George Michael wanted to come out when he was in Wham. He was persuaded not to.

It has been almost six years since George Michael’s shock death at age 53 but his legacy continues on with his loss still being felt around the world.

In a new Netflix documentary titled ‘Wham!’ we are invited to step into the life of the iconic singer and learn more about his rise to fame. 

While we remember him as a pioneer of the LGBTQ+ community in the entertainment world his journey towards public acceptance wasn’t easy.

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In fact, he was actively told to stay in the closet by those closest to him.

In archive footage aired during the documentary, Michael opens up about how he came to terms with his sexuality before revealing his true identity to those in his inner circle. 

Firstly, he came out to his best friend and Wham! bandmate, Andrew Ridgeley, while they were in Ibiza filming a music video in 1983.

“He said to me, 'Didn't know how to tell you this, but I'm gay. If not gay, you know, bisexual,'" said Ridgeley. "For me, his sexuality had absolutely no bearing on us. I wanted him to be happy."

He then wanted to tell his parents, however Ridgeley convinced him it wasn’t a good idea. 

"I said I was gonna talk to my mum and dad, and was persuaded in no uncertain terms that it really wasn't the best idea," said Michael in a voice over soundbite. "I don't think they were trying to protect my career or their careers, I think they were literally just thinking of my dad. Cause you know, when you're 19, that's as far as you think. You look at your parents, 'Don't tell your dad! My god, your dad'll hit the roof.'"

In response to this Ridgeley offered some insights into why he offered up the advice he did at the time. "We felt he just couldn't tell his dad," he said. "We were 19, 20-years-old. Our perspective was a little narrower."

Despite wanting to come out to his parents, Michael said he lost his confidence completely and decided to stay closeted for another 15 years. Instead, he threw himself into work and channelled his energy into becoming a popstar.

"At that point, if your goal is to become the biggest-selling artist of that year or two, you're not gonna make life difficult for yourself, are you?" he said. "I was too young and too immature to know that I was sacrificing as much as I was."

Then in 1986 Michael went his separate ways from his Wham! bandmates and embarked on a solo artist trajectory which saw him become one of the biggest musicians in the world. As his star rose, Michael continued to privately grapple with his identity and public persona. In 1998 at 34-years-old he was arrested for soliciting sex in a public bathroom, ultimately forcing his hand to come out. 

He was done hiding and decided to let the world know what he had been trying to say for years.

He finally found the words.

In an interview with CNN he opened up about his decision to go public, "I’ve seen too many people run away from situations like this and I’m thinking 'just go on TV; you’re a human being, just go on TV and get it sorted out as quickly as possible.'"

He continued by expressing how he identified sexually and his views on relationships.

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"I define my sexuality in terms of the people that I love and my life right now is very happy living in a gay relationship,” he said. “I'm very happy with that; I don’t look to the future and think I might change my sexuality because I’m hoping that my relationship is the one that is going to last me for the rest of my life."

Looking back on how his journey played out Michael has regrets about not coming out when he was younger. "At that point in time, I really did, I really wanted to come out,” he said in a voiceover featured in the documentary.

Despite not being able to tell his story the way he wanted to, Michael has gone on to be a beacon of hope for many young LGBTQ+ community members. He didn’t come out the way he wanted to but his legacy helps others every day.

Feature Image: Getty