In His Own Words: George Michael and His Mother

George Michael shared a deep, heartfelt bond with his mother, Lesley Angold Panayiotou, whom he often described as his greatest source of love and inspiration. Her untimely passing in February 1997 from cancer left an indelible mark on him, profoundly influencing both his personal life and his music. Michael often spoke lovingly about his mother in interviews, reflecting on her nurturing spirit, unwavering support, and the values she instilled in him.

This collection of quotes showcases the tender and enduring connection he shared with her, offering a glimpse into the profound impact she had on his life and artistry. Watch the video:

In his own words, here are some interview snippets from George that help shed light on his love and relationship with his mother.

On His Philosophy in Life

My general philosophy I got from my mother which is to get through life hopefully happy and fulfilled without harming anyone or anything. If we all knew that much surely life would be so much simpler.

SOURCE: George Michael’s First Online Chat with Fans (1998) 

On His Earliest Memory

Being at home with my mother when my sisters had gone to school.

SOURCE: The Guardian’s Q & A Interview with George Michael (2014) 

Influence in Setting His Goals

I always saw it through my mother’s eyes in terms of what I should be after, and it wasn’t money.

SOURCE: Wham!: Why We’ve Reached Breaking Point 

On What He Owes His Parents

I owe my mother who I am, and my father my drive.

SOURCE: The Guardian’s Q & A Interview with George Michael (2014) 

On His Music Genes

My mother loves music and used to be a singer when she was a girl. It never came to anything though, so I don’t know how talented she was.

SOURCE: George Michael Interview: Life Magazine (September 1988) 

On Attitude towards Money

I get my attitude to money from her, which is always, you know, her attitude to money was that it was something to be afraid of, and that took a long time for me to get rid of that idea, you know.

SOURCE: George Michael Interview on Parkinson Show (1998) 

On His Connection with His Mother

Very close. It was – my connection with my mother, and I spent a lot more time around my mother, so from that point of view, my mother being English and, in a strange way, very, kind of, classless, because she came from a very working class background, but she’d been sent to a convent school because her mother was afraid she was going to be a tomboy. So she was sent to a convent school which, firstly, put her straight off religion, and she spoke very well, so she spoke almost with a middle-class accent. So I had this kind of really weird thing, that I spoke like someone who was relatively middle-class, and yet my father was first generation immigrant, so the mentality of the two things

SOURCE: George Michael Interview on Parkinson Show (1998) 

On Staying Home for Christmas

My parents would be rather offended if I didn’t stay home for Christmas. My mum’s upset enough because she read in a paper that I was supposed to be leaving home altogether. I don’t stay in all day though.

SOURCE: Wham! The Art of Parties (No. 1 Magazine, 1983) 

On His Ripped Jeans in ‘Faith’ Video

They were my own jeans. The rips were genuine, because I wore them so much. I used to ask my mum to sew up new rips. In the end, they were so worn out, she refused.

SOURCE: George Michael Interview in People Magazine (2010) 

On the Cross Hanging in His Ear

No, George Michael hasn’t got religion. That’s why my mum hates it. She thinks it’s blasphemous.

SOURCE: 1987 Smash Hits Magazine Interview with George Michael 

The imagery of Christianity is very powerful. Anything which gives people that much hope is a good thing. When I was a child I was an atheist; when I was a teenager I was an agnostic; now I know there’s got to be a force far greater than we can imagine to believe in. As for the cross, it’s an attractive symbol. My mum hated me wearing it originally. It was too strong for someone whose beliefs were as vague as mine were.

SOURCE: George Michael Interview: Life Magazine (September 1988) 

On Coming Out to His Parents 

I didn’t come out with my mother and father until immediately after my first boyfriend, Anselmo, died. It was horrible, but the day after he died I wrote my parents a letter. It was such an easy letter to write. I felt that when he died he was passing a gift, saying, “I introduced you to yourself, and I opened you up to everyone you loved except your mom and dad. And you have to deal with that.” So I wrote them a letter and saw them as soon as I got home after I’d been to Anselmo’s funeral in Brazil. And everything was fine; it was wonderful. Of course, they were more concerned that I had just lost my partner than that I’d actually finally said what they already knew.

SOURCE: George Michael’s Interview with the Gay Magazine ‘The Advocate’ (1999) 

On Hiding His Sexuality to Shield His Mother

As a man who stayed in the closet to keep his poor mother from worrying about HIV everyday, who was desperate to come out … I just felt, what can I do in one fell swoop that I know will be good for some of the gay community?

SOURCE: George Michael’s Interview by Phil Marriot on Health Recovery, Symphonica and White Light (2012) 

I didn’t come out until after my mother died, as I was sure the papers would attack me and that would hurt her.

SOURCE: George Michael Interview in People Magazine (2010) 

I’m sure, once there was a public understanding, which I still don’t think there is, of how treatable HIV is now … maybe then, maybe a little later, I would have come out because I would have been able to explain to my mum ‘you don’t have to worry about this happening everyday’. But I would do it again because I was protecting her. The stigma and the fear around HIV at the time was so real, and I thought if I’m this neurotic about it – because I really was neurotic — I was more careful than careful, you know what I mean? And I thought, if I’m this neurotic about it — my mother – I knew it’d be a constant weight on her.

SOURCE: George Michael’s Interview by Phil Marriot on Health Recovery, Symphonica and White Light (2012) 

I come from very close-knit family. When my mother was alive, God bless her, she would have immediately assumed the same paranoias that I did as a gay man about AIDS in the mid-80s. It was not a good time, was not good time for gay community. So for my Mother’s sake and my sisters’ sake, I didn’t want them to kind of look at my life as a dangerous place, you know.

SOURCE: Red Line Interview (Part 1)

Although it obviously wasn’t planned that way, I just didn’t happen to come out openly until after my mother died. In a way, though, it was for the best because I’m pretty sure the papers would have attacked me, and I think that would have hurt her.

SOURCE: George Michael: Why I Quit Drugs (Event Magazine, 2014) 

On the Song “My Mother Had a Brother”

Not that he was definitely gay, but I think he must have been for my mum to have this fear of me being gay. She had a definite fear that I was going to be like her brother – she thought that would mean I couldn’t cope with life. She almost felt like she’d brought this gene… So there were very pointed areas where she let my dad be – supposedly protectively – homophobic.

SOURCE: George Michael’s Interview with Gay Times (2007) 

On Her Family History  

She didn’t talk about her brother until I was 16. And I don’t know if that was a decision or whether she plucked up the courage. It changed my opinion of her entirely, because it wasn’t just that; she’d also seen her father die the same way. They’d both put their heads in the gas oven. And, of course, lucky old mum, she found both of them. I think she only recovered when we were teenagers and were able to give her some perspective. She spent years being so remorseful that it’s impossible to hold that time against her. And the last 20 years of her life, I don’t think we had a cross word. It’s such a shame…

SOURCE: George Michael’s Interview with Gay Times (2007) 

On the MTV Unplugged Performance

I suppose I wasn’t used to playing small venues, and the fact that I could hear everything I was doing,’ he recalled. ‘I just lost myself in singing that night. …. I am so glad my mum was there,’ he said years later, ‘and I’m so glad for the first time ever, the only time ever on film, I actually said hello to my mum in the audience. It was the last time she saw me play.’

SOURCE: Christie’s Catalogue: The Loudest Prayer of My Life

On Losing His Mother

Three years after Anselmo died, I met Kenny. I called my mother the day after I met Kenny to tell her I met this wonderful man. Unfortunately, it was the same call she had to tell me she had cancer.

SOURCE: George Michael’s Oprah Winfrey Show Interview (2004)

Everything that went on this year was a complete breeze compared to losing my mother, so it gave me a fantastic perspective. It made me realize that it’s only a scandal: embarrassing for a couple of days, but nobody got hurt, nobody died.

SOURCE: George Michael Puts ‘Faith’ in Future (USA Today, 1998) 

On Grieving Her Loss

She kept it from me. Of course she was lying to me, telling me it was all fine now. Everything is fine. They got rid of it. So I could go on with me being happy. 7 or 8 months later, she died. That period after she died, was the blackest period of my life really. The time in my personal life and it took me to write again after I lost her, is really the reason what I haven’t been around.

SOURCE: George Michael’s Oprah Winfrey Show Interview (2004)

I was so convinced that I was going to lose her, that in my own way I was grieving well before she died, y’know. I’ve had five years of bereavement, but I’m a lucky man, I have a fantastic partner and some fantastic friends.

When my mum died, it was the one time when going through my internet sites made me feel good, people genuinely wishing you well is a blessing.

After my mum died, I thought I was dealing with it, but I worked my arse off, so I had no time to reach the depths. Finally, I fell apart.”

SOURCE: George Michael Interview on Q Magazine (December 1998)