George Michael Facts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Georgios

George Michael was born as Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou. George, as we know him, was born on 25 June 1963 in East Finchley, Middlesex, England. His father was called Kyriacos "Jack" Panayiotou, who was a Greek Cypriot. George's mum was called Lesley Angold Harrison, who was born in Islington, London.

When George was a young boy, he spent most of his childhood in Kingsbury, London, where he lived with his mother and father. He was educated at Roe Green Junior School and Kingsbury High School and later at Bushey Meads School in Bushey, a borough of Hertfordshire.

Answer: Yog

George Michael's nickname "Yog" originated as a shortened form of his Greek birth name, Georgios (pronounced Yorgos).

George met his future bandmate while attending Bushey Meads School. The two later formed the band "Wham" in 1981. In the early days George busked on the London Underground and then got a job as a DJ at the Bel Air Restaurant in Northwood, London. For a very short period of time George joined a band called the Executive. Fame then took off in 1981 with Wham, active between 1981 and 1986.

Answer: Andrew Ridgeley

Andrew Ridgeley was born on 26 January 1963, in Windlesham, Surrey, England. Andrew grew up in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and went to Bushey Meads School. It was here Andrew first met George and looked out for him. When Wham broke up, Andrew tried his hand at being a solo artist.

He released his debut album "Son of Albert" in 1990. The album failed to make an impression and only reached number 130 on the US Billboard 200, while in the UK it failed to chart. This would be the only solo album Andrew recorded. Nowadays, he is involved in charity work.

Answer: False

In the video Cindy Crawford was the lady in the tub, Linda Evangelista was the blonde with the big jumper, and Naomi Campbell mimed to the song and posed; she took the place of George, who didn't want to be in the video. Christy Turlington walked down the simulated catwalk, and Tatjana Patitz was seen with her back against a wall while sitting down, miming to the lyrics of the song.

The video recording was shot at Merton Park Studios in London. The recording was in a very large industrial building, which looked dingy and neglected.

Answer: Left

Here are a few personal facts about George.

George Michael was 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 meters) tall.

His shoe size was a size 11 US, which is about a size 10 1/2 in the UK.

Although there is no official record of how much George weighed, it is thought to be 160 to 181 pounds, which is equal to about 11 st 7 lb to 12 st 12 lb.

Throughout his career George had several styles of hair over the years and even had it dyed blonde at one time. His natural hair was dark brown, wavy, and curly.

You often saw George wearing sunglasses, not because it was always sunny but because he was partially color-blind. Sometimes he wore contact lenses that helped him see things at a distance. Red and green were difficult for George to differentiate, and certain shapes and figures could also be a problem.

Answer: Shoot the Dog

The "Shoot the Dog" video is a cartoon parody of what George Michael felt Prime Minister Tony Blair has become, that of a lapdog to George W. Bush. This was a time when the war on terror was on the news every day, about Iraq and Saddam Hussein.

The single was released on 29 July 2002 and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. In the lyrics it mentions Blair and Bush, who are given a tough time by George and his co-writers.

Answer: 1987

The single "Faith" was released on 12 October 1987 in the UK; it was also the debut solo album of the same name released on 30 October 1987. On the charts, the album topped the charts in several countries, including the US and the UK. The single also topped the charts in several countries, including the US Billboard Hot 100, while in the UK it reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.

Both the single and album were written by George Michael, apart from the track "Look at Your Hands," which was co-written by George and David Austin. "Faith," the album, also won Album of the Year at the 31st Grammy Awards.

Answer: Aretha Franklin

The song "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" was a massive hit for the duo, reaching number one in several countries, including the US and the UK. The songwriters were Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan; it was recorded in a studio in Detroit, US, in May 1986. Although Aretha Franklin was active between 1954 and 2017, it was the only time Aretha had a number one hit in the UK; it would also be the last time that Aretha would top the charts in the US.

The flip side of the record was an instrumental of the same song.

Answer: Patience

"Patience" was released on 15 March 2004. The album was recorded at AIR (London), Associated Independent Recording, and Michael's home studio (Highgate). It was a mixture of soul, dance, and pop. On the charts, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and was a top ten hit in several countries.

In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Michael revealed that "Patience" would be his final album released both physically and digitally to the public. His reason was that he wanted to encourage fans to donate to charity, and anyone could download his songs for free.

Answer: Careless Whisper

"Careless Whisper" was released on 23 July 1984. This song was when George was the other half of Wham. Both George and Andrew were the songwriters. On the charts, it was a massive hit, topping the charts in several countries, including the US and UK.

Not only was the song a massive hit in the charts, but it was also the highest-selling single in the UK for George, both as a solo artist and when he was in Wham. On YouTube, "Careless Whisper" reached the one billion mark, and in 1984, the song won the Ivor Novello Award for the Most Performed Work. The American record label Epic Records set a new sales record with "Careless Whisper," selling more than one million copies.

George composed the lyrics for the song while riding a bus, and Andrew created the harmonic structure. The B-side of the record featured an instrumental version of the same track. In January 1982, the pair recorded their initial basic demo using a Portastudio, paying £20 to local producer Paul Mex. Then, on March 24, 1982, George assembled a more polished demo with a backing band. The final version was recorded at Sarm West and Advision studios in London.