George Michael, Wham! and Sax Solos

I remember when I first heard “Careless Whisper” by George Michael and Andrew Ridgely on the radio and I was immediately drawn to the saxophone solo.  It was during the time that many artists included a saxophone solo in their songs. Sade, Spandu Ballet and a number of other artists were big on saxophone solos and it made their music more sophisticated and lush.  I guess subconsciously it was one of the many reasons that drove me to play the saxophone. 

George Michael and his music represented different things to different people and my brother who is gay but at the time did not have any awareness of his identity was drawn to George Michael and his music and I think it helped him define himself and his self-awareness.

The pop music of the 1980s spoke to a generation of youth who were redefining society on their own terms and groups like Wham! were instrumental in that redefinition.  

Photo courtesy of www.georgemichael.com