“engrossing, depressing biography . . . [Gavin] offers a thorough and well-rounded view of Michael’s artistry and chaos . . . he plumbs the nuances of Michael’s soul-inflected vocal performances.” – The New York Time Book Review
"A fascinating, heartbreaking bio."―People Magazine
“James Gavin’s behemoth biography, George Michael: A Life . . . is about as definitive as these things get. It seems to spare no lurid detail, and has the feel of a deliciously unauthorized J. Randy Taraborrelli tell-all from the ‘80s. Tales of drugs (including cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, and, toward the end of Michael’s life, GHB), sex, Aretha Franklin eating ribs out of his lap in the studio during the recording of “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” Michael’s years-long feud with Boy George, and an aborted Daft Punk collaboration keep things moving at a tantalizing clip.” – Jezebel
“Gavin’s fluent, gripping account of Michael’s roller-coaster music career will draw readers in. An emotionally fulfilling read.” – Library Journal
“James Gavin is a biographer of the highest order, with a gorgeous sense of narrative and insight galore. His George Michael: A Life is a backstage, all-access pass into a glittery world filled with dark corners and trap doors. It’s a thrilling, albeit cautionary tale of success, excess, and a remarkable performer who met his destiny head-on.” —Bob Spitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Beatles: The Biography and Led Zeppelin: The Biography
“A compelling portrayal of one of the most enigmatic entertainers in music, a fascinating tale meticulously researched and written by James Gavin.” —Steven Gaines, bestselling author of Simply Halston: The Untold Story and The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story of the Beatles
“Read without prejudice and be prepared to be rattled and moved. Only James Gavin could do justice to this story of mercurial creativity, sex, and self-destruction in the glittery, harrowing, ethereal heights of pop stardom.” —David Hajdu, author of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn and Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña, and Richard Fariña
“George Michael: A Life is quite a life—one you won’t easily forget. James Gavin has written a thoroughly researched, engrossing, and illuminating portrait of a pop icon battling his own demons, the era’s raging homophobia, and the ever-changing musical scene. Gavin captures the highs and lows with great intelligence and sensitivity. It’s insightful and profoundly moving.” —Patricia Morrisroe, author of Mapplethorpe: A Biography
“James Gavin is an ace biographer, and in George Michael: A Life he tells the heartrending tale of a pop legend who couldn’t love himself but made the whole world feel good.” —Danny Fields, manager, the Ramones
“George Michael’s burning ambition, incredible talent, and dark secrets are examined by James Gavin in this engrossing behind-the-scenes portrait.” —Doug Herzog, former president of MTV Productions
“James Gavin has delivered a stunning, empathic, and peerlessly knowledgeable biography of George Michael. Gavin’s attention to his subject’s artistry, his honest treatment of Michael’s struggles, his sharp-eyed understanding of the last days of record-company dominance, and his comprehension of the shifting tides of gay acceptance in our culture are sublime. The author of biographies of Chet Baker, Lena Horne, and Peggy Lee has, with this book, firmed up his place as one of our very best writers about music and life.”
—Sheila Weller, author of Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon—and the Journey of a Generation
