After performing 80 shows in 12 European countries for 1.3 million fans this past year, George Michael will tour North America for the first time in 17 years when he brings his “25 Live” tour to the U.S. and Canada this summer. Though he has been one of the more successful singers of the past 25 years, Michael’s career has recently received a boost thanks in part to his songs and acting being featured on the ABC-TV series, “Eli Stone.”
The seven-week, 22-date 25 Live tour kicks off June 17 in San Diego and will conclude Aug. 3 in Sunrise, FL.
Michael will be touring behind his new 29-song, 2-CD retrospective, “TwentyFive,” set for an April 1 release – his first US release since his 2004 studio album, Patience. The retrospective includes his biggest smash hits spanning his entire music career from the early 80’s hits with Wham! through his chart-topping and award-winning solo career. “TwentyFive” also includes new songs, including duets with Paul McCartney and Mary J. Blige. A companion 2-disc DVD of 40 videos will also be made available.
Overseas, the “25 Live” tour broke several ticket sales records, most notably in Copenhagen, where his concert at The Parken Stadium sold more than 50,000 tickets in a matter of minutes. The concert shattered the stadium’s previous ticket sales record formerly held by U2.
Michael is one of the most successful and enduring artists in the history of pop music, selling more than 85 million records globally and encompassing seven U.S. No. 1 singles, two Grammy awards, three American Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award and two prestigious Ivor Novello awards for songwriting. His record “Faith” has sold over 20 million copies alone. In addition, he has garnered 11 British No. 1 singles and seven British No. 1 albums, and was declared the most played British artist on radio over the course of the last 20 years.
George Michael 25 Live tour dates:
June
17 CA San Diego/San Diego Sports Arena
19 CA San Jose/HP Pavilion
21 NV Las Vegas/MGM Grand
22 AZ Phoenix/US Airways Center
25 CA Los Angeles/Great Western Forum
July
2 WA Seattle/Key Arena
4 BC Vancouver/General Motors Place
7 MN St Paul/Xcel Energy Center
9 IL Chicago/United Center
13 TX Dallas/American Airlines Center
14 TX Houston/Toyota Center
17 ON Toronto/Air Canada Centre
18 PQ Montreal/Bell Centre
21 NY New York/Madison Square Garden
23 NY New York/Madison Square Garden
26 PA Philadelphia/Wachovia Center
27 MA Boston/TD Banknorth Garden
29 DC Washington/Verizon Center
31 GA Atlanta/Philips Arena
August
2 FL Tampa/St Pete Times Forum
3 FL Sunrise/Bank Atlantic Center
