by andrew j stillman
George Michael is an icon of fashion and a legend in the music industry. His death in 2016 was felt by many, but his legacy lives on. Fortunately, fans of his music can head out for another live showing of The Life and Music of George Michael, a concert set up in his honor. The RAGE Monthly sat down with one of the stars of the show, New York City actor/singer Craig Winberry, to chat about what to expect.
“I will do the material for later in George’s career,” he said, noting that the earlier material is sung by British performer Rory Phelan. “It’s a concert-style show, not a musical, that’s basically the catalog of George’s hits. We’re really covering the spectrum of his career from the teeny-bopper music to his more mature content later on.”
As for Winberry, music has always been a part of his life, starting when he followed in his mother’s footsteps to sing in the church choir. Additionally, the music program in his small school started the itch for more professional engagements. After moving to New York City about eight years ago, he followed all the musical opportunities sent his way, which eventually landed him the offer to play George Michael last summer.
Among the many things Winberry is looking forward to is the fashion on display in the show. “He had so many great looks,” Winberry said. “You always knew it was a George look just by seeing it. Kids are still rocking the leather jacket and jeans from Faith. I like the suits, which I’ll be wearing. I like how he was just doing his thing and shaking it to get the party started.”
Winberry is also more than aware of the big shoes he’s stepping into, and he’s very fond of George’s entire discography: “’Jesus to a Child’ on Older — I love that whole album. He’d lost his lover to HIV/AIDs, and that album is him processing his grief and it’s a romantic love letter to losing someone you love. I’ve seen him talk about how that album was so impactful on him. It was basically his first major relationship with a man, and he thought he was the one, so it’s him processing that loss.”
Even though Craig won’t be covering songs from that album, he said, “’Amazing’ [from Patience] is a fun bop to sing. You can still listen to that on the radio today. I also love singing some more of the jazzier stuff he has. He was such a master of his voice and what he could do with it. He always refreshed his old hits and kind of remixed them as he went.”
Outside of enjoying every second of this opportunity, Craig added, “I’m so very honored to share this. I’m looking forward to seeing this beautiful country and interacting with George’s huge fan base. You can guarantee we’re going to bring it and have a great time.”
Calling all George Michael fans, get ready to dance again when The Life and Music of George Michael comes to Southern California on Thursday, January 20 at The Magnolia in El Cajon and Saturday, January 22 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. thelifeandmusicofgm.com/north-american-tour-dates
Andrew J. Stillman is a writer of fantasy stories and freelance content. In his spare time, he makes YouTube videos and explores the world on his travel blog at lifeinanotherworld.com. Follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.