As you've surely heard by now, George Michael, the silken-voiced U.K. singer and songwriter who struck gold—and platinum—with Wham! more than three decades ago, died Sunday of heart failure at age 53.
Although Michael, who also led a successful solo career, took part in countless blockbuster performances over the years, we can't help but recall his unforgettable appearance at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at London's Wembley Stadium on April 20, 1992.
The now-legendary show, which was hosted by the three surviving members of Queen—guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon—honored Mercury, who died the previous November, with all proceeds going to AIDS research. It featured guest appearances by a host of rock and pop luminaries, including Tony Iommi, Roger Daltrey, David Bowie, James Hetfield, Slash, Robert Plant, Mick Ronson and, as mentioned earlier, a 28-year-old George Michael.
The Queen song Michael decided to tackle was "Somebody to Love," one of the standout tracks from 1976's A Day at the Races. You can check it out below.
Michael's performance was nothing short of amazing; he was such a fine vocal fit that one wonders why he wasn't involved in future Queen (and/or Queen tribute) tours. To drive home the point, we've also included a seldom-shared but equally riveting clip of Michael and Queen rehearsing for the performance.
