AUSTRIA: British singer George Michael resumes 'Symphonica' tour in Vienna following health scare.

Record ID: 191185

  • Title: AUSTRIA: British singer George Michael resumes 'Symphonica' tour in Vienna following health scare.
  • Date: 5th September 2012
  • Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA ( SEPTEMBER 4, 2012) (REUTERS) FANS GATHERING AT STADTHALLE, GEORGE MICHAEL'S CONCERT VENUE FANS SITTING ON PLASTIC SUNBEDS IN FRONT OF STADTHALLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) GEORGE MICHAEL FAN FRANK FROM BERLIN, SAYING: "When I heard about his illness last year it was a great shock because I saw him at the last concert in Frankfurt, and as far as I know that was the last concert before his illness, and for me this is a good reason to come here to Vienna today and to see his first performance. I expect a very good concert. First of all it ( the concert) is for the medical staff, for the doctors and the nurses and I think it will be very nice to be part of it." FAN HOLDING A PIECE OF PAPER READING: I am looking a for ticket" SOUNDBITE) (English) GEORGE MICHAEL FAN KEN FROM HELLENSBURGH IN SCOTLAND, SAYING: "I think his voice is better than ever and and tonight's performance will be something really special because I think George feels he owes his life to the people in Austria and this is his way of repaying them. They saved his life." FANS ENTERING STADTHALLE STAGE AND FANS INSIDE STADTHALLE AHEAD THE START OF CONCERT FANS
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Austria
  • Country: Austria
  • Topics: Entertainment,People
  • Reuters ID: LVAAYIWZMPS19IWAINXUB6J2EBUT
  • Story Text: Chart star George Michael made a triumphant return to the stage in Vienna on Tuesday night (September 4) after fighting for his life ten months earlier. Thousands of fans packed the Stadthalle Wien as the singer, whose real name is Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, took to the stage in a purple suit and his trademark sunglasses for the resumption of his 'Symphonica' tour.
    The former Wham! frontman, who went on to pursue a successful solo career, fell ill in the Austrian capital in November and was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. He spent a month in Vienna's General Hospital under intensive care.
    Austrian media reported that 300 hospital staff - from doctors to cleaning crews - would attend Tuesday evening's show. With his permission, the hospital is selling another 700 concert tickets he donated to raise money for lung disease research.
    The near-death experience prompted Michael's new single "White Light", which he performed at the closing ceremony of the London Olympic Games.
    Michael, 49, had been in the middle of a European tour when he became ill and was forced to cancel a string of dates but has promised to play to every fan who had bought a ticket.
    Michael burst on to the British pop scene in the early 1980s as the lead singer of Wham!, which had a string of catchy hits including "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Last Christmas". That launched a standout solo career that featured chart-toppers like "Careless Whisper" and "A Different Corner".
    His rich vein continued with the 1987 No. 1 "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" in which he performed with Aretha Franklin, one of his favourite artists. The same year he released "Faith", an album which spawned a string of hit singles including "I Want Your Sex", "Faith" and "Father Figure" and earned the singer a Grammy.
    It was his best-selling album, although he did top charts around the world with subsequent releases, enjoyed estimated career sales of 100 million records and amassed a personal fortune of 90 million pounds ($143.1 million).
    When he was not hitting the airwaves with his music, Michael's personal life was regularly in the headlines, most notably in 1998 when he was arrested in California for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public toilet. After the incident he spoke openly about his homosexuality, and courted controversy again by speaking out against the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
    Michael told Reuters in a 2005 interview that he was withdrawing from public life, but the following year he launched his first tour in 15 years.
    He had a string of run-ins with British police for possession of narcotics, and was given a jail sentence two years ago for driving under the influence of cannabis.
    Tuesday's show is the first of a number of rescheduled dates around Europe, including Paris and UK cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and London.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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