George Michael - 'Gay's Have So Many Things To Celebrate These Days'

George Michael has said he is returning from his life-threatening bout of pneumonia last year with an upbeat album because gays have ‘so many things to celebrate’. 

The singer was hospitalised in 2011 and spent a month in an Austrian hospital where he said doctors were “keeping him alive”. About his new single ‘White Light’ and the levity of his new album he tells the radio station this week: “There are so many people in [the gay] community who have come through terrible times, whether it be through their outing, through their HIV diagnosis, anything. 

“There are so many things that gay people have to celebrate these days, I think [the single] resonates with a lot of us.” Asked about scars he now has following a tracheotomy, he says: “I don’t think it changes you as a person, I have a tracheotomy scar there and it really bothered me for a while, and I was thinking well maybe I should get something done about it, I know you can have scar treatment, but then I thought when I was looking in the mirror a couple of weeks ago that it does actually remind me every time I look at it that I’m lucky to be alive so I’ve decided to keep it.” 

He says he found it impossible to relax after the pneumonia experience. The singer explains: “I said I was supposed to take it easy but I just couldn’t, I was dealing with a lot of anxiety and the only way to distract myself, if there is anything that distracts me from everything, is music. I just become completely tunnel visioned – it’s the safest place in the world for me; the recording studio. “If I’m not creating anything I get very restless very quickly so I’m doing the album, then the tour straight after, an Australian tour after the British tour and European tour. It’s going to be a packed out year really. “I’ve made myself a promise that I will take it easy next year and start to enjoy some time with my lovely new man, well it’s not new it’s eight or nine months now which is about five years in the gay community!” 

But he rules out a Wham! reunion to mark the band’s thirtieth anniversary: “Nada reunion. It comes up every year doesn’t it? It comes up every year and sorry people but it’s not happening.” The full interview will be broadcast on GaydarRadio at 7pm tomorrow, Wednesday 25 July.