Latest news with #GeorgeMichael
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
'Most intelligent' place to live is named - and it's not Oxford or Cambridge
An interactive map shows you how many school children go on to study for a degree at university where you live and the figure can be compared with different areas of the country It's famous as the home of Wembley and as the most ethnically-diverse area in the country but it has also been named as the "smartest" or "most intelligent" place to live. The London borough of Brent is the cleverest place in England based on academic results - with more than five out of six school children going on to study for a degree at university. A total of 7,272 students who went to local authority-maintained schools in the area between the 2015/16 and 2020/21 academic years went on to study a degree. That works out as 84% who completed their 16 to 18 study at a school in Brent. It's the highest ratio of any council area in England, giving Brent a claim to be the country's brightest town. Perhaps surprisingly, Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire rank lower than Brent, despite being home to the two oldest, wealthiest and most prestigious universities in the UK. You can see how your area compares by using our interactive map. Brent has been identified as the most ethnically diverse area in the country by place of birth - only 43.9 per cent of people in the area were born in the UK, which is lower than any other local authority. The borough has the highest proportion of Irish residents in the country and also large Indian, Brazilian and Afro-Caribbean communities. Famous former pupils of schools in Brent include George Michael, David Baddiel and Twiggy. The London boroughs of Redbridge and Ealing aren't far behind Brent though, with 83% of pupils having gone on to study a degree over the same time period. Harrow and Kensington and Chelsea are next at 82% each, followed by Barnet at 80% then Merton, Sutton and Southwark at 80% each. Rutland has the highest ratio outside of London (78%) followed by Buckinghamshire (77%), Reading (74%) and Buckinghamshire (74%). Meanwhile, elsewhere in England, Trafford (73%) and Manchester (72%) have the highest ratios in the North. Knowsley has the lowest ratio of students making it to study a degree. Only 40% of pupils to complete their 16 to 18 study at local authority maintained schools in the area went on to study a degree. Swindon fared slightly better at 42%, followed by Hartlepool (44%), Portsmouth (46%) and Barnsley (also 46%).
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
I would love to track down my 1980s English teacher and thank her for saving me
It was late 1984. George Michael was gorgeous, everyone wanted a Gremlin for Christmas and Bob Geldof was the hero of the hour. I was in first year of secondary school, 12 years old and going to bed at night with a wish that I wouldn't wake up in the morning. In August, 1980, I'd been through a fire. It was, literally, a blazing inferno at the Central Hotel in Bundoran, Co Donegal . My dad climbed up a drainpipe to get to the room where me and my younger sister were sound asleep. What I remember is a booming sound and the burn of the floor on my bare feet. I recall my sister shrieking, the air feeling hot and men below the window holding up their hands to catch me. I remember worrying they'd see up my nightie and Daddy shouting 'jump!'. And then, standing with strangers, sparks raining and sirens. Waiting so, so long for my dad to come out. He'd gone deeper into it, trying to rescue the little girl we'd been playing with on the beach. He couldn't get to her. READ MORE My childish faith in God's protection went up with the smoke. If it happened now, a GP, or somebody, would recommend counselling, but that wasn't the way of things then. I remember the long drive home in clothes that weren't my own and Granny standing at her open door, waiting. That's all. Not one person spoke of it again. Well, they didn't speak of it to me. My parents' marriage was fractured. Four chaotic years later, my father and sister left. I was close to silent. My English teacher was a student, a young woman with long, dark hair that was always a bit messy. In my mind's eye, I'm probably blending the memory of her with an image of Kate Bush. She wore bangles that jangled and fringed skirts with little mirrors stitched into the fabric. She began with Walter de la Mare and moved on to Ezra Pound. She spoke about similes and metaphors, alliteration and onomatopoeia – words with potential. Hoping we might write something real, I suppose, she set an unusual homework assignment. For one week, we were to keep a diary. We were to resist the temptation to simply describe what had happened; it wasn't to be our 'News of the Day'. We were to write out our feelings. The deal was that she would never see this homework. She trusted us. I'd like her to know that all those feelings got poured into a novel This girl took to it like the proverbial duck. Mostly, I wrote how I felt about Remington Steele and Madonna, and the status of the spot on my chin. But when I needed it, I had a release valve, a way to scream. Writing slowed my mind, cooled it, gave me a chance to parse my feelings. Writing quelled that ever-present panic. I kept my diary for 20 years, until my eldest child learned to read. I pivoted towards writing letters then, sending those excavated feelings out of the house, through the post to gentle friends. [ Manchán Magan: The deeper you dive into Icelandic culture, the more of Ireland you find Opens in new window ] [ Author Paul Perry: 'The myth of the starving genius is harmful nonsense' Opens in new window ] Undoubtedly, I overshared. I still do. It's the habit of a lifetime now. If I pick up a pen, my emotions pour out. Eventually, I wrote a novel, full of my feelings but avoiding my childhood. And then, I got brave and wrote another one. I believe in my heart that my English teacher saved me, not only in the sense of keeping me alive in a bad moment, but in gifting me a method to make my life better. To my shame, I can't remember her name. A friendly secretary at my old school interrogated the staffroom, but my story rang no bells. My best guess is that she graduated with a degree in English, probably from UCC, in 1984, and was completing her teaching qualification at Presentation Convent, Bandon, in 1984/85. She would be in her early to mid-60s now, approaching retirement. I'd like her to know that way back then, by accident or design, she did a very good thing. I'd like her to know that all those feelings got poured into a novel, and I'd like her to know that my new book is dedicated to her. Fifty-three-year-old me, on behalf of 12-year-old me, would like to say 'thank you'. Lynda Marron is a writer who lives in Cork. Her novel, The Bridge to Always, is published by Eriu.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stage show celebrating George Michael returns to Minneapolis this fall
Hennepin Arts is rewarding fans who had faith that the George Michael tribute, "The Life and Music of George Michael," would return. A new tour of the stage show will come to the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis on Oct. 26. The tribute honors the groundbreaking singer who died in 2016 with a "concert-style show" that delves into his life and music, including his solo career and early hits with Wham! Sign up for our CONCERTS AND EVENTS newsletters The show, written and directed by Dean Elliott and produced by Ruckus Entertainment, has been toured previously, offering fans a chance to reconnect with his many chart-toppers like "Faith," "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go," and "Freedom." Tickets for "The Life and Music of George Michael," which is not affiliated with the singer's estate, go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 16.
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
George Michael Is Back Inside The Top 10 In America
George Michael's "Father Figure" reenters the R&B Digital Song Sales chart at No. 3, becoming a top ... More 10 bestseller decades after its release. English singer and songwriter George Michael (1963-2016) pictured wearing a leather jacket with BSA logo backstage during the Japanese/Australasian leg of his Faith World Tour, February-March 1988. (Photo by) George Michael returns to the Billboard charts in the United States each year around the holidays, thanks to Wham!'s smash "Last Christmas." The track is one of the most successful seasonal tunes in American history, and fans just can't seem to stop streaming or buying it when the weather turns cold. Radio stations begin spinning the cut every at the end of every year — often even before then, as Christmastime seems to kick off right after October these days. While "Last Christmas" all but guarantees Michael a yearly hit, several other tracks from his catalog bounce back from time to time. This week, one popular hit scores another turn on multiple lists as it becomes a bestseller in the U.S. (and a big one at that). "Father Figure" returns to a pair of Billboard rankings this frame, and in both instances, it performs very well. In one case, it becomes not just a top 10 smash, but one of the bestselling songs of its genre in the country. The track, taken from Michael's album Faith, currently sits highest on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart. On that list — which only tracks the bestselling tunes in America classified specifically as R&B — it reappears at No. 3. It's the highest-rising entry that wasn't present on the tally last frame. "Father Figure" can also be found on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales ranking. That list includes hip-hop and rap, in addition to R&B. Michael returns at No. 15, scoring the lowest-ranking return of the week for any title not already present on the roster. On the Rap Digital Song Sales tally, Michael is bested by a handful of debuts, including tracks from Doechii, Megan Thee Stallion, and Young Thug and Future. While "Father Figure" was released as a single in late 1987, it didn't debut on these Billboard charts until 2017. Of course, neither the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales nor the R&B Digital Song Sales lists existed at the time of its original release, as digital purchases on platforms like iTunes and Amazon wouldn't become real for decades. Since debuting in 2017, the song has only spent a handful of frames on these rankings. It rises back onto them, and falls away again every now and then. After arriving years ago, the track reached its all-time peak on both charts in January of this year.
RTÉ News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
George Michael song tops poll of UK/s favourite songs for seventh time
George Michael's hit song Careless Whisper has been voted the nation's favourite for a seventh year in a row, according to a Smooth Radio poll. The track, which was voted as the number one song on Smooth Radio's All Time Top 500 - an annual list of the UK's best-loved songs, was written by the late singer and his pop partner Andrew Ridgeley for their Wham! album Make It Big. This comes after the song celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, with more than 1.4 billion views on YouTube. Michael, who died aged 53 on Christmas Day in 2016, also scored the most popular music artist in Smooth's chart with 19 songs, including 13 solo songs such as A Different Corner at number three. The Swedish band Abba have also seen a record-breaking 16 entries, leading the charts as the most popular group with their hit song Dancing Queen at number 10, followed by The Winner Takes It All at number 25. This comes as group members Björn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida celebrated 50 years last year since they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with Waterloo. British singer-songwriter Elton John rejoined the top 10 Smooth Radio chart for the first time since 2017 with his duet Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me with Michael - reaching number nine. John received 13 entries in this year's countdown - making him the most popular living music, artist according to the Smooth Radio poll. Whitney Houston, who died in 2012 aged 48, was nominated the most popular female artist, with 13 songs featured in the countdown including her rendition of I Will Always Love You, earning her a place at number 14. Also joining the top 20 list is singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran with his song Perfect reaching number 11, and Robbie Williams who jumped two spots on the chart since 2024 to number 15 with his song Angels. Smooth presenter Angie Greaves, who revealed the top 20 on air, said: "Smooth's All Time Top 500 is a fantastic celebration of the best songs that are the soundtrack to our lives, from legendary music artists to the stars of today. "It's wonderful to see George Michael's Careless Whisper top the chart again, with his timeless music continuing to resonate with the public, and Abba celebrate their biggest year ever, retaining their crown as the most popular group. "Our congratulations to Elton John on his first return to the top 10 in eight years and on his place as the nation's favourite living artist, and to Robbie Williams, Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue on their success this year. "The breadth of timeless and newer songs hold such a special place in people's lives and that's what makes our countdown so special." Across the May bank holiday weekend, the top 500 songs were played on air, with the number one announced just before 7pm on Monday. Smooth's All Time Top 500 - top 20: 1. Careless Whisper – George Michael 2. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen 3. A Different Corner – George Michael 4. Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson 5. Bridge Over Trouble Water – Simon and Garfunkel 6. Dance With My Father – Luther Vandross 7. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson 8. Hotel California – Eagles 9. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Elton John and George Michael 10. Dancing Queen – Abba 11. Perfect – Ed Sheeran 12. Mr Blue Sky – Electric Orchestra 13. Human Nature – Michael Jackson 14. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston 15. Angels – Robbie Williams 16. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler 17. Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond 18. Don't Stop Me Now – Queen 19. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams 20. Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush Source: Press Association
