Faith by George Michael is one of my favorites but I never knew much of his life. this book was so eye opening. I didn't know that he was so hurt and tortured. Reading about his life was eye opening and gave me a new found respect for him. he will be missed.

I grew up in the MTV generation listening and watching Wham! and George Michael. He was such an icon. I found myself looking up songs and videos that I had forgotten while reading this biography. I found Michael's humble beginning's as a musician very interesting. However, a lot of the book was bogged down with detail after detail of record contracts or negotiations. The author obsessed over Michael's sexuality. He didn't depict a very well-rounded picture of a human being. At 500 pages, this would be a book for only the most ardent fan. Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book.

An interesting and compelling look at a complex and often troubled man. It was fascinating to see how the “George Michael” whom I grew up watching on MTV actually came to be. I definitely recommend this to fans of the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Thank you to #netgalley for the arc of this book. George Michael: A Life is a dense and seemingly thorough work about the pop icon. I approached it with admittedly little knowledge of Michael's background. I think the author manages to capture both the artist's grand ego and his tragic vulnerability with nuance. We see how the challenges of growing up in his household led to some weaknesses (a need for control of his narrative and the means to escape it) later in life. I learned a lot.

If you are looking for a comprehensive and highly enjoyable book on George Michael, look no further. James Gavin starts from the beginning and continues through his life. From the difficult relationship he had with his father, to the start of his relationship with WHAM! member and friend Andrew Ridgley. This is an indispensable book for any George Michael fan!

GEORGE MICHAEL A Life By James Gavin

This is a very well researched book about George Michael. It's also a big book that goes in depth, some 500 pages. I have enjoyed his music since he and Andrew Ridgely started in Wham! I definitely learned a lot from this biography. The perfectionist showman in George was apparent from the start. The man in him was conflicted, tortured, and self distructive.
George had a very complicated childhood and adolescence. The pain he went through trying to come to terms with his sexuality was heartbreaking and then dealing with addictions as well. I was so saddened the way things went for George. Mr. Gavin did come across as somewhat judgey, but over all this very interesting book is well worth the read. This is a 4 star book.



I also put this review on Amazon.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Who wasn't a fan of George Michael growing up in the 80s with his music? The book covered many details of his personal life, his addiction and, of course, his musical career. Interesting to read that his dad was against his career in music and how he finally made it to become that famous. But the author dropped so many names of people in show biz and crossing Michael's path that some parts of the book were just way too long. I honestly became bored. If you're a huge fan though it's a good biography to read

As a child of the 80s, I was super excited to get to read this book!

This book is about the man behind to voice. The tormented soul who dealt with the public/private personality split with drugs, which ultimately leads to the end of his life.

The best part of the book was the great detail about his music and videos. It was enlightening to read about each one and then go back and listen to it with fresh ears.

If you are also a child of the 80s who enjoys a look back in time, this is a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this book for an honest review.

When I saw the opportunity to read this book for free for my honest review, I jumped on it. This was George Michael! This was the one band(Wham!)/man that sent me from just enjoying the top hits of the day to being obsessed with one band.

The book is very well written and detailed. I learned so much. I learned way too much. After the album Older came out, I wasn't really listening to Top 40 anymore. I guess we both got older. I just heard little bits and pieces that made it to the headlines in the states. Not the best things, usually. This book filled in all the gaps, big and small.

When I think of pop music stars, I imagine they live the "good life." This books reminds me that they all don't. It even reminded me of Whitney and Prince. George had a difficult time with the press and learning about his true self. My teenage self did NOT pay attention. This was all news to me. Even that part about Andrew not really playing the guitar, no clue!

This book is about a tormented man who succumbs to drugs and depression. Not a spoiler as we all know he's gone. But I didn't know was what everyone surrounding him was feeling/saying at the time. Very insightful.

The bit I appreciated most about this book was the detail given to the making of songs/videos. I would stop reading, pull the video up online and experience it all over again. What I also learned when I watched them again is how did I know he wasn't gay? I was like a climate change denier!

Something else I didn't know about this tormented man is how much he gave to charity. He did so much good in the world anonymously. What an angel.

I highly recommend this book for any child of the 80's. I know that it is one book that will "stay with me."
The blue vinyl of Older comes out soon in the UK. I might need to make a purchase!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I am a HUGE 80's fan. I love the music and movies most of all. Like most teen girls - I was a massive fan of WHAM! So, I was really excited to receive this book to read.

I must say - I think I like George Michael a lot less. This book goes through his whole life - from teen years, through WHAM!, his solo career and the multitude of attempts to restart it. It was quite an eye-opening read. I get that he could not come out of the closet for so many years - but to treat people the way he did because he was so unhappy - wow. The amount of laws broken, over and over and over again and the passes he was given due to his celebrity - unacceptable.

What a interesting read about George Michael. What a tortured soul he was. I learned a lot about this entertainer. I highly recommend this book to any George Michael fan. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving this book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Growing up in the 80s I definitely knew of George Michael and Wham! but that's really where it ended for me. I still knew of GM and heard him on the radio but I was never a huge fan, just a kid who knew who he was and an adult who was saddened to hear of his death. As someone who was a teen in the 80s and knew that GM was a big part of that era, I wanted to read this biography to learn more about him. This book is hard to rate as parts were very slow and took a long time to get through, mostly the first half, with lots of details and things that didn't particularly interest me but the second half picked up and honestly, became so sad. I ended this book feeling so depressed. There are reviews that comment on the last half feeling like tabloid reads and I can see that but it also showcased what a difficult time of things GM had, not only in his struggle to be his true self but also to find his true self amidst the times and the spotlight. I feel like this was a well-researched book with lots of information but maybe overall a bit too detailed at times and perhaps a bit too long, it took me a long time to get through it. Not sure if it's because I had the ARC but there were no pictures which to me is really key when reading a biography. I hope the published editions will have photos.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4

I read this novel way after the pub date and way after I was approved but it took me a long time to pick it up. But I'm so glad I did. It was insightful, educational, and eye-opening. I love when I close a book and realize how much I've learned. I don't read much non-fiction or memoirs and when I do, I realize how much I love them. I love learning about people's lives that we never would have known otherwise. James Gavin did an incredible job with this memoir and I will definitely be recommending it!

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this novel honestly!

Growing up in the 1980’s, I was a major fan of both Wham and then, George Michael. I wore out my records and cassettes of the albums. The gorgeous voice that George Michael possessed was incredible. This book caught my eye because of my love for this artist and his successes and challenges. I appreciated the depth of this biography but don’t see it as being highly attractive to most fans. It is well researched and displays this depth within the 500+ pages. This was a lot, even for me, as a true fan of his work. I’m not sure that this will have the appeal for the general reader given its depth and length. I enjoyed it and appreciate it but I see its appeal as somewhat limited.
#GeorgeMichael #NetGalley #AbramsPress

I grew up in the 80s, and don’t remember a time when George Michael wasn’t famous. So it did surprise me to learn that he was only 19 when Wham! signed their first record contract. But I do feel like that explains some of his later woes – the drug use, the hiding his sexuality (while singing songs like “I Want Your Sex”). He was in the public eye before he had really figured out who he was.

George Michael is his stage name; he was born in England as Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, to a working class Greek immigrant father and a British mother. His dad was always kind of a tough guy, which is one reason Michael hid his sexuality – he didn’t think his family would approve. He eventually did come out to one of his sisters, and his mom, before his public outing in the late 90s.

This sets up the ongoing dichotomy about him, which plays out many times over throughout this book: he wants public adoration and praise, but wants to keep everything about his own life “private.”

Michael had risen to the highest levels of fame and fortune very quickly and very early. Wham! had some big hits in the mid to late 80s, right at the time when music videos were becoming a mandatory part of getting a song up the pop charts. This meant that the band members’ images, clothes, hair, etc. were every bit as important as the songs themselves.

By all accounts (in this book, at least), George Michael could write and sing well, though. When he was young, at least, he had quite a wide vocal range. Some of his bandmates lament that he was so hung up on image, from the start. They also talk of him being a perfectionist and a control freak, however, who would tweak every aspect of a recording until he was totally happy with it. His work habits made him, at times, difficult to work with.

His solo career took off right after Wham! ended, but that star burned out quickly. This was another surprise to me… I guess I hadn’t realized that he was barely making new music past the mid 90s.

The biggest public scandal, which occurred in L.A. in 1998, is discussed around half way through this tome. The entire rest of his life was riddled with arrests and scandals, drugs and rehab, having his drivers license and US visa taken away, and so on. He did some recording, mostly at home. He did a few more tours, but eventually couldn’t leave Europe. He would often contribute songs to soundtracks or charity albums. He was largely considered a “has-been” by his forties.

On the other hand, he gave a lot away. He was constantly giving his “inner circle” lavish gifts, but he also gave a lot to charity. Some of his favorite causes were anti-war ones, LGBT ones, and ones that helped children. He also gave music away, often for use in albums or concerts helping these causes, and sometimes for soundtracks. He also liked to reach out and encourage up-and-coming young singers who were gay. He envied that they could be “out” from the beginning of their careers.

This story was long, and its hero wasn’t always easy to empathize with. But that’s no fault of the author, James Gavin, who obviously amassed a ton of material and research here.

Taking the world by storm with Wham! In the eighties, and creating his iconic solo venture with Faith in the nineties, there are few who do not know the name George Michael. A fan from the start, it was a pleasure to take a look into this icon’s life, and for that I thank NetGalley and James Gavin for the opportunity to do so.

Fan or not, this biography tells the story of a man who quite literally found his voice in childhood and struggled from there to find peace in all that came after. It was interesting to learn how having a homophobic father shaped him and how finding a commonality with Andrew Ridgeley began his path to stardom. Sadly, when sexuality and celebrity entwined, it led George to a road paved with poor decisions, painful privacy, and much loneliness.

At 500+ pages, it could have been a bit shorter, but did offer an unbiased, and illuminating view of his short 53 years.

First off- this biography is ridiculously comprehensive. It is painstakingly meticulous. Details will be given of outfits, and motivations for the clothing choices, as an example. Information (in so much detail) about making music videos. It is A LOT. This book is very very long, and if you make it through you will be relieved to have finished it.

Of course the book os all about George Michael the superstar pop singer, his entire life and what’s happened since his death. Special emphasis is put on about his personal, and professional struggles. From struggling to make it as a singer, hiding his sexuality in order to appeal to the most amount of people, drug addiction, risky and suicidal behavior. This is not some light reading before bed! This is a book for hardcore fans, casual readers will be bogged down with too many details.

I was loosely aware of the trials and tribulations of the great George Michael, but this amazing biography really tells it all! GM was a tortured soul who left this world far too soon. As we close out Pride celebrations this month, I believe this is an important read for anyone struggling with gender and sexual identity. Overall, we get a timeline starting with how George's family met, and their history, and we get a small glimpse into George's upbringing into the whole Wham! era. I had no idea GM was so dedicated to keeping his sexual preference a secret. From what I read in the book, what energy it must have took for him to do this throughout the years. I loved reading how he composed various songs and albums, and his perseverance towards perfection and getting just the right saxophonist on Careless Whisper was awe-inspiring. Towards the last few decades of his life, the book took even sadder turns when he lost the love of his life to AIDS, lost his lawsuit with Sony, and overall spiraled into the dark world of addiction. His last lover's reveal that GM himself had AIDS was just abhorrent. Critics wanted to say that because GM succumbed to these terrible things, he didn't deserve to be counted among the musical greats. However, I disagree. He was an amazing songwriter, and through this book, it made it apparent how full of talent he was, from playing all instruments on some songs, to writing from his heart. I know some say this is a sensationalized book and glorifies the bad that happened, but it gets people talking about the great GM again, and I'm Ok with that.

George Michael: A Life, is a very in depth biography of the pop singer and former front man of Wham! These 500+ pages give us a detailed look at Wham! and their rise to the top of the charts and their take over of the MTV generation. George was the man with the plan, and Andrew was the man with the the bravado to carry them through. But George decided to go solo and Faith was born. We relive the 90’s where alternative rock and grunge start to take hold in the US, the market that George really wanted to be successful in. We see George struggling with his sexuality. I remember the rumors, the gossip rags from those days. Coming out wasn’t as easy back then, especially for people from conservative family backgrounds or people in the public eye. We read about George’s struggle with addiction and his many run ins with the law. Before I read this book, I thought I was a fan, but I realized that like most of the US, I stopped listening to George sometime after Listen Without Prejudice part 1. The second half of this book is what comes next.

George Michael struggled with his sexuality, his addiction, his desire to be left alone yet wanting to be a pop star, and finally his struggle to keep pop music relevant. This book goes into detail about recording sessions and concerts and video shoots of George trying to stay relevant in an ever changing music industry. While I liked the background, getting the details about every stop on a tour was monotonous and got boring. Is this Vienna or Barcelona? Suffice to say that in the last half of his life, George was troubled and struggled with his addictions and his identity. The book ends with George’s death, funeral, and investigation and the backlash from his former lovers.

I took a half of a star off for too much detail on these recording sessions and tours. Five hundred plus pages is too long for this book in my opinion. And there were no photos. Maybe that was because this was an ARC, but I love seeing photos when I’m reading a biography. I did look up quite a few videos online while reading though. Nice trip down a musical memory lane. RIP George.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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.