From the days of “Choose Life” shirts and major hairdos to his turn-of-the-century comeback and all the way up to his majestic orchestral performances, there was no pop star quite like George Michael.

For singer-songwriter Sam Sparro – best known for his 2008 smash pop hit ‘Black And Gold’ – it was love at first sight, ever since the MTV days of yore sparked the imagination of a prepubescent, wide-eyed child.

“The first thing I remember about George was seeing the video for [Wham! single] ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’,” Sparro begins. “I was a kid, and it just felt so iconic when I was watching it. I don’t know what it was – I just immediately felt a kinship with him. Maybe it was my gaydar going off at a young age. Whatever it was, I just felt that connection to his voice and his image. He had such an incredible tone to his voice – I just fell in love with it. From that moment on, I was obsessed. My mum bought me [1990 album] Listen Without Prejudice when I was about seven or eight, and I followed his career from there.”

Sparro is among many in counting himself as a lifelong fan of Michael’s, expressing how the overwhelming impact that a voice and a presence such as his in the realm of pop music inspired Sparro on his own path to stardom.

George Michael was always someone that wrote from the heart. He always wrote so beautifully of the human experience and of the human condition.

“George was always someone that wrote from the heart. He always wrote so beautifully of the human experience and of the human condition. I think that’s why he mattered so much to so many people, and still does. The way he would bring in social commentary to these great-sounding pop songs was just amazing. He had a very broad approach to the kind of music that he would make – he could make a ballad using a bossanova beat that was classically influenced. He could write cheeky, fun pop songs and then turn around and write a heart-wrenching lyrical masterpiece.

“George and I definitely had a lot of crossover in our tastes – he was a big listener of soul music, and took a lot from rhythm-based music. I like to think, whether it was subconscious or not, George ended up being quite an influence on the way I make music.”

Of course, Michael was one of the final celebrities to succumb to the so-called ‘curse of 2016’, passing away from natural causes on Christmas Day. His death sent ripples through the extended LGBTQI+ community, with many tributes to the man and his music popping up around the world.

“I remember I was in Boston when I got the message from my manager about it,” says Sparro. “It was really saddening, and so disappointing. It came at the end of a year that was really tough for a lot of people, for obvious reasons. I don’t want to trivialise anyone else’s experience, but I was quite affected by losing people like David Bowie and Prince. We need people like them, y’know – we need artists. We need songwriters. We need people to challenge all the fuckery that’s going on – this fascist, oppressive movement that’s going on in the world. It contradicts the arts, and anyone who stands for humanity.”

A major tribute is planned for Michael’s life in music this coming July in conjunction with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Entitled George Michael: Praying For Time, the show is a symphonic ode to all of Michael’s biggest hits, taking over the Concert Hall at the illustrious Sydney Opera House for three consecutive nights. Sparro is one of the performers involved in the evening, which was a no-brainer for him to be involved with.

“I was incredibly honoured and thrilled that they would think of me to do this,” he says. “I’m so blown away and so excited to be honouring him. The creative team behind the show really seemed to make the connection between myself and George, and I’m so glad that they did. On top of that, being able to perform live with an orchestra – there really is nothing in the world like it. Any chance that I can get to do that, I absolutely will. It’s going to be a phenomenal experience.”

We need songwriters. We need people to challenge all the fuckery that’s going on.

Joining Sparro as part of the performance will be a wide array of artists. Among them are Aussie rock veteran Diesel, pop singer-songwriter Brendan Maclean, soul vocalist Jade MacRae and even Today Extra host and cabaret crooner David Campbell. Sparro, despite some connections with a few of the key singers on the bill, is excited for this to be the very first time he has sung with this exceptional collection of talent.

“I used to mix in circles with Jade MacRae – we’d play around a lot of the same bars in Sydney when we were starting out around 12 or 13 years ago,” Sparro recalls. “I knew her briefly around that time, but weirdly we never actually performed together. I’m very familiar with Brendan’s work, and I obviously grew up seeing Diesel everywhere, but I think it’s the first time that I’ve done something with anyone on the bill. That’s always exciting – I love having a new experience.”

George Michael: Praying For Time plays at the Sydney Opera House from Thursday July 6 – Saturday July 8.

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