As two thirds of The George Michael Singers prepare to take their deeply personal show on the road this Christmas, Shirley Lewis and Jo Garland reflect on life with one of music’s greatest talents, the memories they treasure most, and why George Michael’s legacy continues to bring people together.

It has been quite a year for The George Michael Singers. What began as a way for three of George Michael’s longtime backing singers to reconnect, share memories and celebrate the music they helped bring to life has grown into a show that is winning over audiences across the country.

Now, Shirley Lewis and Jo Garland are preparing to round off the year with a special run of concerts in some of the UK’s most beautiful churches and cathedrals. With the tenth anniversary of George’s death approaching, the timing feels particularly poignant.

But while there will inevitably be moments of reflection, the central message is one of celebration: of the music, the memories and the remarkable man who brought them all together.

Speaking about how the project began, Shirley explains that there was never a grand plan.

“We started this whole concept, this show, just on reconnecting and sharing memories about George and realising how many incredible stories we had about him. We thought, ‘God, we would really love to share this with an audience.’”

It was, she says, a project born entirely out of love.

“And then it just snowballed, because so many people adore him and adore his music. Our show is amazing. It’s really magical to hear some incredible stories and hear the songs the way that he wanted us to sing them.”

The response has been beyond their expectations. From festivals to their own headline performances, audiences are discovering that this is far more than a tribute to a superstar.

As Jo explains, it is about offering fans a glimpse behind the scenes.

“The three of us have worked with George for over three decades, so there is an endless stream of stories. We can only do an hour-and-a-half show, so trying to get them all in is quite difficult!”

The stories are an essential part of the experience. They offer an insight into what it was like to work alongside George, to stand beside him on stage and to spend time with him away from the spotlight.

“We try to keep it about the music and what George was like as a really amazing friend, but he was also our boss,” Shirley says.

The audience reaction has been especially moving. During the more intimate moments, when the singers pause to share their memories, the room can become almost completely silent.

“You could hear a pin drop when we’re talking, because they want to hear every word,” Jo says.

With so many years of memories to draw upon, asking Shirley and Jo to choose their favourite moments from their time with George is no easy task.

For Jo, one particularly special experience was performing at MTV Unplugged, an iconic moment in George’s career.

“One of my favourite, most iconic pieces of work was sharing a stage with him at MTV Unplugged,” she recalls.

But it was not necessarily the performance itself that made the biggest impression. Instead, it was a small, tender moment when George acknowledged his mother.

“There’s just one moment where he goes, ‘Hello, Mum.’ It melts my heart because he was just so in love with his mum.”

For Shirley, the memory that stands out is performing with George at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“My daughter came over to New York and we were hanging out. It was just such a great show, and to be in that incredible, iconic building with George was pretty amazing.”

There were plenty of other occasions when the scale of what they were part of became almost overwhelming.

Jo remembers performing at NetAid, which was her first experience of appearing on stage in a football stadium.

“I just remember the moment when he first came out and everyone went crazy. There was a wave of hot air, and it was like you could feel everybody’s breath.”

It was a powerful reminder of the extraordinary connection George had with his audience.

“He was a superstar,” she says. “He was amazing.”

Shirley’s own pinch-me moment came at the Concert of Hope, when she saw just how proud George was of the musicians and singers around him.

“He was super proud of having his band, his singers and everybody else. Other artists were using us, and David Bowie was there, Princess Diana was there. I think he was super proud that his guys were doing all the music and all the singing.”

It was a moment that revealed something about George beyond his extraordinary talent: his pride in the people around him and the musical family he had created.

For all the unforgettable highs, there are also moments that the singers look back on and wonder how things might have turned out differently.

For Shirley, one of her biggest regrets was missing George’s Faith tour.

Having spent time recording with him for his debut solo album, she was asked to join him on the road. But Shirley had also signed a deal with A&M Records as an artist in her own right, and the label had invested heavily in promoting her career.

“They wanted me to go to the States to promote and do all that stuff. And I was like, ‘Yeah, but George Michael’s going on tour. It’s his first solo tour and he wants me to go.’”

Unfortunately, the decision was taken out of her hands.

“They wouldn’t let me go. So that is just a massive, massive regret.”

It is a reminder that even extraordinary careers can be shaped by difficult choices and circumstances beyond anyone’s control.

For Jo, her reflections are more personal.

George was famously generous, whether it came to Christmas presents, birthday gifts or simply looking after the people around him. One birthday, he even offered Jo a visit to his dentist as a present.

At the time, she declined.

“I really wish I’d had it done now, because I’ve just had a root canal!” she laughs.

But beneath the humour is a more poignant regret: that she did not manage to see George during the final couple of years of his life.

“I would have liked to have been able to see him in the last sort of two years of his life. You know, life gets in the way.”

Jo is quick to acknowledge that she had a lot going on herself, and that she could not have known what was to come. Nevertheless, the experience has left her with an important lesson.

“You don't know. It's always so important to check in with your friends, your family, everybody.”

Shirley understands that feeling. Following George’s illness and the Symphonica tour, plans to continue touring, including in Australia, had to be put on hold because he was not well enough.

There was a desire to respect his space, she explains, but life inevitably carried on around them.

“You don't call as much as you should, and then that happens.”

It is a deeply human reflection from two women who knew George not simply as the artist the world adored, but as a friend and colleague.

The forthcoming tour promises to be particularly special. Rather than conventional concert venues, the singers are taking their show into churches and cathedrals, creating a more intimate atmosphere for the stories and music.

For Shirley and Jo, the settings have already made a powerful impression.

“We went into a few of them just to check out the space and take in the sounds,” Shirley explains. “The moment the three of us walked in, we were covered in goosebumps.”

The venues will help shape a show that acknowledges the approaching tenth anniversary of George’s passing without losing sight of what made him so special.

“This particular tour is a really deeply personal tour for all of us,” Jo says. “None of us quite believe that it's been ten years.”

The singers are conscious of the responsibility that comes with celebrating George’s life and music, particularly when so many fans continue to feel such a strong connection with him.

They have planned a new opening for the show, something they have never done before, designed to establish the mood for the journey ahead.

The performance will move through some of the more reflective moments and melancholy songs before gradually building towards a more uplifting celebration.

“We always end on a positive note,” Jo explains, “because he's worth celebrating and he will always be worth celebrating.”

Shirley agrees that the atmosphere will be different from previous shows.

“We're marking ten years of something that was devastating, not only for us, but for all his fans. I think this is going to be gentle.”

The intention is not to dwell solely on loss, but to celebrate what remains.

“We're just grateful that we still have his music, grateful that the three of us can still sing the songs, and grateful that the audience is still participating and bringing their children,” Shirley says.

“Then, at the end, we're just going to celebrate the magic that was and is George Michael.”

One of the most striking things about speaking to Shirley and Jo is the way they describe George’s relationships with the people around him.

His talent was undeniable, but his generosity, loyalty and ability to bring people together are equally important parts of the legacy they want to preserve.

“He was very much about keeping people together, elevating people,” Shirley says.

George would organise Christmas and summer parties, ensuring that the musicians, singers and friends who had become part of his world had opportunities to reconnect.

“He was the catalyst that kept all of us together,” she adds.

That sense of community has inspired another project: their podcast, Conversations with the George Michael Singers.

The podcast allows them to explore their memories in greater depth and speak to other people who knew and worked with George. It also gives fans the chance to discover more stories than can fit into a live performance.

For Shirley and Jo, it is another way of continuing the spirit George created.

They are also beginning to see their show reach beyond his established fanbase. While longtime devotees have embraced the opportunity to revisit the music and hear first-hand stories, new audiences are discovering the experience too.

It is a development they find particularly encouraging, and one that reflects the continued work being done to keep George’s music and memory alive.

The immediate priority is to take the anniversary show to as many people as possible, with plans to explore further UK dates and other territories.

But Shirley and Jo hint that there are more ideas in the pipeline, including another element they hope to introduce in the future.

For now, though, the focus remains on the music, the stories and the people who continue to respond so passionately to George Michael.

The show has grown organically, without a predetermined plan, and its success seems to have come from precisely that sincerity.

There is no attempt to recreate George or to take his place. Instead, Shirley and Jo are offering something unique: the perspective of the people who stood beside him, heard his voice night after night and witnessed the man behind the music.

Their memories are funny, moving, occasionally bittersweet and always deeply affectionate.

And perhaps that is why the show resonates so strongly. It reminds audiences that behind the extraordinary voice and the worldwide success was a man who valued his friends, took pride in his team and brought people together through music.

As the tenth anniversary approaches, Shirley Lewis and Jo Garland are determined to ensure that the conversation around George Michael remains about much more than his passing.

It is about his music, his generosity, his friendships and the joy he continues to bring to millions of people.

Above all, it is about celebrating a legacy that is still very much alive.

The George Michael Singers' Christmas tour dates are as follows: 13 December at St Mary's Creative Space in Chester; 16 December at Birmingham Cathedral; 17 December at St Paul's in Cambridge; 18 December at St Matthew's in Northampton; and 19 and 20 December at St Thomas' of Canterbury in Goring-on-Thames. A further date is scheduled for 13 February 2027 at Doncaster Minster.

For further information and tickets, visit www.thegeorgemichaelsingers.com.