Fifty years of George Michael, seven number one singles, five arrests... To celebrate the singer's birthday, here is his life in numbers.
George Michael performing during the Olympics closing ceremony in 2012 Photo: AP
7:00AM BST 25 Jun 2013
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George Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panagiòtou 50 years ago today, has
racked up 100 million album sales and countless column inches during his 30
year career. Here's some of the Faith singer's life and career in numbers:
2: Grammy Awards – for Best R&B performance in 1987, and
Album of the Year for Faith in 1988
3: Number of Brit Awards – for Best British Male in 1998 and 1997 and
Best British Album in 1991 for Listen Without Prejudice Volume 1.
4: Number one albums in the UK – Faith, Listen Without Prejudice Volume
1, Older and Patience.
5: The number of times Michael has been arrested – four accounts of
cannabis possession and driving under the influence, and one for public
indecency.
6 million: Copies of Careless Whisper sold
7: The number of times an overzealous fan broke into Michael’s house.
8: Weeks in prison after pleading guilty for driving under the influence of drugs. He only served four of them.
Michael arrives at court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of drugs.
10 million: The number of US dollars that undercover policeman Marcelo Rodriguez tried to sue Michael for. This was in 1999 following the Outside music video which portrayed Rodriguez, he felt, in an unfavourable light. Rodriguez was unsuccessful in his legal attempts.
13: I Want Your Sex was the 13th most popular single of the year in Canada in 1987
15: The number of years between his 25 Live tour, in 2006, and the Cover to Cover tour in 1991.
16: Number of years Wham festive single Last Christmas has consecutively entered the German singles chart.
17: Total number of weeks Michael’s singles have spent at number one
20 million: Copies of Faith sold
George Michael in a publicity shot for 1987 album, Faith
25: The number of cannabis cigarettes Michael claimed to smoke in a day in a 2009 interview with The Guardian.
30: The number of days Michael spent in hospital recovering from pneumonia in 2011.
32,000: Pounds won with Ronan Keating on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire in 2003 – the funds went to charity but could have been a lot more had the pair correctly answered the £125,000 question.
39: The Queen song Michael covered when busking as a teenager.
40: Number of singles released.
80: Hours of community service for engaging in a public sex act in 1998. He undertook a further 100 hours in August 2007 for driving under the influence.
1.6 million: the amount in pounds that Michael was reportedly paid to play for Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin and 300 guests on New Year’s Eve 2006
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7: The number of times an overzealous fan broke into Michael’s house.
8: Weeks in prison after pleading guilty for driving under the influence of drugs. He only served four of them.
Michael arrives at court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of drugs.
10 million: The number of US dollars that undercover policeman Marcelo Rodriguez tried to sue Michael for. This was in 1999 following the Outside music video which portrayed Rodriguez, he felt, in an unfavourable light. Rodriguez was unsuccessful in his legal attempts.
13: I Want Your Sex was the 13th most popular single of the year in Canada in 1987
15: The number of years between his 25 Live tour, in 2006, and the Cover to Cover tour in 1991.
16: Number of years Wham festive single Last Christmas has consecutively entered the German singles chart.
17: Total number of weeks Michael’s singles have spent at number one
20 million: Copies of Faith sold
George Michael in a publicity shot for 1987 album, Faith
25: The number of cannabis cigarettes Michael claimed to smoke in a day in a 2009 interview with The Guardian.
30: The number of days Michael spent in hospital recovering from pneumonia in 2011.
32,000: Pounds won with Ronan Keating on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire in 2003 – the funds went to charity but could have been a lot more had the pair correctly answered the £125,000 question.
39: The Queen song Michael covered when busking as a teenager.
40: Number of singles released.
80: Hours of community service for engaging in a public sex act in 1998. He undertook a further 100 hours in August 2007 for driving under the influence.
1.6 million: the amount in pounds that Michael was reportedly paid to play for Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin and 300 guests on New Year’s Eve 2006
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