George Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in North London, England, on June 25, 1963. George’s father Kyriacos Panayiotou was a Greek Cypriot restaurateur and his mother Lesley Angold was an English dancer. George’s father changed his name to Jack Michael after relocating to London in the 1950s.After a brief stint in a ska band with his future bandmate Andrew Ridgeley, the two formed Wham! in 1981. Their debut album, 1983’s “Fantastic,” scored the duo a number one hit in the U.K., and their sophomore effort, “Make It Big,” broke them into international fame. That album includes the tracks "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Freedom.” After Wham!, Michael went on to a successful solo career, with such hits as “Father Figure” and “Faith.”