George Michael's Grief: Anselmo Feleppa & Christmas Struggles
Did the holiday season, a time often associated with joy and togetherness, harbor a profound darkness for the iconic George Michael?
For Michael, Christmas wasn't a time for celebration; it was a poignant reminder of loss, a period shadowed by the absence of loved ones.
According to a piece published by the magazine hello!, Christmas was a particularly difficult time for George Michael. The festive season served as a painful reminder of his loss, a time when memories of those he'd loved most were amplified, their absence keenly felt. Five years apart, the singer lost his mother and his partner, Anselmo Feleppa, around the same time of the year. It was a double blow that left an indelible mark on his heart. The singer revealed the challenges he faced in handling the powerful emotions that arose during this period. The singer's close friend and associate Andros Georgiou shared a moment when he had to inform the singer of the passing of his first love, Brazilian Anselmo Feleppa, due to AIDS in 1992.
In 2007, George Michael revealed that he learned of Anselmo's terminal illness shortly after they met. Less than a year later, Anselmo passed away in March 1993, leaving a void that would never truly be filled. During the time he was still mourning the death of his first love, Michael would endure further pain. Anselmo Feleppa's death at the age of 36 in March 1993, a little over two years after their first encounter, deeply affected George Michael. He didn't get a chance to see Anselmo in the hospital. Instead, he received the devastating news through a tearful phone call from Lucia. The impact of this loss can be seen even today in his music, an important marker of his life.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Anselmo Feleppa |
| Date of Birth | August 21, 1956 |
| Place of Birth | Brazil |
| Date of Death | March 26, 1993 (aged 36) |
| Cause of Death | AIDS-related complications |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Occupation | Fashion Designer |
| Known For | Being the first great love of George Michael |
| Relationship with George Michael | Romantic Partner |
| Relationship Duration | 1991 - 1993 |
My reserve was partly there because of the way I was brought up and it was partly there because I was a celebrity," Michael once confessed, underscoring the duality of his experience. "And it still is, to some degree." His public persona often masked the depth of his private grief. One can only begin to imagine the pain. The singer's life, it's safe to say, was altered by his relationship. The album Older, released by George Michael in 1996, became a poignant tribute. The singer's first big love, if he hadn't died, his life may have been drastically different. A cemetery plaque stands as a testament of the respect he deserved.
Feleppa, who would quickly become Michael's lover and first real boyfriend, found a home with the singer. Their life together was marked by intimacy and deep affection, which was expressed by Michaels house in LA. Feleppa for whom Michael's song "Jesus to a Child" is a tribute died in 1993 after contracting AIDS. The loss was compounded by the fact that he was only 33 and a year into his relationship with Michael. The late singer, who died on Christmas 2016 at age 53, revealed to viewers how the passings of his first love, Anselmo Feleppa, and his mother, Lesley Angold Panayiotou, took an emotional toll.
The show, titled Freedom, aims to delve into five pivotal years of Georges life in the 90s, a period in which he fell for the designer. Michael paid a personal tribute to his former lover in the documentary, Freedom, focusing on his life through the 1990s. He reflected on the fact that he was never concerned with safe sex because of his time with Anselmo. Gabrielle Olya, a former staff writer at People, recalls this time. The song "Jesus to a Child" is a melancholy tribute to Anselmo Feleppa, who had died in March 1993. The song entered the UK singles chart at number 7 on Billboard upon release in 1996. It was Michael's longest UK top 40 single, lasting almost seven minutes. The song's beginning portrays Anselmo's mother visiting his grave, passing by the school he had attended. The first chorus features Anselmo's mother saying goodbye, telling him, "You have been loved."
The impact of Anselmo's death on Michael's life and creative output cannot be overstated. The singer's experiences with love and loss shaped the very fabric of his music and public persona. In a later documentary, Michael revealed that he went to see his family for support. The star was filming a comeback show for the broadcaster when he died suddenly on Christmas Day 2016. The fact that the song entered the UK singles chart at number 7 when it was released shows how the music community and world felt the impact of the relationship and the loss of Anselmo Feleppa.
As reported by newnownext, Michael had been open about his depression. He admitted that he contemplated suicide while grieving his mother, who died of cancer in 1997, as well as his partner, Anselmo Feleppa, who died of AIDS complications in 1993. Michaels song "Jesus to a Child" stands as a testament to Feleppa, who was a Brazilian fashion designer and the singers first real love.
