George Michael is probably my OG singing influence, unless I count Michael Jackson (which, maybe I do, maybe I don’t). My first memories of George Michael were when he was taking over radio as a solo artist, so definitively, that it was even causing a bit of a stir down at Royal Charles Elementary School. I was a tall, excruciatingly shy 5th grader with a gargantuan crush on Lindsay Armstrong, in a split classroom, where all the grade-sixers - who were cool enough - were listening to this new rebellious, leather jacketed, aviator glasses-wearing artist with a spectacular hairdo, singing about super edgy stuff that I was pretty sure my parents didn’t want me hearing. But he had THE warmest, softest voice I’d ever heard, which somehow also dripped heavy with attitude. Of course, I had zero awareness that he was already a huge pop star from his time in Wham!, and I was a bit too young to really dive into his debut album, Faith, when it released, but by the time Listen Without Prejudice, Vol.1 came out, I was all in. Michael is particularly impressive to me, since he was one of the rare pop icons who was also what I’d consider a true artist, having written most of the material he recorded.

Some of you may not be terribly surprised to know that the George Michael/Elton John duet version of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” was the first I ever heard of the song. I somehow missed John’s original version, much like how I missed “Bohemian Rhapsody” the first time around. And don’t get me started on hearing “Ice Ice Baby” loooong before “Under Pressure.” I might have to bust out a little alright-stop-collaborate-and-listen on yo’…

Oh, HANG ON… was I sheltered as a child?! MOM?! DAD?!