George Michael Injured His Head to Become Musician

Mon, 01 October 2007 12:00:00 ET

Before having a passion in music, George Michael used to be obsessed with insects until one day he bumped his head.

George Michael decided to become a musician after bumping his head. The 'Careless Whisper' singer was "obsessed" with "creepy crawlies" as a child and dreamed of becoming an entomologist � a studier of insects � but developed an interest in music after suffering a blow to the head.

He said: "At the age of about eight I had a head injury and I know it sounds bizarre and unlikely, but it was quite a bad bang, and I had it stitched up and stuff, but all my interests changed � everything changed in six months. I had been obsessed with insects and creepy crawlies, I used to get up at five o'clock in the morning and go out into this field behind our garden and collect insects before everyone else got up and, suddenly, all I wanted to know about was music, it just seemed to be a very, very strange thing."

Michael - who was banned from driving for two years in June after admitting driving while under the influence of drugs - also revealed he is trying to smoke less marijuana. He told BBC Radio 4's 'Desert Island Discs' yesterday (01.10.07): "I'm constantly trying to smoke less marijuana. I'd like to take less and to a degree it's a problem. Is it a problem in my life? Is it getting in the way of my life? I really don't think it is. I'm a happy man and I can afford my marijuana so that's not a problem."

Michael delayed admitting he was gay until his mother, Lesley, died in 1997 because he didn't want to upset her. He added: "If my mother had still been alive then every single day would have been a nightmare for her thinking what I might have been subjected to."

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