My American gay audience have continued to dance and sing to the music I make in a way that straight Americans haven’t. I am grateful to them for that. – George Michael
The whole business is built on ego, vanity, self-satisfaction, and it’s total crap to pretend it’s not. – George Michael
If I can just live further from the spotlight I think that’ll be better for all really. – George Michael
If someone really wants to hurt you, they’ll find a way whatever. I don’t want to live my life worrying about it. – George Michael
I know I have a very self-destructive tendency since my mother died, I have got to be honest. – George Michael
I was brought up when media still kept totally away from violence when it came to children. I don’t think it would have made me scared of violence, but I find it repulsive. – George Michael
Deep down, my ego always thought that I would outlast a lot of people that I was competing against. – George Michael
I’ve been very well remunerated for my talents over the years so I really don’t need the public’s money. – George Michael
I left school at 17 and was a star by the time I was 18 – in certain parts of the world anyway. – George Michael
I watch people who are not driven by creativity any more, and I think how dull it must be to produce the same kind of thing. If you don’t feel you’re reaching something new, then don’t do it. – George Michael
I’ve achieved what every artist wants, which is that some of their work will outlive them. – George Michael
I don’t really think that there is anyone in the modern pop business who I feel I want to spar with. – George Michael
The press seemed to take some delight that I previously had a ‘straight audience,’ and set about trying to destroy that. And I think some men were frustrated that their girlfriends wouldn’t let go of the idea that George Michael just hadn’t found the ‘right girl.’ – George Michael
I’m 10-12 years into life as an out gay man, and I’m a different person. I think there are things about my journey that might be useful to other people, and coming up with a hit record on its own doesn’t seem to be enough anymore. – George Michael
Is my body a temple, or is my life a temple? I’m definitely in the latter category, and I think my life has been better since thinking that way. – George Michael
I’ve never done anything so political before. I’ve spent years shouting my mouth off about serious issues over dinner tables but never really had the confidence to express my views in a song. – George Michael
I have no belief in The Bible or religion, but I think Armageddon was a lucky guess. I honestly think it’s going to happen. – George Michael
The first sign of real obsession with music was with an old wind-up gramophone that mum had thrown out into the garage. My parents gave me three old 45s – two Supremes records and one Tom Jones record – and I used to come home from school literally every day, go out to the garage, wind this thing up, and play them. – George Michael
I had to walk away from America, and say goodbye to the biggest part of my career, because I knew otherwise my demons would get the better of me. – George Michael