George Michael – Careless Driver

By Deb on Saturday, 18th September 2010 George Michael – Careless Driver thumbnail

George Michael is in the news again, this time for crashing his SUV into a store front while driving under the influence of marijuana. He was jailed to serve an eight-week sentence, but half of that time will be suspended and he will serve the rest on probation. He has since been moved to a lower-security prison to serve the rest of his sentence.

George Michael issue the following statement;

“I feel you should know that on the day after the incident I checked in to a clinic for a 14-day detox program here in London, which has been followed by ongoing outpatient drug counselling several times a week. Personal problems which I had tried to deal with myself had clearly got the better of me, and I am sorry that my pride has prevented me from seeking help before now.”

A look at George Michael’s moments of fame…

1981 – Forms the duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley

1984 – Wham!’s second album released – Make It Big

1985 – First popular Western music act to tour China

1986 – Wham! disbands

1987 – George Michael first solo album – Faith

1987 – Single ‘Faith’ (from Album of same name) Billboard Hot 100 in the US

1988 – Faith World Tour

1990 – Releases ‘Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1′

1991 – Releases ‘Red Hot + Dance’

1992 – Performs ‘Somebody to Love’ at Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert

1994 – Performs at MTV Europe Music Awards after long absence

1996 – Releases hit ‘Fast Love’

1998 – Arrested in public toilets in Beverly Hills for lewd act

1998 – Releases ‘Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael’

1999 – Releases ‘Songs from the Last Century’

2004 – Releases ‘Patience’, debuted at number one on UK album charts

2004 – Smashes through barriers on the A20 at North Acton, London writing-off his BMW

2004 – Appears on Oprah

2005 – Joins Paul McCartney on stage to perform

2006 – Found slumped at the wheel of his car in London and cautioned for possession of cannabis.

2006 – Hits three parked cars while trying to maneuver his Range Rover out of a parking space

2006 – Crashes into bollard near his home after falling asleep at the wheel.

2006 – Releases ‘Twenty Five’

2006 – Starts first tour in 15 years

2007 – Pleads guilty to driving while unfit through drugs, banned from driving for 2 years, plus 100 hours community service

2007 – First artist to perform at the newly renovated Wembley Stadium

2008 – Appears on American Idol tv show

2008 – Cautioned for possession of class A, which included crack cocaine, and class C drugs

2009 – Joins Beyonce on stage to perform ‘If I were a boy’

2009 – Involved in a late-night crash near Berkshire in UK. Claims ’stone-cold sober’

2009 – Talks about his regular use of cannabis in interview and said he had cut down to “seven or eight” spliffs a day, from the 25 a day he once smoked.

2010 – Crashes Range Rover into Snappy Snaps photo shop in north London

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