Wham! Locals torn over fans’ plea for George Michael statue

AS THE first anniversary of George Michael’s death approaches, plans to erect a statue in his memory have caused disharmony among the pop star’s well-heeled neighbours.

Fans of the Last Christmas singer have been backed by his record label, Sony, in their campaign for a statue outside his home in Highgate Village, North London.

A petition for a statue in front of the house, where Michael’s boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz, 40, still lives, has attracted thousands of signatures. However, the plan has horrified conservationists.

They believe a blue plaque attached to the front of his house would be more than sufficient to commemorate the life of the former Wham! frontman, who died on Christmas Day at the age of 53 after decades of drug abuse.

‘Statues aren’t cheap — a blue plaque might be much more appropriate,’ Michael Hammerson, Highgate Society’s policy and projects spokesman, tells me. ‘A statue doesn’t

achieve much. I’m sure they could come up with all sorts of ideas for something with public benefit that they could name after George Michael: an improvement to playgrounds, or a local arts centre.’ Susan Rose, chair of the Highgate Conservation Area advisory committee, says anything would be better than the piles of dead flowers and wet pages of Wham! lyrics which make up the current ‘ shrine’ outside his house.

‘I think a statue would be great,’ she tells me. ‘A lot of people in Highgate would like a permanent memorial rather than mounds of dead flowers.’

She adds: ‘He was a wonderful guy for Highgate. He gave a lot of money very quietly to good causes as well as the Christmas lights in the square.

‘Why not have both: a statue in the garden and a plaque on the house?’

Liz Morris, the local Lib Dem councillor, tells me: ‘Many Highgate residents have told me they would support a memorial in the village for George Michael.’