The late 2016 death of pop star George Michael came as not only a shock to music lovers worldwide, but also another low light for a year filled with the losses of some of the entertainment genre’s most memorable & game changing figures (see: David Bowie, Prince, etc.).
Now, to the pleasure of the ‘Faith’ singer’s fans, the Recording Academy has announced Michael and Prince are to be the recipients of a full on tribute to their groundbreaking and enduring achievements. And, while 2016 saw a number of unforgettable performances in homage of The Purple One, we at That Grape Juice are hoping the performers selected for Michael’s memorial are equally as talented and appropriate.
A multi-talented singer, songwriter, composer, and instrumentalist, George’s career spanned over 30 years and birthed a number of chart-topping hits with group Wham! (‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,’ ‘Careless Whisper’) before striking out solo (‘Faith,’ ‘Father Figure,’ ‘Freedom,’ etc.). The first white artist to top the R&B charts, Michael’s interpolation of jazz, gospel, and other rhythmic formats into his pop sound was by no means unheard of for the day, but it was definitely one of the more authentic attempts to do so among his counterparts.
As such, we’ve formatted a list of artists across all genres who we think would give him a Grammy tribute worthy of his legacy. Get into our list below and weigh in:
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