And as a singer, he moved fluidly from Motown pop to hard funk to Brazilian bossa nova, with a voice that was sure, expressive and flush with poignancy and drama.
He was a gifted writer, producer, arranger and musician, sometimes playing all the instruments on his songs. Michael was a gifted and determined musical dynamo who became a star at the age of 19, first as a member of the British duo Wham! He won two Grammys in the solo career that followed, and collaborated with some of the greatest stars of the previous generation, including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Elton John. The two wrote songs together and remained close even as one became a global superstar and the other didn’t. Austin’s family lived at 67 Redhill Drive in the working class Edgware area of North London, and Michael’s family was at 57. George Michael and David Austin were best friends who met because their mothers were best friends.
