Iconic singer lives again in “George Michael Reborn” show coming to Everett's

For most people who came of age in the 80s and 90s, MTV was everything. Kids and adults alike would be glued to the TV for hours waiting for a favorite video to come through the rotation. Madonna, Michael Jackson, Wham! and Cyndi Lauper were just a few of the names that dominated the music channel and radio back when the pioneering channel was the pop culture influencer of the day.

One of the most popular singers was George Michael. Forming the duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981, they had huge hits with “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go,” “I’m Your Man,” and “Everything She Wants.”

Michael soon went solo and continued his string of hits with “Careless Whisper” and “I knew You Were Waiting” with Aretha Franklin, before his groundbreaking album, “Faith,” which scored even more massive hits, including “Father Figure” and title track, “Faith.”

He also stirred up a media frenzy with a song whose title can’t be published here, but seemingly everyone has heard it. Known as a leading creative force in songwriting, vocal performance and stage shows, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the MTV generation. In 2015, he was ranked 45th in Billboard’s list of the “Greatest Hot 100 Artists of All Time.” Sadly, Michael passed away from heart disease in 2016.

But his music lives on and fans will be able to experience George Michael’s music and iconic image when the “George Michael Reborn Starring Robert Bartko” show comes to Everett’s on June 16.

Speaking with Bartko via telephone, it quickly became apparent that this was more than a gig for him-this is his passion.

“The first time I heard Wham! I felt like my heart found its voice. I’d already been told I looked just like him (George Michael), and when I would sing, I sounded like him.”

Bartko says that for him, the connection to Michael’s music and lyrics was immediate and that having the opportunity to recreate that for fans and carry on his musical legacy is an honor.

“It seems like any artist’s music is just a generation away from dying, because unless a new generation is introduced to older music, it starts to fade,” he said. “I think George’s music is amazing. He wrote and sang these incredible songs, and I feel I need to continue to perform them.”

Bartko is a talented singer and acoustic guitar player in his own right, but signs just kept pointing to creating the tribute show. “When I got into the music industry and people heard my original songs, they would ask if it was George Michael,” he said. “So, it was like he was always with me.”

Still, he carried on, but every time he would talk with booking agents, they would continue to remark how much he looked and sounded like George Michael.

“They told me my music was good, but if I ever decided to put together a tribute show, they would sell the crap out of that thing,” Bartko said.

So in 2019, he put a band together and threw the idea to an agent, who set up a show. “It was my first big show, and the 2,000 tickets had sold out,” Bartko said.

From that moment, “George Michael Reborn” was, well, born.

He takes his performances seriously, from his physical resemblance to the musician to the vocal performances to the dance and energy that George Michael always brought to the stage.

Bartko had an opportunity to connect with Wham! when he had the opportunity to perform with Wham! bassist Deon Estus, who also played on Michael’s first two solo albums — “Faith” and 1990’s “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1.”

Estus’ manager reached out to Bartko. “She told me that he liked my show, and wanted to perform with me during a show in L.A.” Bartko jumped at the chance.

“He was the kindest, most friendly person I had ever met.” The two hit it off and played the show.

“During those two shows, we became fast friends. We even talked about the idea of getting Wham! back together.” But COVID-19 hit a few months later and put the plans on hold. Sadly, Estus died later that year.

With Michael and Estus gone, Bartko feels a responsibility to keep Michael’s music alive through the tribute show.

When asked if he has been in contact with Andrew Ridgley, the other half of the famous duo, to possibly reform Wham! Bartko says he has, but has not heard anything yet. He remains hopeful at the idea, “Wow! How fun that would be!”

His set lasts 90 minutes and while much of that is focused on the big hits, Bartko does craft a set that also highlights some of Michael’s lesser known, yet still relevant B-side tracks.

Bartko feels sharing Michael’s songs today in light of the coronavirus pandemic is more important than ever. “It literally feels like you have this magical time machine and for 90 minutes you get to take people back to when they had their first dance and their first kisses,” he said. “It’s an honor to do this and see their smiles and hear them sing along.”

Tickets are available at www.hooked-entertainment.com/shows

To learn more about the George Michael Reborn show, visit www.georgemichaelreborn.com