Moments later, camouflaged by dark glasses and a new beard, George Michael arrives, perfectly tanned and so sublime it's easy to imagine the waves of swooning females he has left in his wake.

In an exclusive excerpt from James Gavin's new book, George Michael ... now a close-trimmed beard. To [percussionist] Danny Cummings, who played for him that night, Michael "looked absolutely ...

George Michael was the same. When he got those frosted highlights and grew his hair longer, it completed him. He was now a golden god. (He also had the rare face that looked sleeker with a beard.) ...