The minute I made a negative comment to a friend’s post on Facebook a few days after social media learned of British popstar George Michael’s death on Christmas Day last month at age 53, I dreaded getting into a pissing contest with her despite the fact I believed I was in the right.
What got me worked up was her post, which said, “Another wasted talent”, that was followed by a news article she added to her post from yahoo.com citing that Michael battled a heroin addiction and was rushed to the hospital multiple times before his passing December 25. The cause of death, despite reports saying it was heart failure, has not been made official and would take several weeks.
I saw her statement as the equivalent of dancing on someone’s grave saying, “Well maybe if George Michael had not gotten into drugs, he’d still be here.” It made me wonder if when finding out someone she knew died prematurely from diabetes, cancer or heart disease and learns that person’s medical condition could have been avoided if only he/she avoided the junk food, watched their diet and exercised, if she says to herself, “Another wasted life.”
I immediately responded to her post citing the popstar’s battles with his sexuality, depression, drug addiction and skirmishes with the law were nothing new listing previous musicians and Hollywood actors whose personal demons got the best of them.
I admit George Michael’s passing didn’t hit me immediately the way I was shocked to hear of the losses of Bowie, Frey, Prince and Cohen. I saw the singer/songwriter and record producer as a one-hit wonder whose hit song I was most familiar with was 1984’s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" Michael did along with singing partner, Andrew Ridgeley under their British rock band, Wham!
I was even less impressed with Michael’s 1987 hit, "I Want Your Sex." I equated that song as just another attempt to drum up needless controversy the way Madonna released her erotic coffee table book, "Sex", in October 1992. It’s as if Michael had nothing more to offer in terms of memorable music.
After seeing the number of hit songs he churned out since arriving on the scene in the early years of MTV back in the 80s it suddenly dawned on me the number of songs Michael did that I liked. They included another 1984 WHAM! single, "Careless Whisper", which he also co-wrote with songwriting partner, Ridgeley, both at the age of 17 which was a song he was not the most thrilled with saying in 1991, the hit “was not an integral part” of his emotional development, yet it was the lyrics that struck a chord with fans.
"I'm still a bit puzzled why it's made such an impression on people. Is it because so many people have cheated on their partners? Is that why they connect with it? I have no idea, but it's ironic that this song - which has come to define me in some way - should have been written right at the beginning of my career when I was still so young,” Michael was quoted in a 2009 interview with Bang Issue magazine.
Then there is Aretha Franklin’s 1987 Grammy Award winning song, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." I didn’t learn, however, until after Michael’s passing that the two did the number as a duet. Those two hits along with so many others like Michael’s slow moving 1988 ballad, "Kissing a Fool," sadly, just as it’s happened so many times before when a Hollywood legend or music icon dies, where I didn’t appreciate the person’s talent until they were gone.
If George Michael was fighting off the demons of drug addiction in his final days, those battles are over now. He is likely somewhere jamming on stage with fellow late musicians Bowie, Cohen, Frey and Prince collaborating on some new song and whatever that is, rest assured it’s not his 1988 hit, "Monkey", which reportedly detailed the singer’s battles with drug addiction.
As for that war of words I was expecting to get into with that friend of mine on Facebook regarding the subject, she posted back saying what I wrote was well said adding it breaks her heart when so much talent is lost due to an addiction.
©1/11/17
What got me worked up was her post, which said, “Another wasted talent”, that was followed by a news article she added to her post from yahoo.com citing that Michael battled a heroin addiction and was rushed to the hospital multiple times before his passing December 25. The cause of death, despite reports saying it was heart failure, has not been made official and would take several weeks.
I saw her statement as the equivalent of dancing on someone’s grave saying, “Well maybe if George Michael had not gotten into drugs, he’d still be here.” It made me wonder if when finding out someone she knew died prematurely from diabetes, cancer or heart disease and learns that person’s medical condition could have been avoided if only he/she avoided the junk food, watched their diet and exercised, if she says to herself, “Another wasted life.”
I immediately responded to her post citing the popstar’s battles with his sexuality, depression, drug addiction and skirmishes with the law were nothing new listing previous musicians and Hollywood actors whose personal demons got the best of them.
Fans and the music industry were well familiar with the sordid stories. That wasn’t what mourners chose to remember when social media learned of Michael’s death as they laid wreaths, flowers and memorial cards outside his two residences in north London and Goring, England.Social media users did what they had done so many times since January 2016 after learning of the deaths of music icons David Bowie, The Eagles' Glenn Frey, Prince and Leonard Cohen. They posted Michael’s lyrics to a number of his hit songs and YouTube videos on Facebook and recalled his work as an LGBT rights campaigner and his involvement with HIV/AIDS charities.
I admit George Michael’s passing didn’t hit me immediately the way I was shocked to hear of the losses of Bowie, Frey, Prince and Cohen. I saw the singer/songwriter and record producer as a one-hit wonder whose hit song I was most familiar with was 1984’s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" Michael did along with singing partner, Andrew Ridgeley under their British rock band, Wham!
I was even less impressed with Michael’s 1987 hit, "I Want Your Sex." I equated that song as just another attempt to drum up needless controversy the way Madonna released her erotic coffee table book, "Sex", in October 1992. It’s as if Michael had nothing more to offer in terms of memorable music.
After seeing the number of hit songs he churned out since arriving on the scene in the early years of MTV back in the 80s it suddenly dawned on me the number of songs Michael did that I liked. They included another 1984 WHAM! single, "Careless Whisper", which he also co-wrote with songwriting partner, Ridgeley, both at the age of 17 which was a song he was not the most thrilled with saying in 1991, the hit “was not an integral part” of his emotional development, yet it was the lyrics that struck a chord with fans.
"I'm still a bit puzzled why it's made such an impression on people. Is it because so many people have cheated on their partners? Is that why they connect with it? I have no idea, but it's ironic that this song - which has come to define me in some way - should have been written right at the beginning of my career when I was still so young,” Michael was quoted in a 2009 interview with Bang Issue magazine.
Then there is Aretha Franklin’s 1987 Grammy Award winning song, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." I didn’t learn, however, until after Michael’s passing that the two did the number as a duet. Those two hits along with so many others like Michael’s slow moving 1988 ballad, "Kissing a Fool," sadly, just as it’s happened so many times before when a Hollywood legend or music icon dies, where I didn’t appreciate the person’s talent until they were gone.
If George Michael was fighting off the demons of drug addiction in his final days, those battles are over now. He is likely somewhere jamming on stage with fellow late musicians Bowie, Cohen, Frey and Prince collaborating on some new song and whatever that is, rest assured it’s not his 1988 hit, "Monkey", which reportedly detailed the singer’s battles with drug addiction.
As for that war of words I was expecting to get into with that friend of mine on Facebook regarding the subject, she posted back saying what I wrote was well said adding it breaks her heart when so much talent is lost due to an addiction.
©1/11/17
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