The film tells the ultimate story of Michael’s career
British label Peccadillo Pictures is set to release George Michael Portrait of an Artist on Blu-ray and DVD on December 4th in The UK. The film is the definitive documentary about global megastar George Michael.
Directed by former Wham! manager Simon Napier-Bell and featuring exclusive interviews with those who knew the pop star best, George Michael Portrait of An Artist provides an in-depth insight into Michael’s extraordinary life and career from the early days with Wham! to his tragic death in 2016.
Over a period of two years, Napier-Bell interviewed over 40 of those who were closest to Michael. None of the interviews was scripted. George Michael Portrait Of An Artist is a true reflection of the contrubutors’ experiences with George and their opinions of the superstar. Contributors include Stevie Wonder, Piers Morgan, Rufus Wainwright, and more.
The Blu-ray and DVD collector’s editions exclusively include outtakes from the cutting room floor, a 50-minute interview with Simon Napier-Bell about his working relationship with George Michael, and a 44-page booklet accompanying the film, featuring additional content from contributors such as Kenny Goss, Stephen Fry, Sananda Maitreya and Rufus Wainwright.
Born in North London, George Michael rose to fame as a member of the pop duo Wham! with their first two albums reaching No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, with hit singles including “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Last Christmas.” Napier-Bell managed their career, helping establish them as a global act and the driving force behind their groundbreaking Beijing concert, the first visit to China by a Western popular music act, which generated worldwide media coverage.
Michael’s first solo single, “Careless Whisper,” reached No. 1 in over 20 countries including the UK and the US, with his debut album Faith topping the UK charts and staying at the top for 12 straight weeks on the Billboard 200. Globally, it sold 25 million copies, and four singles from the album — ”Faith,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try,” and “Monkey” — reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Michael became the best-selling music artist of 1988, and Faith was awarded Album of the Year at the 1989 Grammy Awards.
Despite his success, Michael fought a continuous internal battle with his identity and public persona. Outside music, he was an active LGBT rights campaigner and HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser. His personal life, drug use, and legal troubles made headlines during the late 1990s and 2000s, as he was arrested for public lewdness in 1998 and was arrested for multiple drug-related offenses after that time.
In 1996, Michael began a decade-long romantic relationship with artist Kenny Goss, and in 1998 he came out as gay publicly for the first time. Michael suffered from substance abuse for many years, but in 2008 had a major comeback tour with the release of Twenty Five in celebration of his 25 years in music. Michael died at the age of 53 on Christmas Day in 2016 due to natural causes related to heart and liver disease.
Following his death, many charities and individuals posted on social media about the pop star’s generous philanthropic acts and how he often donated his time and much of his wealth anonymously. Michael avoided making headlines for his many acts of kindness, which included volunteering at a homeless shelter, paying for a woman’s fertility treatments, and tipping a waitress thousands of dollars to help her pay for her nursing school debts.
