6. George Michael
With hits such as “Careless Whisper” and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” Wham! blasted into the 1980’s with style. George Michael and his high school pal Andrew Ridgeley formed the duo known asWham! in 1981. When they broke up in 1986, Michael claimed his reason was to create a more sophisticated sound to target a new audience over Wham!’s primarily teenage fan-base. Michael’s first single as a solo artist was the Aretha Franklin duet “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” which earned them both a Grammy win in 1998 for Best R&B Performance. Michael continued to add hits such as “Faith” “Freedom ’90,” and “I Want Your Sex” to his already impressive resume, making the star an international sex symbol. Although he was coy about his sexuality, he was outted by the Los Angeles police in 1998 when he was arrested for engaging in “lewd acts” in a public restroom. In a 2007 interview with Independent News, Michael admitted he hid the fact he was gay for fear of the affect it might have on his mother. Since 1996, Michael has been in a long-term relationship with businessman Kenny Goss, who owns the Goss Gallery in Dallas, TX. Michael contributed all of the proceeds from his duet with Elton John, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” to 10 different charities for children, AIDS and education.
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