Story highlights George Michael was not exactly what he seemed to many of his fans, writes music historian John Covach

He was a teen heart-throb but also an exceptional musician, producer, and songwriter, Covach says

John Covach is director of the University of Rochester's Institute for Popular Music and professor of music at both Rochester and the Eastman School of Music. He is the author of "What's That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History" and maintains an active career as a performing and recording musician. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) George Michael was not exactly what he seemed to many of his fans. Michael, who died on Christmas Day, was of course the charismatic performer with the fantastic voice that propelled "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" to the top of the charts in the US and Britain in 1984. The infectious song, with a Motown-drenched energy, made Wham! (Michael and Andrew Ridgeley) into international stars, as their album "Make It Big" raced to the top of the charts, yielding three additional top hit singles.

Considering his status at the time as a teen heartthrob, it might surprise some fans to learn that George Michael served as producer of the "Make It Big" album and that he also wrote all but one of the songs on that record (the exception being a cover of the Isley Brothers' "If You Were There").

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While Michael acknowledged an admiration for 1970s bubblegum star David Cassidy, he was also someone who sought to go beyond his celebrity, seeing much more in the music he created than an opportunity to dazzle the masses -- though he was certainly well-equipped to do that.

After dissolving Wham!, Michael continued his chart-topping success with a debut solo album. Released in late 1987, "Faith" once again featured Michael's production and songwriting, topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and containing six top-5 hit singles.

While many will remember the controversial "I Want Your Sex" and the catchy "Faith", other singles revealed something of Michael's stylistic range as a performer. "One More Try" seems influenced by the gospel-tinged expressive soul ballads of Otis Redding, while "Kissing a Fool" evokes the R&B styles of Sam Cooke and Smokey Robinson.

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