Nicole de version biography of george michael

James Gavin. 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 mids. He was messy, and in that caldron of tumult he unearthed a searing creativity that only now — after his passing — do we realize the beauty of.

This biography does little to advocate for that bounty. Very well researched but incredibly sad to read what happened to an amazingly talented person. I have to admit I had no idea the dark depths George sunk to in his later years and found it a bit sordid at times. Makes me so sad that this author so gleefully took every opportunity to sully the name and reputation of such a lovely man.

Was George Michael troubled and often ill- equipped to deal with everything life threw at him? Yes, he most certainly was. That is not an excuse to take advantage of the tragic fact that he is no longer here to defend himself. By sensationalising and speculating about the details that he has no more insight into than anyone else, he shows himself to be no better than the media and paparazzi who pursued him throughout his life.

Nobody has an unkind word to say about George Michael, in fact nothing but heartwarming stories about his kindness and compassion have surfaced since his death. This author however, has somehow managed to paint a sordid picture not only of Michael but of those closest to him. It is a shame that the author could not have learned a lesson about humanity from the man who he sought to tear apart.

Such a talent, gone too soon. Thanks for netgalley for the advanced reader copy. Shelly Cerullo. I think what made this so infuriating is that Gavin didn't even have the courage of his convictions to put it in his own words, it was just a whole bunch of pointedly placed quotes from Boy George and other queer folks in Michael's life that gave the reader the impression that Michael had done something hypocritical by not coming out of his own free will.

Where is the hypocrisy? Also I'm not really convinced that Gavin even liked Michael's music, but that's a pet peeve that I feel less strongly about. Nicki - The Overflowing Bookcase.

Nicole de version biography of george michael

Although this book was very slow moving and seemed to revolve solely around the fact that George was gay and had trouble coming to terms with it, it was also the undercurrent of a man so possessed with trying not to fail that he ended up isolated and afraid. I had no idea that he struggled to keep writing and singing after the SONY debacle and that up until the very end the drugs he was abusing played a huge role in his demise.

After reading this book I can now say that George Michael was a man filled with self hatred and consumed with the idea of failure. Not something I would have felt with his otherwise. Interesting in that Gavin takes a more negative approach than other biographies. George Michael was vocal about his preference to be photographed from his left side, and yet here is the right side purposely placed.

I think biographies are better when the author treats the subject with empathy and care. This reads like a lab researcher examining an insect with tongs. A comprehensive look at a very complicated man. As I was too young to fully appreciate Michael in his heyday, I became a fan of his music later as an adult, and this book provided the perfect opportunity for me to learn much more about him, especially as a person.

Those smooth vocals emitted from an individual who lived a tortured existence and never seemed completely happy with his career, even during its early successes. Gavin has done an impressive amount of research and while the length of the book was initially quite daunting, I'm glad to have read it and now have an even greater appreciation of Michael's catalogue.

While there are plenty of facts, and the book is well-researched and thorough, there's no feeling in this book. It's like reading a well-written Wikipedia page about George Michael instead of a thoughtful account of his life. This is probably because the author doesn't have any real connection with the subject. Overall, the book is interesting but dry.

Samantha Noonan. Not nearly enough love shown for George in this book. Feels like it was written for American readers. I feel quite angry about it upon finishing it. This beautiful, tortured, generous, talented and charismatic soul deserved so much more than this. I was never a fan of Wham! In high school, I was a "freak" and you'd find me wearing a black leather jacket and spiked armbands, smoking a joint or drinking Jack Daniels straight from the bottle, hidden behind the tennis courts at lunch break.

I thought Wham! I don't know. When he died inI thought, "Heart failure? That's weird, he wasn't that old At the mall, in restaurants, radio, Spotify, TV, I don't know, it's been a resurgence it seems. And then I found myself singing along. There's also the rumor he added Andrew Ridgeley the "other Wham! I was curious. What was this dude really all about?

Then my sister was watching the new documentary on Netflix about George, which was based on Ridgeley's memories of their growing up together and time in Wham! The film ends when Wham! So, yeah. The author has done a spectacular job of research, interviewing, and writing. This covers George's entire life and death in a way that had me entranced.

If you look and see just how many books I am "currently" reading, that will show you how hard it is for me to maintain enough interest to actually complete a book. Other reviews said this should have been edited down pages or so, but I disagree. As George became increasingly dependent on drugs and alcohol to keep his demons at bay, the book does seem a bit repetitive - but I think it's important to show that he kept doing all these self destructive and stupid things, denying he had any addictions, getting a pass from police, and then screwing up again.

And again. As the book goes on and on, you start feeling trapped and antsy along with George. I thought it really conveyed this claustrophobic feeling that nothing was ever going to be all right - there was always something to knock George down again. I hadn't been aware that George had been addicted to pot and GHB and smoked crack. I didn't know about all his arrests for DWI, smashing into cars and buildings and passing out at the wheel.

I didn't know he had made suicide attempts, and one was especially shocking to me because he threw himself out of a moving vehicle on a 4 lane highway. It's so sad, his sycophantic entourage covered up all these things as best they could and didn't try to force him to go to rehab. They enabled him to keep on that gravy train. I knew about George's arrest for masturbating in a public toilet but didn't know that George was so tormented by his sexual orientation and terrified his career would end if he came out Yay, the 80s!

This book is so heartbreaking, especially when George was considered "washed up" at the age of 35, but he kept trying to show the world he was a serious songwriter and talent. Unfortunately the world had moved on to Nirvana and Oasis and rap, and he was deemed irrelevant. He was bloated and fat, hair was graying, and he started going off the rails.

The author talks about his mysterious death and it seems to be believed that he committed suicide on his late mother's birthday. The epilogue made me tear up because George isn't here to see that his work is being celebrated by a new generation and he's even viewed as having paved the way for gay men to feel free to be who they are and to live their lives the way they want.

He died a very sad and tormented man, all alone on Christmas Eve. His work covers a variety of pop styles, from ballads to funky dance tracks. In a career spanning more than 20 years, George Michael has been responsible for more than 75 million album sales. Having decided to release his new material through a number of labels on a single-by-single basis, George found a home at Sony for his new, highly anticipated album Patience.

It was released in March after two unstellar singles came out on Polydor and it debuted at number one on the UK album charts and number 2 in Australia. Michael was involved in a court case concerning his record contract after his record company CBS was taken over by Sony. Amongst Michael's complaints was that Sony had not fully supported the release of his second solo album resulting in its poor performance in the US compared to 'Faith'.

Sony responded that Michael had refused to appear in promotional videos and it was this that had caused the poor response to the album. The case was heard in London and was found against Michael. As a consequence Michael declared he would not release any new material until he had completed the minimum of his contractual obligations to Sony.

Michael is also nicole de version biography of george michael known for his arrest for ' engaging in a lewd act ' in a public restroom in a Beverly Hills city park. But he was also close to his mother and sister, and they were a source of great support for him throughout his life. He was rejected by many record labels, and he had to work hard to get his music heard.

But he never gave up, and he eventually achieved worldwide fame. I was particularly interested in learning about his struggles with addiction and mental health issues. It was clear that Michael was a complex and troubled individual, but he was also a talented and passionate artist who nicole de version biography of george michael a lasting legacy.

I was really impressed by the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of George Michael. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about George Michael. He was such a talented and complex person, and it was really interesting to get a glimpse into his personal life. It was a really well-written book, and I learned a lot about his life and career.

I was especially interested in learning about his struggles with addiction and his coming out story. He was a true original, with a unique voice and talent that touched the hearts of millions of people around the world. His death in was a huge loss, and I believe that a biography is necessary to help us remember his legacy and to understand the man behind the music.