The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will add pop icon George Michael to the list of greatest stars in music history.
Michael got his start as the front man for Wham! Releasing hits like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” and “Last Christmas.” And soon he moved on to pursue a solo career where his top hits included: “Careless Whisper” and “Father Figure.” For consideration in the Hall of Fame artists have to have recorded their first record 25 years ago. A household name, Michael has been eligible for induction since 2012.
Michael released his first solo album “Faith” in 1987. His second solo studio album “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1,” according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, “alludes to Michael’s struggle as a closeted gay man during the height of the AIDS epidemic.”
Not only will Michael be inducted, but he won the annual fan vote for the Rock Hall. Other 2023 inductees include: Willie Nelson, Missy Elliot and Sheryl Crow.
Before he passed at the age of 53 in 2016, Michael came out in 1998 and was an active LGBTQ+ activist and raised funds for HIV/AIDS charities during the last 20 years of his life. Though many of his lyrics were seen as controversial in the 90s, he made it clear that he was proud of who he was and wasn’t attempting to hide it anymore. When he came out, Michael told CNN “I want to say I have no problem with people knowing that I’m in a relationship with a man right now.”
Despite his passing, Michael set the tone for LGBTQ+ pop artists to follow and his legacy will be honored at the Rock Hall induction ceremony this November.
