George Michael to wed
2005-11-30 08:21
London - British pop icon George Michael said on Tuesday he plans to "wed" long-term partner Kenny Goss soon after a law that gives new legal rights to same-sex couples comes into force next month.
The former Wham! singer said he and his lover of almost a decade hope to hold a so-called civil partnership ceremony in Britain in 2006.
"I'm sure Kenny and I will be doing the old legal thing, but we won't be doing the whole veil and gown thing," said Michael, speaking at the British screening of a new documentary about his sensational career.
"It'll be relatively soon after it comes in, probably early next year," said the 41-year-old.
Under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, the first "gay marriages" or civil partnerships in Britain can be staged on December 21. The legislation creates a new legal relationship for lesbian and gay couples aged 16 and over.
Flood of gay marriages expected
Friend and fellow music legend Elton John is due become one of the first people to take advantage of the law when he exchanges vows with David Furnish.
The government has predicted up to 22 000 gay couples will follow suit over the next five years.
Michael's relationship with Goss, whom he met in 1996, is covered in the documentary, George Michael: A Different Story, which charts the highs and lows of the singer's turbulent life and career.
It looks at his rise to fame as half of Wham! in the 1980s with Andrew Ridgeley and also his 1998 arrest for lewd conduct at a public toilet in Beverley Hills.
The incident finally forced his homosexuality into the public domain.
In the 95-minute film, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February, Michael talks emotionally about the pain of losing a previous boyfriend to Aids in the early 1990s, and the second blow of his mother's death shortly after he met Goss in 1996.
He also speaks of his struggle to cope with the pressures of fame and living in the public eye.
In his 21-year career Michael has sold 85 million records worldwide, notching up six No 1 singles in the United States, 11 in Britain and seeing seven albums go to No 1.
Among his most famous hits include Careless Whisper and Faith.