George Michael was born.

Prince released Purple Rain.

Michael Jackson died.

That's an unofficial musical holiday right there!

TrivialPursuit said:

George Michael was born.

Prince released Purple Rain.

Michael Jackson died.

I believe same Day in 1977, Prince Signed His Deal w/WB........

Michael's face fusing with P's Clara Bow PR face oddly works, definitely made for a tee shirt.

89Flowers said:

Michael's face fusing with P's Clara Bow PR face oddly works, definitely made for a tee shirt.

Isn't it actually Apollonia's face?

Anyhoo - I made the graphic back in 2014. It took a bit, but I got it done.

TrivialPursuit said:

89Flowers said:

Michael's face fusing with P's Clara Bow PR face oddly works, definitely made for a tee shirt.

Isn't it actually Apollonia's face?

Anyhoo - I made the graphic back in 2014. It took a bit, but I got it done.

I'm not sure about it being Apollonia, I was under the impression that it was Clara because of her mention in ATWIAD, I was just going along with the rumors.

89Flowers said:

I'm not sure about it being Apollonia, I was under the impression that it was Clara because of her mention in ATWIAD, I was just going along with the rumors.

I believe that's a stretch. It's too far fetched. I'm 90% sure I heard it was Apollonia, but ... I don't readily recall where.

I'm definitely a music fan, because Jun. 25 is "the day MJ died" in my mind. Remember it like yesterday, had my tickets to This Is It just three weeks later or so. I knew in the back of my mind those shows weren't happening, though I didn't anticipate death.

Superstition said:

I'm definitely a music fan, because Jun. 25 is "the day MJ died" in my mind. Remember it like yesterday, had my tickets to This Is It just three weeks later or so. I knew in the back of my mind those shows weren't happening, though I didn't anticipate death.

I was at a very dark and displaced time in my life when that happened. I was already bawling every single day, and the MJ thing made me a mess for months. It hit me again when I was at an FYE, and all the Michael Jackson Cds were gone. It was just an empty space. He was gone... everywhere all at once.

GM's biography is out by James Gavin. Just got mine today.

500 pages and can't wait to sink my teeth in it.

Prince is mentioned quite heavily in the book and I'm only on page 140.

[Edited 7/7/22 4:48am]

PennyPurple said:

Prince is mentioned quite heavly quite heavily in the book and I'm only on page 140.

I'm reading a novel series right now, but I have put this on my list.

TrivialPursuit said:

PennyPurple said:

Prince is mentioned quite heavly quite heavily in the book and I'm only on page 140.

I'm reading a novel series right now, but I have put this on my list.

It gave a lot of insight to George. Prince was mentioned almost in every chapter.

George seemed to want the fame and fortune, but once he got it, all he did was complain. I wonder if he was ever happy.

PennyPurple said:

It gave a lot of insight to George. Prince was mentioned almost in every chapter.

George seemed to want the fame and fortune, but once he got it, all he did was complain. I wonder if he was ever happy.

I believe some folks just really don't know the level of crazy that comes with the kind of fame GM had with WHAM! and as a solo artist. I do think after Faith, he was burnt out, and I was glad he took that time away. He came back with a really nice, introspective record, Listen without Prejudice.

Unfortunately, you can't get that kind of attention and money without the constant hounding of the press and fans. It's a double-edged sword, isn't it? I suppose, though, it's their humanity poking through. No one wants to be that known, all the time, 24/7, to the point that you can't even go to the store. Prince could, on occasion, because he knew where he was mostly safe. Sometimes.

I do believe George was happy. He was happy creating, he was happy with Anselmo, Kenny. But is anyone happy all day, every day? Of course not. But I believe, like most of us, he was able to find some happiness each day.

It's sorta cliche isn't it - get attention, complain about it. Get $100M, complain about it. Both GM and Prince had moments in their career - penacles, if you will - and then completely turned their back on it. For Prince, it was Purple Rain. The tour almost killed him (and I get why, I really do). He told Oprah he's never wear the purple jacket again. Yet he played the fuck out of just about every song on that album, including "Darling Nikki" and "Erotic City" in the piano sampler section, just as a tease. He'd never get to the dirty parts. But he still used it - he still used what he now shunned. He never wanted to be the Purple Rain Guy™ anymore.

GM didn't want to be the cross-earring-leather-jacket-with-a-tank-top-and-aviator-glasses model type™ anymore. So he shaved his head, didn't appear in videos, and whined about it.

Eh, they were both still geniuses, and I suppose they do get some leeway in that sort of thing. People tolerate it - likely having little sympathy in the process; cry us a river of money, George - in lieu of hearing more material and seeing another concert.

If anything, it shows just how human, un-self-assured, and flawed they are as artists.

TrivialPursuit said:

PennyPurple said:

It gave a lot of insight to George. Prince was mentioned almost in every chapter.

George seemed to want the fame and fortune, but once he got it, all he did was complain. I wonder if he was ever happy.

I believe some folks just really don't know the level of crazy that comes with the kind of fame GM had with WHAM! and as a solo artist. I do think after Faith, he was burnt out, and I was glad he took that time away. He came back with a really nice, introspective record, Listen without Prejudice.

Unfortunately, you can't get that kind of attention and money without the constant hounding of the press and fans. It's a double-edged sword, isn't it? I suppose, though, it's their humanity poking through. No one wants to be that known, all the time, 24/7, to the point that you can't even go to the store. Prince could, on occasion, because he knew where he was mostly safe. Sometimes.

I do believe George was happy. He was happy creating, he was happy with Anselmo, Kenny. But is anyone happy all day, every day? Of course not. But I believe, like most of us, he was able to find some happiness each day.

It's sorta cliche isn't it - get attention, complain about it. Get $100M, complain about it. Both GM and Prince had moments in their career - penacles, if you will - and then completely turned their back on it. For Prince, it was Purple Rain. The tour almost killed him (and I get why, I really do). He told Oprah he's never wear the purple jacket again. Yet he played the fuck out of just about every song on that album, including "Darling Nikki" and "Erotic City" in the piano sampler section, just as a tease. He'd never get to the dirty parts. But he still used it - he still used what he now shunned. He never wanted to be the Purple Rain Guy™ anymore.

GM didn't want to be the cross-earring-leather-jacket-with-a-tank-top-and-aviator-glasses model type™ anymore. So he shaved his head, didn't appear in videos, and whined about it.

Eh, they were both still geniuses, and I suppose they do get some leeway in that sort of thing. People tolerate it - likely having little sympathy in the process; cry us a river of money, George - in lieu of hearing more material and seeing another concert.

If anything, it shows just how human, un-self-assured, and flawed they are as artists.

He was very unhappy with the United States numbers on the charts. Especially with Listen without Prejudice album.

I agree he was very happy with Anselmo, but with Kenny they had an open relationship, he seemed to meet strangers in parks on a daily basis.

The last dude he was with, really turned out to be a creep after George passed. Money hungry for money he didn't deserve.

The author said that GM tried to commit suicide several times and finally did it. Some disagreement on the date of death some think it was actually 12/24 on his mother's bday, others say 12/25.

I'm re-reading some of it to get the timeline straight.

PennyPurple said:

He was very unhappy with the United States numbers on the charts. Especially with Listen without Prejudice album.

I agree he was very happy with Anselmo, but with Kenny they had an open relationship, he seemed to meet strangers in parks on a daily basis.

The last dude he was with, really turned out to be a creep after George passed. Money hungry for money he didn't deserve.

The author said that GM tried to commit suicide several times and finally did it. Some disagreement on the date of death some think it was actually 12/24 on his mother's bday, others say 12/25.

I'm re-reading some of it to get the timeline straight.

I've not read the book so my question is surface-only, but was he unhappy with sales charts, or his life? There's a difference. Everyone has a disappointing album in the US or UK.

The problem in the states is that the consumer wants the same thing over and over. And people like Janet, MJ, Prince, Madoanna, GM, and others have zero interest repeating themselves year after year (ie: after a planned promotional campaign), or album to album.

So with such a big switch in sound and production between Faith and LWP, I'm not sure what he expected from such a fickle group of listeners, as us Americans.

When I'm done reading this book series I'm on (I'm on 4 of 7 books), the GM book is going to be a great diversion from sci-fi fiction.

TrivialPursuit said:

PennyPurple said:

He was very unhappy with the United States numbers on the charts. Especially with Listen without Prejudice album.

I agree he was very happy with Anselmo, but with Kenny they had an open relationship, he seemed to meet strangers in parks on a daily basis.

The last dude he was with, really turned out to be a creep after George passed. Money hungry for money he didn't deserve.

The author said that GM tried to commit suicide several times and finally did it. Some disagreement on the date of death some think it was actually 12/24 on his mother's bday, others say 12/25.

I'm re-reading some of it to get the timeline straight.

I've not read the book so my question is surface-only, but was he unhappy with sales charts, or his life? There's a difference. Everyone has a disappointing album in the US or UK.

The problem in the states is that the consumer wants the same thing over and over. And people like Janet, MJ, Prince, Madoanna, GM, and others have zero interest repeating themselves year after year (ie: after a planned promotional campaign), or album to album.

So with such a big switch in sound and production between Faith and LWP, I'm not sure what he expected from such a fickle group of listeners, as us Americans.

When I'm done reading this book series I'm on (I'm on 4 of 7 books), the GM book is going to be a great diversion from sci-fi fiction.

Chart numbers he was never happy with the US chart numbers, it also perplexed him. LOL

PennyPurple said:

Chart numbers he was never happy with the US chart numbers, it also perplexed him. LOL

Hmm, so he hated the Faith fame, but was puzzled when it didn't return for LWP? haha