COLIN WILSON George Michael brings his highly-anticipated 25 Live tour to Norwich City Football Club, Carrow Road, Norwich, on Tuesday, June 11. Support comes from Sophie Ellis Bextor.

COLIN WILSON

George Michael brings his highly-anticipated 25 Live tour to Norwich City Football Club, Carrow Road, Norwich, on Tuesday, June 11.

The tour opened in September 2006 in Barcelona to rave reviews and reached the UK in November calling in at Glasgow, Birmingham, Dublin, Earl's Court and Wembley Arena. The tour celebrates the singer's 25 years in the music industry which has seen record sales of more than 80 million worldwide, including six US number one singles and 11 British number one singles.

George Michael has been British pop royalty ever since he took the charts by storm with Wham! in 1982 with Andrew Ridgeley. Over the next four years the duo had a string of top 10 hits including Young Guns (Go For It), Bad Boys, Club Tropicana and the chart-topping Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Freedom, I'm Your Man and The Edge of Heaven.

In the summer of 1984 George Michael unveiled a glimpse of what was to come by releasing the single Careless Whisper, his first solo single while still with Wham! His solo career was further established with the release of A Different Corner, his second solo single.

A few months later Wham! would disband while still at the very peak of their success.

George Michael's iconic debut album Faith was released in 1987. The album went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic (with worldwide sales approaching 15 million) the pop world sat up and took notice - and a whole new audience was guaranteed. The album featured hits like I Want Your Sex, Father Figure, One More Try and Kissing A Fool.

1990 saw the release of Listen Without Prejudice: Vol. 1 - and another new direction was visible from the first single, Praying for Time. The album was another UK number one and also spawned the hit singles Heal the Pain and Cowboys and Angels.

With a pending court case with Sony, George Michael wouldn't release another album until Older in 1996, his first for Virgin. The release included the hits Jesus to a Child, Fastlove and Spinning the Wheel. His fourth solo album, Songs from the Last Century was released in 1999.

Late in 2003, Michael re-signed to Sony Music and Patience, his first album of original material for eight years, jetted straight in at number one in the UK.

Now at 43 years of age, and with 25 years in the music industry under his belt, George Michael can look back at an illustrious career that is still going strong.

Special guest on the tour is Sophie Ellis Bextor, who will be performing songs from her latest album, Trip the Light Fantastic, as well as hits from her back catalogue including Take Me Home, Murder on the Dancefloor and Groovejet (If This Ain't Love).

For ticket information, telephone 0870 380 0148, 0870 534 444, 0871 424 1434 or visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk or www.seeticketscom

t The concert had been under threat after George Michael admitted to driving while unfit. But magistrates at Brent in London ordered him to do 100 hours' community service over the next 12 months, and banned him from driving for two years.