28 September 2007
Newsdesk
Singer's 'bang on the head' theory.
Singer George Michael believes he only became a pop star because he suffered a bang on the head.
The former Wham! frontman, 44, said that before the accident he was into collecting insects.
But after the childhood injury Michael swapped his obsession with creepy crawlies for listening to music.
The star tells Radio 4's Desert Island Discs: "At the age of about eight I had a head injury and I know it sounds bizarre and unlikely, but it was quite a bad bang, and I had it stitched up and stuff, but all my interests changed, everything changed in six months.
"I had been obsessed with insects and creepy crawlies, I used to get up at five o'clock in the morning and go out into this field behind our garden and collect insects before everyone else got up and, suddenly, all I wanted to know about was music, it just seemed a very, very strange thing.
"And I have a theory that maybe it was something to do with this accident, this whole left-brain right-brain thing. Nobody in my family seemed to notice but I became absolutely obsessed with music and everything changed after that."
The pop star, who has sold more than 85 million records worldwide since forming Wham! in 1981, sent out a message of support to troubled singer Amy Winehouse.
Michael, who was sentenced in June to 100 hours' community service after he was found in the early hours last year slumped at the wheel of his Mercedes, told Kirsty Young: "This is the best female vocalist I've heard in my entire career and one of the best writers. She's a fantastic talent and we should support her."
The singer, who recently began touring again, added: "It's been a very bizarre year because you can't imagine what it's like playing to people who have been loyal to you for 25 years and haven't seen you for 15, that's been the most life-affirming thing I could have done. I'm so glad I did it."
Michael's interview on Desert Island Discs is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday at 11.15am and again on Friday at 9.02am.
