Watch Sam Smith Perform George Michael Medley on BBC Radio 1
Sam Smith delivered a medley of George Michael covers when the singer visited the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Friday.
“As this is 50 years of Radio 1, they asked me to pick two covers. So I picked the Alicia Keys one and, for my final cover, I wanted to pick my favorite artist of all time,” Smith said. “And that is the incredible George Michael.”
Smith and his backing band opened the medley with Michael’s “Father Figure” before cutting the rendition short in order to segue into another Michael classic, “Faith.”
At the time of Michael’s December 2016 death, Smith ended his social media hiatus to pay tribute to the singer. “Words can’t express how much you and your music meant and means to me. Please play his music as loud as you can today & celebrate one of the most magical, talented, bravest & important figures in music & life as I know it. Your music & message will live on,” Smith wrote. “I would not be the artist I am if it wasn’t for you.”
Smith’s BBC Radio 1 session concluded a month-long, covers-filled celebration of the station’s Live Lounge, which also featured Coldplay’s Chris Martin covering Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” the Killers’ attempting David Bowie’s “Fame,” Harry Styles taking on Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” and Miley Cyrus’ spin on Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”