Pop icon George Michael may retire to “quieter life”
George Michael may be turning his back on the music business after concerts this summer.
The British pop star, who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, has added two London dates to his stadium tour.
The performances on August 24th and 25th at Earl’s Court will be called The Final Two.
They mark the end of the 25 Live Tour, which started nearly two years ago.
A spokeswoman confirmed: “he’s not going to play any more big arenas.”
George Michael told the BBC:
“Mainly the reason is because I’m 45 and I think pop music should be about youth culture.
“It shouldn’t be an endurance test.”
He also said that he wanted to “stay away from my own idiocy” and “try and behave.”
George Michael was recently in the news over plans for a Wham! film, being planned by the band’s former manager Simon Napier-Bell.
As Michael controls Wham!’s music, Napier-Bell confirmed that “[George] will have the yes or not on each script presented. He will want control.”
Wham! were signed in 1981, and their debut album Fantastic reached number one in the UK. Their second album, Make It Big made the US number one slot.
After reportedly selling 20 million albums, and between 10 and 15 million singles, Wham! split up in 1986.
His first single after Wham!, I Want Your Sex, was banned before 9pm by the BBC, who stated that it “encourages young girls to participate in sex.”
In the early 90s, Michael met Anselmo Feleppa.
The pair were in a relationship until Feleppa’s death in 1993.
Michael’s single Jesus to a Child, and the album Older were both dedicated to Feleppa.
Questions about Michael’s sexual orientation plagued his career until 1998, when the pop star was arrested in a Californian public toilet for “engaging in a lewd act.”
Michael publicly came out after the incident, and was open about his relationship with former cheerleading coach Kenny Goss.
He told MTV: “I got followed into the restroom and then this cop – I didn’t know it was a cop, obviously – he started playing this game, which I think is called, ‘I’ll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I’m going to nick you.'”
While Michael and Goss had planned to have a civil partnership back in 2005, this was postponed due to his upcoming tour.
Throughout 2006 and 2007, Michael was regularly in the headlines over various drug related incidents.
He was cautioned twice for possessing cannabis when he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car on two separate occasions.
He has now said that he wants “a quieter life.”
