TV Times
by: Linda Hawkins
Photography: Mike Putland
March 23-29, 1985
by: Linda Hawkins
Photography: Mike Putland
March 23-29, 1985
Today, amid all the hysteria that surrounds chart topping duo Wham!, there's a 12 year old boy who keeps George
Michael's feet planted firmly on the ground.
He's an unprepossessing lad, tall for his age and overweight, with a pale, slightly anxious face, glasses and the kind
of floppy hair that won't stay in place. He's the kind of boy who doesn't seem to understand the mechanics of a
comb, whose shirt always comes un tucked from his pudgy waist; the sort of boy who stays away from the school
disco fearing no one will dance with him.
And despite all the fame and success he has had with his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley, George Michael will
never forget that boy, Because he was George Michael at 12.
"Im really glad to know that I used to be like that," says George. "I think your strongest opinions of how you look are
formed when you're very young. If it weren't for the memories I have of that time I might get carried away by all the
rubbish people write about me now.
"As it is, part of me feels a bit ridiculous being the centere of all this attention. I know I'm not that fat boy in glasses
anymore but there's always that nagging doubt. You see a really bad picture of yourself and it all comes flooding
back. It's good because it keeps my feet on the ground."
Which is just as well because a strange madness seems to sweep everyone who comes into contact with Wham!
The pop duo, recently voted favorite group by TVTimes readers, are currently the hottest pop property for years, as
popular abroad as at home. Their records sell in millions, an army of schoolgirl fans worship them and reading the
breathless headlines and gushing stories they inspire, it's easy to forget that the subjects of all this frenzied
adulation are two living, breathing 21 year olds from Bushey, Hertfordshire, and no the life-sized plastic embodiment
of every teenage fantasy.
Even the normally calm staff of Langan's Brasserie are all of a twitter at the prospect of a visit from George.
Langan's is the fashionable London restaurant where the famous can eat without the risk of harassment from the
general public. At Langan's, well known faces are two a penny and the unwritten rule is that no one, but no one ,
pesters diners for autographs. Yet, while we are here, waiters twice slip George Michael a menu to sign, a bottle of
champagne arrives from another awed customer and even the stars seem starstruck. They peep at George from
under their eyelashes and pause to say hello, even though they'd never met.
" I know, I find it all quite strange too," says George, pouring champagne to be polite, although in truth he doesn't care for the stuff. "You keep on thinking, Right, it has to stop there, " but
the fuss keeps on jumping up to another level. You have to keep reminding yourself that the music business is a freak industry and it's not because you're a specially wonderful person."
Whether it's the memory of that 12 year old boy or simply the fact that George still lives at home with his family, he seems to be coping remarkably well. Sane and surprisingly modest for a
pop star, he seems well balanced and even a little shy.
" I think our popularity must have something to do with our music being accessible to so many people," he says. "Parents like to approve of something that their kinds are into. We didn't
plan it that way. It's just that we're not interested in being subversive, we just want to make good pop records. I think that approach must come as a relief after all the gender benders.
"Mind you, I don't like this wholesome image. It makes you look like a show window dummy that people can put their ideas on to."
In fact, George, who had clearly been working on a less wholesome image, is sporting a Desperate Dan stubble Clint Eastwood would be proud of. Yet it serves only to emphasise the
sparkling white teeth, the glowing healthy tan and the gold streaked hair. He looks the perfect picture of a wholesome young man who's lost his razor.
George, who is partly Greek, is the driving force behind Wham! Songwriter and spokesman for the duo, he has anted to be a pop star since he was seven years old.
"My parents gave me a cassette player when I was seven and I started recording Elton John records off the radio." he says. " I also found an old record players in the garage with a large
stack of Motown records my parents had thrown out, and I used to sit in the garage all day listening to them."
George told his parents he was going to be a pop star, and at first they indulged his childish dreams. When he was 12 they bought him a small drum kit and although it provoked rows,
because he played drums when he should of been doing his homework, he soon outgrew it and lost interest. His parents were confident that his pop star notions would go the same way.
Soon he's settle for something respectable like everyone else. Accountancy would be nice, they thought, or law, or perhaps medicine.
But when George got to 18 and was still insisting he was going to be a pop star, they became seriously alarmed out it.
"Dad used to say, 'Everyone wants to be a pop star when they're 18', and I'd say, 'No dad. Everyone wants to be a pop star when they are 14." I left school and went on the dole and did
odd jobs, like labouring or working as an usher in the cinema,' says George. "I didn't want to commit myself to a career because I knew what I wanted to do, but I also knew I didn't want to
be checked out of the house, so I had to bring in some money.
"We used to have huge rowes and at one point Dad banned me from buying any more records. If there's one thing I learned, it's that if my children ever want to do anything really
ridiculous then I'll let them get on with it because stopping them makes them twice as strong. I used to f=bring home in W H Smith bags and say, "Sorry Dad. They're not mine, they're a
friends."
George was aided and abetted in his wild ideas by his friend Andrew Ridgeley. They met when George's family moved to Bushey when he was 12 and George was transferred
to Andrew's school.
"I was the new boy and the teacher just plonked me down next to Andrew and told him to look after me for the day. We were totally different in character. Andrew was pretty
much as he is now, very loud compared to other people in the class, very self confident and very aware of his image. Whereas I was shy and quiet. I looked up to him really.
He was good looking and one of the favorites. I've always admired him for the fact that he bothered with me at a point when who you're with is as important as who you are."
Soon the Ridgeley influence began to show. "We met at the age when you're beginning to wonder if anyone in the class fancies you," says George. "I'd never bothered with
my appearance, but Andrew's been aware of his appearance off his life and he influenced me. I took my glasses off and got contact lenses. I started to worry about my hair
and clothes and suddenly found I was like everyone else. I couldn't believe the difference it made. People started inviting me to parties."
George's influence on Andrew was more subtle. "I'd always had the feeling I was going to be a pop star. With Andrew it was different. He wanted to be famous but wasnt sure
whether it would be through football or pop. If anything, he'd have preferred to be a footballer because it was more macho. He was all right at football, but was one of those
people who are goo and think they're brilliant."
Gradually George's tremendous enthusiasm for music infected Andrew and with friends they formed a band, The Executives. When that fizzled out the 2 of them went alone as
Wham!Their first record, Wham Rap, when re-released after the chart success the chart success of their second disc Young Guns (Go For It), was an astonishing hit and the
Wham! phenomenon was well and truly on its way. Even then, however, George's father was not convinced.
"After our second hit, Dad was still saying this is only going to last six months, you know. Don't build your hopes up too high," says George. "But now at lwast he's accepted he
was wrong, very gracefully. Both my parents came from poor families and security means everything to them. Now, through me, they are totally financially secure and that's
fantastic. I think they're enjoying my success more than I am."
Today, George and Andrew's friendship remains strong. "Ego and money are the 2 things that damage friendship a this stage," says George, "and we don't have any other
problems either." Their closeness, however are the lack of conspicuous girlfriends, has led to insinuations that they are gay.
George says: " In the last 2 years people have become obsessed with pop star's sex lives. Anyone who looks at Andrew and I on stage and thinks its a gay relationship has
got to be a lunatic. But we've been accused of practically everything under the sun by now. If people want to speculate, thats up to them."
Their hectic schedule hasn't left time for serious romance so far, George maintains, but one day he'd like to settle down and have children. "I'd love children. I'd like 2 boys, boys
are easier than girls, I think. But I don't want a family until I know I'll be able to spend plenty of time with them."
In the meantime he's looking forward to being rich. "The money hasn't come through yet, but now I'm in the position where I can't think of anything I'd like that I can't afford," says
George. "Money doesn't mean much above security. Once you've got security that's the main thing."
It is time to go. Outside a photographer waits to snatch pictures from the pavement, two passing schoolgirls on a half-term shopping spree clutch each other in disbelief shrieking,
"It's him!", and the female driver of the hired limousine has been patiently parked for more than an hour. She'd arrived too early but refused to go in case she lost the booking to a
colleague.
George Michael paused, looking rather bemused. "You know, all this had made me grow up very fast. I don't feel 21. I feel much older."
And then he is in the car and speeding away through London traffic...
Michael's feet planted firmly on the ground.
He's an unprepossessing lad, tall for his age and overweight, with a pale, slightly anxious face, glasses and the kind
of floppy hair that won't stay in place. He's the kind of boy who doesn't seem to understand the mechanics of a
comb, whose shirt always comes un tucked from his pudgy waist; the sort of boy who stays away from the school
disco fearing no one will dance with him.
And despite all the fame and success he has had with his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley, George Michael will
never forget that boy, Because he was George Michael at 12.
"Im really glad to know that I used to be like that," says George. "I think your strongest opinions of how you look are
formed when you're very young. If it weren't for the memories I have of that time I might get carried away by all the
rubbish people write about me now.
"As it is, part of me feels a bit ridiculous being the centere of all this attention. I know I'm not that fat boy in glasses
anymore but there's always that nagging doubt. You see a really bad picture of yourself and it all comes flooding
back. It's good because it keeps my feet on the ground."
Which is just as well because a strange madness seems to sweep everyone who comes into contact with Wham!
The pop duo, recently voted favorite group by TVTimes readers, are currently the hottest pop property for years, as
popular abroad as at home. Their records sell in millions, an army of schoolgirl fans worship them and reading the
breathless headlines and gushing stories they inspire, it's easy to forget that the subjects of all this frenzied
adulation are two living, breathing 21 year olds from Bushey, Hertfordshire, and no the life-sized plastic embodiment
of every teenage fantasy.
Even the normally calm staff of Langan's Brasserie are all of a twitter at the prospect of a visit from George.
Langan's is the fashionable London restaurant where the famous can eat without the risk of harassment from the
general public. At Langan's, well known faces are two a penny and the unwritten rule is that no one, but no one ,
pesters diners for autographs. Yet, while we are here, waiters twice slip George Michael a menu to sign, a bottle of
champagne arrives from another awed customer and even the stars seem starstruck. They peep at George from
under their eyelashes and pause to say hello, even though they'd never met.
" I know, I find it all quite strange too," says George, pouring champagne to be polite, although in truth he doesn't care for the stuff. "You keep on thinking, Right, it has to stop there, " but
the fuss keeps on jumping up to another level. You have to keep reminding yourself that the music business is a freak industry and it's not because you're a specially wonderful person."
Whether it's the memory of that 12 year old boy or simply the fact that George still lives at home with his family, he seems to be coping remarkably well. Sane and surprisingly modest for a
pop star, he seems well balanced and even a little shy.
" I think our popularity must have something to do with our music being accessible to so many people," he says. "Parents like to approve of something that their kinds are into. We didn't
plan it that way. It's just that we're not interested in being subversive, we just want to make good pop records. I think that approach must come as a relief after all the gender benders.
"Mind you, I don't like this wholesome image. It makes you look like a show window dummy that people can put their ideas on to."
In fact, George, who had clearly been working on a less wholesome image, is sporting a Desperate Dan stubble Clint Eastwood would be proud of. Yet it serves only to emphasise the
sparkling white teeth, the glowing healthy tan and the gold streaked hair. He looks the perfect picture of a wholesome young man who's lost his razor.
George, who is partly Greek, is the driving force behind Wham! Songwriter and spokesman for the duo, he has anted to be a pop star since he was seven years old.
"My parents gave me a cassette player when I was seven and I started recording Elton John records off the radio." he says. " I also found an old record players in the garage with a large
stack of Motown records my parents had thrown out, and I used to sit in the garage all day listening to them."
George told his parents he was going to be a pop star, and at first they indulged his childish dreams. When he was 12 they bought him a small drum kit and although it provoked rows,
because he played drums when he should of been doing his homework, he soon outgrew it and lost interest. His parents were confident that his pop star notions would go the same way.
Soon he's settle for something respectable like everyone else. Accountancy would be nice, they thought, or law, or perhaps medicine.
But when George got to 18 and was still insisting he was going to be a pop star, they became seriously alarmed out it.
"Dad used to say, 'Everyone wants to be a pop star when they're 18', and I'd say, 'No dad. Everyone wants to be a pop star when they are 14." I left school and went on the dole and did
odd jobs, like labouring or working as an usher in the cinema,' says George. "I didn't want to commit myself to a career because I knew what I wanted to do, but I also knew I didn't want to
be checked out of the house, so I had to bring in some money.
"We used to have huge rowes and at one point Dad banned me from buying any more records. If there's one thing I learned, it's that if my children ever want to do anything really
ridiculous then I'll let them get on with it because stopping them makes them twice as strong. I used to f=bring home in W H Smith bags and say, "Sorry Dad. They're not mine, they're a
friends."
George was aided and abetted in his wild ideas by his friend Andrew Ridgeley. They met when George's family moved to Bushey when he was 12 and George was transferred
to Andrew's school.
"I was the new boy and the teacher just plonked me down next to Andrew and told him to look after me for the day. We were totally different in character. Andrew was pretty
much as he is now, very loud compared to other people in the class, very self confident and very aware of his image. Whereas I was shy and quiet. I looked up to him really.
He was good looking and one of the favorites. I've always admired him for the fact that he bothered with me at a point when who you're with is as important as who you are."
Soon the Ridgeley influence began to show. "We met at the age when you're beginning to wonder if anyone in the class fancies you," says George. "I'd never bothered with
my appearance, but Andrew's been aware of his appearance off his life and he influenced me. I took my glasses off and got contact lenses. I started to worry about my hair
and clothes and suddenly found I was like everyone else. I couldn't believe the difference it made. People started inviting me to parties."
George's influence on Andrew was more subtle. "I'd always had the feeling I was going to be a pop star. With Andrew it was different. He wanted to be famous but wasnt sure
whether it would be through football or pop. If anything, he'd have preferred to be a footballer because it was more macho. He was all right at football, but was one of those
people who are goo and think they're brilliant."
Gradually George's tremendous enthusiasm for music infected Andrew and with friends they formed a band, The Executives. When that fizzled out the 2 of them went alone as
Wham!Their first record, Wham Rap, when re-released after the chart success the chart success of their second disc Young Guns (Go For It), was an astonishing hit and the
Wham! phenomenon was well and truly on its way. Even then, however, George's father was not convinced.
"After our second hit, Dad was still saying this is only going to last six months, you know. Don't build your hopes up too high," says George. "But now at lwast he's accepted he
was wrong, very gracefully. Both my parents came from poor families and security means everything to them. Now, through me, they are totally financially secure and that's
fantastic. I think they're enjoying my success more than I am."
Today, George and Andrew's friendship remains strong. "Ego and money are the 2 things that damage friendship a this stage," says George, "and we don't have any other
problems either." Their closeness, however are the lack of conspicuous girlfriends, has led to insinuations that they are gay.
George says: " In the last 2 years people have become obsessed with pop star's sex lives. Anyone who looks at Andrew and I on stage and thinks its a gay relationship has
got to be a lunatic. But we've been accused of practically everything under the sun by now. If people want to speculate, thats up to them."
Their hectic schedule hasn't left time for serious romance so far, George maintains, but one day he'd like to settle down and have children. "I'd love children. I'd like 2 boys, boys
are easier than girls, I think. But I don't want a family until I know I'll be able to spend plenty of time with them."
In the meantime he's looking forward to being rich. "The money hasn't come through yet, but now I'm in the position where I can't think of anything I'd like that I can't afford," says
George. "Money doesn't mean much above security. Once you've got security that's the main thing."
It is time to go. Outside a photographer waits to snatch pictures from the pavement, two passing schoolgirls on a half-term shopping spree clutch each other in disbelief shrieking,
"It's him!", and the female driver of the hired limousine has been patiently parked for more than an hour. She'd arrived too early but refused to go in case she lost the booking to a
colleague.
George Michael paused, looking rather bemused. "You know, all this had made me grow up very fast. I don't feel 21. I feel much older."
And then he is in the car and speeding away through London traffic...
