Here’s a 2008 article from Baltimore Sun on how George Michael’s music and career has inspired other artists and celebrities.
It’s been 20 years since George Michael’s massive world tour for his solo debut, Faith , which is diamond-certified and still one of the biggest-selling albums in history. His new tour, 25 Live — supporting his recent greatest hits package Twenty-Five and its single, “Heal the Pain,” a duet with Paul McCartney — is a comeback of sorts, a return to American arenas for the first time in 17 years. Despite career ups and downs and run-ins with the law, Michael has remained a force since his debut as a rapper (!) and singer in the U.K. duo Wham! in 1982, inspiring all sorts of references:
Limp Bizkit 1997:
The rap-metal band turns up the guitars on Michael’s hit “Faith,” injects some mosh-pit enthusiasm and lands itself its biggest pop hit.
Arrested Development 2003-2006:
Teenage son George Michael Bluth, played by Michael Cera, was always referred to as George Michael, in theory to differentiate him from the family patriarch, but also to conjure references to the singer. Cera has graduated from the TV series to become a movie star, and speculation is high that “Arrested Development” may become a movie itself.
(Note: Arrested Development is back at Netflix)
Eli Stone 2008:
Granted, it’s more substantial than a reference since Michael did appear several times in the ABC drama, but the show was centered on a lawyer who hallucinates Michael performances and makes decisions on what the singer tells him to do.
Read more of our articles on George Michael in ‘Eli Stone’
Tapes ‘N’ Tapes 2008 :
The indie-rock sensations named the song from their recent Walk It Off album “George Michael” because they thought the guitar riff sounded like the opening of Michael’s “Faith.”
Estelle 2008:
For her new video, “No Substitute Love,” the British singer- rapper re-creates the iconic opening of Michael’s “Faith” video, with a jukebox and a guitar. She also picks up a bit of the song’s melody for the song’s verses.
