Brow Beat

In 1990, George Michael Expressed Unease About the Trappings of Fame. Frank Sinatra Wasn’t Happy About It.

George Michael.

Michael Putland/Getty Images

In a 1990 interview with the Los Angeles Times, George Michael spoke about the trappings of fame and his fears of the future. He confessed to experiencing an emotional breakdown during the first few weeks of his Faith tour in 1988. He spoke of his lack of comfort with having “visibility and power.” And he indicated his intention to stop promoting his work, if only for his personal health: “I’m not stupid enough to think that I can deal with another 10 or 15 years of major exposure,” he said. “I think that is the ultimate tragedy of fame.”

The whole conversation, revisited by the Mirror in the wake of Michael’s death on Sunday, made for a sincere, honest profile. But one person wasn’t satisfied with what Michael had said: Frank Sinatra.

A week after publishing its George Michael interview, the Los Angeles Times printed an open letter written by Sinatra in response. Well-intentioned while also stern and paternalistic in its language, the letter was intended to serve as advice—wisdom from someone who had “been there” before. After telling Michael to “loosen up” and “swing, man,” Sinatra criticized Michael’s perspective. “And no more of that talk about ‘the tragedy of fame,’ ” Sinatra wrote. “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.”

It was a response written very clearly in the spirit of guidance—as a little bit of “tough love.” But in hindsight, it reads as unwitting condescension. Michael was, at the time, a closeted superstar attempting to convey genuine concerns about his mental and emotional health. He spoke of losing control—of being “lost.” Sinatra couldn’t really address that aspect of the situation, even at one point admitting he didn’t “understand” the desire to “reduce the strain of … celebrity status.” Where Michael’s comments reflected both his thoughtfulness and his sensitivity as an artist, Sinatra’s comments perhaps indicated the very pressures of fame that Michael felt best to avoid.

The full letter written by Sinatra:

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. And that’ll make two of us thanking God every morning for all that we have.

I don’t understand a guy who lives “in hopes of reducing the strain of his celebrity status.” Here’s a kid who “wanted to be a pop star since I was about 7 years old.” And now that he’s a smash performer and songwriter at 27 he wants to quit doing what tons of gifted youngsters all over the world would shoot grandma for—just one crack at what he’s complaining about.

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.” 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.

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.