George Michael Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

James Kennedy is changing things up! After being reunited with his dog, previously named Graham Cracker, the star revealed the pup's new moniker on Sunday.Kennedy shared a post to his Instagram story showing his pet pooch, and announced the dog will now be known as Hippie.«We've decided to rename this little beauty 'hippie.' This is a tribute to my late godfather, George Michael's dog's name,» Kennedy wrote, «the only dog I saw around the house growing up.»«Although George and Hippie are in heaven now together, I know that they are watching over me now, a proud doggy papa!» he added.Kennedy was reunited with his dog — which he shared with ex-girlfriend Rachel Leviss until their split. Leviss and Kennedy got the dog in 2018, three years before ending their engagement. Leviss kept the canine in the breakup since her parents bought the dog for her.The former couple's dog was in headlines recently after he allegedly bit Leviss' mother, while Leviss was in a mental health facility. Leviss' mother claimed that the dog was responsible for several biting incidents.After being unable to find a trainer who could curb the dog's behavior, Leviss' mother recently told ET that she «reached out to Lisa Vanderpump for financial assistance to hire a different trainer.

It's been a while since we last saw Heather Trott in Albert Square. Cheryl, the best friend of Shirley Carter in EastEnders, was known for her romance with Minty Peterson and for having a baby with Darren Miller. Not to mention her love of headbands...

Within the first few minutes of “Wham!,” a documentary focusing on the meteoric career of the eponymous ’80s pop icons, late frontman George Michael describes the day he came to meet group co-founder Andrew Ridgeley as secondary school students and the instant bond that formed in such a way that Michael would go on to question the path his life might have subsequently taken had the two never crossed paths themselves.

In the 1980s, perhaps no one typified beauty, glamor, and sex appeal more than the big four, “The Super Models” —Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. These runaway models were everywhere, and perhaps nothing epitomized their global allure more than George Michael’s steamy “Freedom” video, which featured all of these women plus Tatjana Patitz and was directed with erotic sweatiness by none other than David Fincher.

Sir Elton John will hold what he has described as his “final farewell show” in Sweden this weekend as his tour comes to an end. Billed as his retirement from touring, the megastar played his last UK date at Glastonbury festival last month and will bring the tour to an end on Saturday at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Unabashed pop groups with fervid teenage followings tend to get trivialized, at least in the media. They’re dismissed as being slick and calculated and superficial. But there’s a story in “Wham!,” the new Netflix documentary about the quintessential pop duo of the 1980s, that testifies to what a chancy and audacious artist George Michael was even back in his teen-idol days. The year is 1983. Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, coming off their first album, “Fantastic” (which had a few hits, though none of them were great), have established Wham! as an effective lightweight pop machine, with its two young stars prancing around the stage in sexy sportswear. The time has come to record “Careless Whisper,” a song they’ve had in their back pocket for several years (we hear the super-early demo version of it that they recorded in 1981 in Ridgeley’s living room on a TEAC 4-track Portastudio). Michael has become enough of a powerhouse to hook up with Jerry Wexler, the legendary producer of Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. He heads down to Muscle Shoals Sound Studio to record the track, with Wexler producing. What more could a 20-year-old budding pop star want?

Famous for being part of the world-famous 1980s band Wham!, fronted by the late George Michael, Andrew has rubbed shoulders with titans of the music industry and enjoyed high-profile romances with sought-after women. What is he up to these days? Read on to discover more… Who is Andrew Ridgeley? The 60-year-old musician started life in Windlesham, Surrey, born on January 26, 1963, to parents Alberto and Jennifer.

George Michael came out to the world after he was arrested by an undercover policeman for engaging in a lewd act in a public bathroom.But, long before that scandalous outing occurred at Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills, the late ’80s pop heartthrob revealed his sexuality to his Wham! mate Andrew Ridgeley. It was July 1983 — a year before the chart-topping duo first went No. 1 with “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”They had just wrapped filming the video for their post-disco single “Club Tropicana” in Ibiza, Spain.“About six months before … I’d actually had something go on that made my attraction to men fairly clear,” Michael reveals in “Wham! The Documentary,” which premieres on Netflix July 5.

NME about the upcoming Netflix documentary Wham! – as well as the pop icons’ enduring legacy.The new documentary tells the story of the ‘80s pop duo Ridgeley formed with his late best friend George Michael, as well as the singles boxset that will commemorate the 40th anniversary of their debut album ‘Fantastic’.From 1982 to their final gig at Wembley stadium in 1986, Wham! scored five UK Number One singles – ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Careless Whisper’, ‘Freedom’, ‘I’m Your Man’ and ‘The Edge of Heaven’, later celebrating a sixth when ‘Last Christmas’ topped the charts in 2020, 36 years after it was first released. They’re all among those featured in the forthcoming ‘Wham! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven’ collection.

George Michael‘s family have been granted permission to build a memorial in honour of the late pop icon in Oxfordshire.The pop icon’s estate made plans to create a bronze stature in his honour five years ago with the local council in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and now is when the plans have been approved.According to councillors, there was some “resistance” from the 3,200 residents, who include many wealthy retired people. When the application for the memorial was first made, parish councillor Catherine Hall said: “I’m reluctant to even agree in principle because we risk stirring up a hornets’ nest.”A post shared by George Michael (@georgemofficial)As reported by The Sun, sculptor Laura Lian had met with Michael’s best friend Andros Georgiou at the memorial site to discuss the project this past weekend (July 1).A source told The Sun: “Everyone is thrilled to finally have the go ahead.

“Die Another Day” on her 2002 Bond theme accompanying the film of the same name.But it was more of a cheeky quip than any real acceptance of her own mortality. Back then and even two decades later, the indomitable diva seemingly felt as if she would outlive us all — and we did too.However, that collective gasp heard ’round the world late Wednesday afternoon — when we all found out that Madonna had been rushed to the hospital after being found unresponsive — was a wake-up call.According to an Instagram statement from her longtime manager, Guy Oseary, Madonna had “developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several day stay in the ICU.” She was reportedly intubated for at least a night, but on Wednesday she was awake and recovering with the tube removed.At 64, we can no longer take Madonna for granted, folks.Time to rethink all those jokes about her plastic surgery, her age-inappropriate outfits and her bizarre Instagram filters.We should all be glad that Madonna is still here — and, in fact, was preparing for her “Celebration” tour, set to kick off July 15, that would commemorate her 40-year career.

Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Dolly Parton and Adele were among a group of artists who protested outside Meta’s London offices yesterday. Not the actual artists, obviously, but a group of tribute acts.

Elton John reportedly opted to make an early dash after his headline performance at Glastonbury over the weekend.The 76 year old belted out a range of his most iconic songs, including Rocket Man, on the Pyramid stage this Sunday, but didn't stick around for long. "He [Elton] hit the last note of Rocket Man, jumped in a golf cart with a giant E on it, drove down where an automobile was waiting for him and was whisked to the red gate where there was a helicopter," said Entertainment Correspondent Colin Paterson on BBC Breakfast. He went on to explain that people had tracked Elton's helicopter, which took just over 30 minutes to get the pop legend from Somerset to his home in Windsor.

Elton John‘s headline set at Glastonbury 2023 last night (June 25) broke viewing figures on the BBC, with millions watching across the UK.The legendary singer-songwriter played what seems to be his last ever UK show on Worthy Farm, bringing a hit-packed set to one of the biggest crowds the Pyramid Stage has ever seen.Now, according to overnights.tv (via The Independent), the set was watched by 7.3million viewers across the BBC, three times that which saw Paul McCartney headline last year and the most-viewed set on television in the festival’s history.The other two headliners, Guns N’ Roses and Arctic Monkeys attracted a viewership of 1million and 1.5million respectively.During the show, John was joined by Gabriels frontman Jacob Lusk, up-and-comer Stephen Sanchez, Rina Sawayama and The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, though rumours prior to the set included Britney Spears.Reviewing Elton John’s Glastonbury set, NME wrote: “Look at that setlist – it can’t be improved. As previously promised, the ending segment of the show saw “all hell break loose”. ‘Crocodile Rock’, massive.

Elton John has announced a collectible, limited edition release of ‘Diamonds (Pyramid Edition)’ – order it here.The release arrives as a celebration of the music icon’s historic Glastonbury performance on the Pyramid Stage Sunday night (June 26) – which NME lauded as “one of the festival’s best-ever headline sets” in a five-star review.‘Diamonds (Pyramid Edition)’ (available digitally here), features tracklisting personally selected by John which “reflects last night’s historic setlist”, according to a press release.It will feature highlights from ‘Diamonds’, his 2017 greatest hits collection. Pressed on coloured vinyl, the new release also includes a commemorative 10×10 print.John’s Rocket Club fan club members were tipped off this morning (June 26) about 100 signed copies of the release, sold from 10am today on a first-come-first-served basis from the Elton John Eyewear pop-up store at 59 Greek Street in Soho, London.Check out the artwork and track list below.‘Diamonds (Pyramid Edition)’:A: ‘Pinball Wizard’‘Bennie And The Jets’‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’‘Are You Ready For Love’‘Your Song’B: ‘Tiny Dancer’‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’‘I’m Still Standing’‘Cold Heart’‘Rocket Man’John performed a sensational, career-spanning set at Glastonbury Festival yesterday, featuring a whole host of special guests and a moving tribute to his late friend George Michael.“Sir Elton celebrates the past, present and future of music at last ever UK show,” NME wrote in a glowing five-star review.“Sir Elton left everything on the field.

Elton John remembered the late George Michael during his Glastonbury set on Sunday (June 25), on what would have been the Wham! singer’s 60th birthday.Closing out the final night of Glastonbury 2023 on the Pyramid Stage, John remembered “one of Britain’s most fantastic singers, songwriters, and artist”, George Michael.“He was my friend, an inspiration, and today would have been his 60th birthday – I want to dedicate this song to his memory, and all the music he left us with which is so gorgeous,” he said, before performing a powerful rendition of ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’.A picture of Michael appeared on the screens behind him, making for an emotional moment in the ‘Rocket Man’ singer’s set.#EltonJohn making a dedication to #GeorgeMichael on his birthday

This Morning viewers found themselves overcome with emotion just seconds before the last episode of the week came to an end. Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary were reunited again on Friday (June 23) for their usual stint at the helm of the ITV daytime show.

This Morning viewers were rushing to respond after they heard a word that they wouldn't usually hear on the morning show. The ITV daytime programme was back on air on Friday (June 23) for the final time this week with Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary back at the helm.

An inside joke about Elton John between two best friends of 30 years ended in the tragic death of a beloved mum-of-four.

Netflix has unveiled a new trailer for ‘Wham!‘, an upcoming feature-length documentary about the ’80s pop duo of the same name.The documentary, which is slated for release on Netflix globally on July 5, takes a look at the history of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley and their time in Wham!, from the time they had first met as teens, to their pinnacle of stardom and behind-the-scenes look at the group’s ups and downs during the height of their fame, while also paying tribute to the life and career of Michael.‘Wham!’ features archival footage from the duo’s history and never-before-seen interviews with George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley and more. Watch the trailer for Netflix’s ‘Wham!’ documentary above.Wham! celebrated a short but successful career, running from 1981 until their disbandment in 1986.

Astrud Gilberto, known for her sultry song “The Girl From Ipanema,” passed away at 83. Gilberto, which popularized Brazilian bossa nova in the United States in the 1960s, has over four decades of musical and recording career.Despite working with celebrated musicians like Gil Evans, Stanley Turrentine, James Last, and George Michael, “The Girl From Ipanema,” written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, is her biggest success.Gilberto was married to João Gilberto, known as the father of the bossa nova.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Astrud Gilberto, the smooth-voiced Brazilian singer whose version of “The Girl From Ipanema” introduced bossa nova to much of the world and is likely one of the most recognized popular hits of all time, has died, according to the Guardian. No cause of death has been reported; she was 83. The daughter of a German father and a Brazilian mother, the singer was born Astrud Evangelina Weinert in Bahia in 1940 and mostly raised in Rio de Janeiro. She married bossa nova pioneer/ singer-guitarist João Gilberto in 1959, and although the marriage lasted only a few years, but she kept his name. In 1963, she joined him on a trip to New York to record the “Getz/Gilberto” album with jazz saxophonist Stan Getz. She ended up singing “Girl From Ipanema” inadvertently: Producer Creed Taylor had wanted to record an English version of the Brazilian song “Garota De Ipanema” and Astrud, whose father taught languages, was the only Brazilian at the session who spoke English. It was the first song she’d ever recorded, but her un-studied, lighthearted take on the song’s unforgettable melody turned it into a monumental international hit, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Song Of the Year.

Many Britain's Got Talent viewers were left commenting on the same thing as Simon Cowell debuted a 'new look' during tonight's (June 1) live semi-final. Just minutes into the start of the fourth show of the week, fans headed onto social media to question the music mogul's choice of accessories.

I Kissed a Boy, which is set in Italy and hosted by Dannii Minogue, has a similar premise to Love Island, but the twist is that the men who are coupled up have to kiss before they’ve even said hello to each other. Unsurprisingly, viewers have been hooked since the first episode aired and adorable contestants such as Jake from Swansea and Ollie from Brighton already have a firm place in our hearts.

Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney has teased a possible Sister Michael spin-off – and we’d so be here for it. The actress, 43, played Sister George Michael in three series of the much-loved sitcom. Derry Girls follows teens growing up in Londonderry in the 1990s and was a sleeper hit that built a large and committed following.

Derry Girls‘ concluding season has won Best Scripted Comedy at the BAFTA TV Awards.

The world premiere of ‘Wham!’ about the pop supergroup formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley is among the highlights of the 30th edition of the Sheffield DocFest, set for June 14-19 in north-central England.

Iron Maiden‘s absence from this year’s inductees list while reflecting on the other nominees.Iron Maiden, who were included on the fan ballot this year, were not among the names announced on May 3 when the 2023 induction list was revealed. It was revealed that the band had the fourth-highest total for the annual fan ballot, with 449,682 votes.Speaking to Taryn Daily on Audacy Check In, Harris shared: “We love that people care; That they care if they’re in or out, and that their fans care.

The National, and claimed that he wishes he “could be Matt Berninger”.He made the comments in a new YouTube video this week (May 3), which saw him share his views on the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame class with longtime colleagues Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay.While sharing his thoughts on this year’s inductees — which include George Michael, Rage Against The Machine and Kate Bush — Letterman also expressed his “disappointment” at singer-songwriter Warren Zevon being snubbed.It was here that the conversation shifted to the former television host’s fondness for Matt Berninger-fronted band, The National. “Oh, I love the National,” he explained, going on to label them as “your saddest friend’s favourite band.”He also expressed his admiration for one of their songs, which wasn’t featured on their latest LP, ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’: “They had this song called ‘Weird Goodbyes,’ which is not on the new album,” he said, going on to recite some of the song’s lyrics.

Kate Bush and Rage Against The Machine have each made statements about their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions. Earlier today (May 3), the two acts have been confirmed for the coveted placement alongside George Michael, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, and more.

Kate Bush has reacted to the news that she is (finally) going to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, and hinted that she could make her first public appearance in over a decade at the ceremony. 

Rage Against The Machine and Kate Bush have responded to the news that they are both part of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s Class of 2023.The list of this year’s inductees was revealed earlier today, with George Michael, Sheryl Crow, rap innovator Missy Elliott, The Spinners, and country legend Willie Nelson also set to join the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.Kate Bush had previously been nominated three times, in 2018, 2021 and 2022. Rage Against The Machine, meanwhile, were on their fifth nomination, having been nominated more times than any of this year’s other shortlisted artists.“It is a surprising trajectory for us to be welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” Rage Against the Machine said in a statement.

Kate Bush, who re-emerged in the public eye after ’80s song “Running Up That Hill” appeared on Stranger Things, and Willie Nelson, who just turned 90 last weekend, are now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced this year’s inductees for 2023.

Kate Bush and George Michael are among the artists who will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony in 2023.The full lists of inductees have been announced today (May 3) and along with a list of seven performers being inducted, the recipients of the Musical Influence Award and the Musical Excellence Award have also been unveiled.All artists are eligible to enter the hall 25 years after their first single, and this year’s instalment sees Kate Bush finally enter the prestigious hall — following three previous nominations in 2018, 2021 and 2022.While she has not released new music in over a decade, the singer-songwriter recently enjoyed a spike in popularity when her 1985 single, ‘Running Up That Hill’, went viral after appearing in Netflix series Stranger Things.It is not yet clear whether she will attend the New York ceremony. If she does, however, it will mark her first public appearance in nearly 10 years.Other inductees for 2023 include Sheryl Crow, Tom Morello’s band Rage Against The Machine, rap innovator Missy Eliott, The Spinners, and country legend Willie Nelson, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday.The final performer to be included in the class of 2023 is George Michael, who was deemed successful for the final cut after winning a fan vote, which was tallied alongside official ballots.

Kate Bush, Missy Elliott, George Michael, and Rage Against the Machine will all be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, it has been confirmed. The Class of 2023 group also includes Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and the Spinners. The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, November 3, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.