When George Michael received a dressing down letter from Frank Sinatra: 'Stop complaining!'

27 November 2023, 10:30

Frank Sinatra wrote a public letter to George Michael in 1990, criticising him for complaining about fame. Picture: Getty

By Giorgina Ramazzotti

The Wham! star was on the receiving end of Sinatra's public letter in 1990.

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George Michael's rise to superstardom was not without its pitfalls, something he often spoke about in the media.

Yet one such utterance saw the Wham! star receive a telling-off from none other than Frank Sinatra, when Ol' Blue Eyes wrote an open letter to a Los Angeles newspaper.

It was September 1990 and a 27-year-old George Michael was already a household name.

George Michael pictured on his Faith World Tour in 1988. Picture: Getty

Four years after leaving Wham! to pursue a solo career, the young star gave an interview to Los Angeles Times’ Calendar Magazine where he discussed his dislike of celebrity.

"It’s quite simple, really," Michael explained. "I decided that the thing I really enjoy … the thing I really needed was my songwriting. I didn’t need the celebrity."

The singer then went on to explain how miserable he found fame and how he didn't want to feel it anymore.

The article ran with the headline 'The Reluctant Popstar', and despite being praised for his candour, one fellow singer was less than impressed.

Upon reading the interview, 74-year-old Rat Pack star Frank Sinatra immediately sat down and wrote an open letter to Los Angeles Times’ Calendar Magazine, which the publication later published.

1990 saw George Michael receive a telling-off from none other than Frank Sinatra, when Ol' Blue Eyes (pictured) wrote an open letter to a Los Angeles newspaper. Picture: Getty

See the first look at George Michael: Freedom Uncut

He wrote: "Dear Friends, When I saw your Calendar cover today about George Michael, 'the reluctant pop star,' my first reaction was he should thank the good Lord every morning when he wakes up to have all that he has," adding: "And that’ll make two of us thanking God every morning for all that we have.

"Come on George, Loosen up. Swing, man, Dust off those gossamer wings and fly yourself to the moon of your choice and be grateful to carry the baggage we’ve all had to carry since those lean nights of sleeping on buses and helping the driver unload the instruments.

"And no more of that talk about 'the tragedy of fame", continued. "The tragedy of fame is when no one shows up and you’re singing to the cleaning lady in some empty joint that hasn’t seen a paying customer since Saint Swithin’s day.

"And you’re nowhere near that; you’re top dog on the top rung of a tall ladder called Stardom, which in Latin means thanks-to-the-fans who were there when it was lonely."

Sinatra concluded: "Talent must not be wasted. Those who have it – and you obviously do or today’s Calendar cover article would have been about Rudy Vallee – those who have talent must hug it, embrace it, nurture it and share it lest it be taken away from you as fast as it was loaned to you. Trust me. I’ve been there."

The star went on to release his smash hit song 'Freedom! '90' just one month later – famously not appearing in his own music video (pictured with Linda Evangelista in 1992). Picture: Getty

While being interviewed for the documentary George Michael Freedom Uncut, Elton John summed up the video saying: "It changed the whole face of how videos were done. The video said everything. It was genius and it was a revolutionary thing.". Picture: Getty

How George Michael reacted to the article we will never know, but the star did go on to release his smash hit song 'Freedom!' just one month later – famously not appearing in his own music video.

Supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington starred in the now iconic footage, which reportedly changed the face of the music landscape.

While being interviewed for the documentary George Michael Freedom Uncut, Elton John summed up the video saying: "It changed the whole face of how videos were done. The video said everything. It was genius and it was a revolutionary thing."

In a later interview with MTV George explained his reason for staying out of the spotlight during filming.

"I made decisions a couple of years ago to change the way my career was going and my life was going by not appearing in the videos, by not being interviewed, by not doing press, " he said, adding: "Basically, letting my music kind of do what it's going to do."