George Michael, who died Sunday of heart failure, was such a pop visionary that he was part of “Carpool Karaoke” before it was even a thing. Years before James Corden took over The Late Late Show in 2015, he did a sketch with Michael for charity Comic Relief in which the two sing Wham! hits inside a car. Earlier this year, Corden explained to Stephen Colbert how that 2011 sketch inspired “Carpool Karaoke,” which has turned into a global viral hit. “My original idea was to pick George Michael up from prison in a car,” Corden said. “And then we realized, ‘Maybe we’ll lose the prison, but what if there’s still some fun for me and George to be in the car and we’ll sing some Wham! songs?’ ”
In the sketch, Corden is in character as Smithy from the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey and belts out “I’m Your Man” and “Freedom” with Michael.
Corden was one of many celebrities who took to Twitter to express their grief following news of Michael’s death. “I’ve loved George Michael for as long as I can remember,” Corden wrote. “He was an absolute inspiration. Always ahead of his time.”
