http://www.dailymail.co.u...chael.html


He once described himself as 'pop slave' working his fingers to the bone for an uncaring music industry.

But George Michael can now command £1.6million for just one hour's work.

His latest accounts reveal that he earned a total of £48,499,893 from touring between April 2006 and March 2008.

This does not include his income from songwriting and record sales.

Much of the income comes from private gigs for the super-rich. Michael returned to the stage in 2006 after a 15-year gap when he barely played live at all.

For example, the former Wham! star charged £1,606,856 to sing 13 songs at a New Year's Eve party thrown by Russian nickel magnate Vladimir Potanin.

Michael, his lover Kenny Goss and a 40-strong entourage had been flown to Moscow by private jet for the one-off gig in December 2006.

A few months later, Michael charged £1,521,916 to perform at the 55th birthday party of billionaire Sir Philip Green.

He was flown out to the party on an island in the Indian Ocean to perform hits including Careless Whisper and Freedom for 100 of Sir Philip's celebrity guests.

The reclusive singer is said to have requested to leave the island as soon as he got off the stage.

Michael's huge earnings - detailed for the first time in accounts published for his touring company Twentyfive Live - showed that he is still very much in demand despite persistent problems in his private life.

Over the period covered by the accounts, Michael was caught with crack cocaine and cannabis and found trawling for anonymous sex on Hampstead Heath.

During the 1990s, the singer publicly battled with his record company Sony.

He claimed he had become a 'pop slave' and briefly refused to produce any more music.

The decision cost him £4million, but Michael financed the buy-out of his contract by signing a new deal with Virgin.
[Edited 3/23/09 21:50pm]

Go George!

To add to Chris Rock's list from 2004:

R Kelly done lost his mind....

Michael Jackson done lost his mind.....

GEORGE MICHÆL done lost his mind!!!!

This is definitely not the same artist I was listening to all my life...who are you?

I dunno why the Daily Mail reports this now since he said this like two years ago. And what's so strange with it? He's the 80s third or fourth biggest popstar and still has millions of fans. Why should he demand just 500.000??

Good for him! I see nothing wrong with this.He's got bills to pay,just like everyone else

anc282 said:

Chris Rock should add himself to this list that last special he had on HBO was absolutely boring and sleep inducing. George Michael like anybody else has the right to get whatever money someone wants to offer legitimately.

anc282 said:

What's wrong with it?

I was referring mostly to his drug problem which seems to be getting more attention than his music nowadays...and yeah, I think that's a bit of an extreme amount for him to be charging for his gigs. Then again, he's playing for rich folks, so I suppose there isn't anything wrong with it.

anc282 said:

Over the weekend,Donna Summer performed a private concert for a billionaire's Birthday party.It's more common than you think But like you say,these people are filthy rich.If you had that kind of cash,wouldn't you pay a fortune to have Prince (or whomever is your favorite) perform at one of your parties?

Whatever floats his boat.

SoulAlive said:

Good for Donna. If the wealthy are willing to pay for private shows, great! Performers know going in what they can ask for and I think George is worth it.

Tina Turner got to be paid a whole lot of money for the same purpose George did, performing in Moscow and shit like that, lol.

hey. if an artist can demand it and get it....more power to them. Go George Go!!

Trust me. MJ and Madonna would charge more. I think the price paid for GM is worth it.

superspaceboy said:

Not if you havent had a decent single or headbang worthy song in YEARS!


P.S. bboy..i think you should change your avvy to "Kang of Gif's"

paisleypark4 said:

Give me a name of an artist from the 80's who had a hit single in years...there isn't

seeingvoices12 said:

Hell, U2! ..and them...

seeingvoices12 said:

Exactly. But nowadays I'll take an artist selling lots of concert tickets and making money off of tours than singles and albums nowadays. If you sell a tour well, you're not a "has-been" IMHO.

Timmy84 said:

I'm just mad at him that he did not really do anymore music..and made that TERRIBLE Patience Cd that I took back after copying 2 songs. Patience my behind; I couldnt wait to get some Target credit for 10.99.

paisleypark4 said:

The album was okay, lol. I wasn't expecting much when I got it, I knew it was gonna be full of mid-tempo stuff and some dance stuff with a lot of cursing in it.

why would he need recent hits though? they're probably asking him for wham stuff anyway

and i remember that private party in russia. mariah was invited to it too ,if memory serves me right.

SoulAlive said:

For that money you can buy A LOT of good ganja.And icecream !

paisleypark4 said:

I just changed it

seeingvoices12 said:

Um Madonna.

superspaceboy said:

Both Madge and Michael had decent hits in 2008

bboy87 said:

Michael who? George Michael or do you mean Michael Jackson? Which hit did one of the Michaels have in 2008?

graecophilos said:

Michael Jackson

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 (#81 Pop, #2 Dance, #69 UK, #52 Japan, #69 Germany)
The Girl Is Mine 2008 (#32 UK, #1 Japan, #21 Germany)

they did decent in some markets

Lol, re-releases from 20+ years ago don't count. Come on now. Michael's last real hit was "You Rock My World" back in 2001.
[Edited 3/24/09 14:21pm]

Cinnamon234 said:

Butterflies and One More Chance are waiting at your door to whoop your ass right now

bboy87 said: