when he got it ,but there you go.Get some of that maturity …it’s never too late.
Lesson 3 – Business opportunity! … who will ever forget George turning what was undoubtedly the most humiliating incident in his park-life into cash(most of which went to charity)…The track – Outside – was a sucker punch to all those hypocritical right thinking sanctimonious cretins one encounters on Life’s topsy turvy journey.Lemon into Lemonade tirade,end of…
Lesson 4 – Stand by your principles even if it damages sales(which it won’t in the long run) .Watch the above video of George on BBC’s HARD-TALK .Here you see the epitomy of Articulate run circles around a middle-age establishment / company man.Whereas most of us would tell this patronizing/bullying plonker where to stick his -Hard-Talk- George eloquently parries all the hackneyed crap…he’s very I’m OK YOU’RE OK and the end result is like watching Jesus to a child.The Iraq war was wrong – George Michael was right.
Finally ,Lessons from Lyrics.George Michael wasn’t just an ass shaking designer stubble stud muffin(that’s my job 🙂 ) .He was a beautiful ,considerate,and as we all now know, generous soul.I like people who can talk to your heart.I LOVED, AND WILL ALWAYS LOVE GEORGE MICHAEL.
Be good to yourself cos nobody else has the power to make you happy – Heal the pain-
All we have to do, now,Is take these lies and make them true somehow.All we have to see,Is that I don’t belong to you,And you don’t belong to me– Freedom
If you’re gonna do it do it right – I’m your Man
He was…and He did.
George Michael…a gift from God 1963-2016
Marko
Mark Manning Is an Irish voice over artist,broadcaster and writer and can be found at :
His debut novel The Man Who Chased Joggers is available at amazon kindle, link on the bottom of this promo video:
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