I swear I'm as straight as my friend B-Ball-fan is not straight, but it's almost unfair how one man can be this damn pretty.

 

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2016 MAKE IT STOP!!!!

 

Been a terrible year for music and entertainment stars. Well, mostly music. Prayers for George Michael and his family. Not my type of music per say, but a true talent for sure.

My Gaydar, as was probably everyone else's, was on to him the minute I saw Wham on MTV. I was sorta surprised that it took so long for it to become common knowledge, but back then it was still too risky to hit the ground running and expect the $$$ to follow.

 

I dug some of his hits, and respected him as a pop artist, and can't deny his significant place in music history, but wouldn't exactly have ever called myself his biggest fan, but I do have to admit that his was a style that for a period in the 80's I tried to emulate with the hair and the threads all the way to the leather jacket and driving gloves.

 

This somehow hits a bit too close to home considering that we're so close in age, and the era of his initial stardom is about the same time I was first experiencing my college aged freedoms and party animal 20 something concert going, bar hopping days where his tunes were to be heard around every corner and in every bar or party I stepped into.

 

There was a stylish cool about the guy and a distinct without a doubt George Michael pop sound that was all his own. He truly does represent an era while he remained timelessly and fashionably cool. His passing is a shock and a huge loss to the pop music world and at 53 a sobering reminder of our mortality. I'd like to believe that I have at least 30 more years to go, but stuff like this makes it all too painfully real that there are no guarantees.

Delete... accidental double post

My Gaydar, as was probably everyone else's, was on to him the minute I saw Wham on MTV. I was sorta surprised that it took so long for it to become common knowledge, but back then it was still too risky to hit the ground running and expect the $$$ to follow.

 

I dug some of his hits, and respected him as a pop artist, and can't deny his significant place in music history, but wouldn't exactly have ever called myself his biggest fan, but I do have to admit that his was a style that for a period in the 80's I tried to emulate with the hair and the threads all the way to the leather jacket and driving gloves.

 

This somehow hits a bit too close to home considering that we're so close in age, and the era of his initial stardom is about the same time I was first experiencing my college aged freedoms and party animal 20 something concert going, bar hopping days where his tunes were to be heard around every corner and in every bar or party I stepped into.

 

There was a stylish cool about the guy and a distinct without a doubt George Michael pop sound that was all his own. He truly does represent an era while he remained timelessly and fashionably cool. His passing is a shock and a huge loss to the pop music world and at 53 a sobering reminder of our mortality. I'd like to believe that I have at least 30 more years to go, but stuff like this makes it all too painfully real that there are no guarantees.

 

Excellent post. George wasn't one of my all-time favorite performers but I really admired his amazing talent. Plus, I always wanted to look like that guy. He was simply a beautiful man. From what I've read he was quite humble as well. As you pointed out, this hits pretty hard because he and I are about the same age. I've played his music all evening.

I'd like to add that though I mentioned him being gay, and in today's world most really don't care or think of it as noteworthy, and I wholeheartedly agree, back then when inching out of the closet sometimes some of the biggest inner-strength and self-validating things were to know that some of the biggest celebrities were gay and making it big.

 

It wasn't at all unusual for certain inner circles to spot these things before the general public did, and I have to sorta laugh now looking back just what a hot topic it used to be to be able to figure somebody out before they stepped forward and made it publicly known, and possibly chancing committing career suicide.

 

Sometimes the guessing game would get so out of hand that you started ridiculously wishfully suspecting just about anyone until proven otherwise. It was really just a sort of an empowerment tool to say "Hey look how talented and popular so and so is, and he/she's gay too" Sorta as motivation to not let anything hold you back from your dreams. "If so and so can make it in this world, so can I".

 

Him being gay probably means very little to anyone now, but back then it did mean something to a lot of people just finding themselves and taking their first steps toward freedom. Thankfully now it does seem a bit ridiculous that anyone would care.

"Wake me up before you Go Go"---my college friends and I would be dancing.

RIP GM and thank you for the tune "Freedom." Mrs C1 and I had a lot of fun "courting" to this song back in the day!

Didn't care for Wham but loved him as a solo artist even when it wasn't cool to like him. He had some demons he had to deal with. RIP.

RIP..... When Wham released “Fantastic” my high school BFF and I spent the entire weekend at her house memorizing every single song and lyric. We were in looooove!!

 

The most memorable song from that weekend was Wham Rap! (Enjoy What you Do) – Sometimes I still sing those lyrics in my head….. “Do you enjoy what you do? If not just stop, don’t stay there and rot.” LOL

Jim, what did you think of Michael?

 

Always liked Wham and his solo stuff.

Here's a jazzy number and final track from his wildly popular solo debut Faith entitled "Kissing A Fool" that I've always dug and feel that it never quite got the notice that it deserved.

 

Surprised too that it hasn't received the cover treatment over the years from both male and female vocalists alike. I wouldn't mind hearing someone like Lady Gaga or Michael Buble give this one a try.

 

I spoke too soon and my wish has been granted.

 

Michael Buble' actually did cover "Kissing A Fool".

 

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