George Michael, Regretful of 'Letting Down Gay Kids,' Plans New CD, Tour

It's only been three years since George Michael officially retired from touring, but now the singer is planning a fresh tour and album as a way of making up for his bad behavior--especially to "gay young kids" who Michael says he has "let down," Daily Record.co.uk reported on May 12.

The article noted that Michael had driven into a photo shop while high on marijuana. In 1998, Michael was arrested by an undercover police officer for a "lewd act" in a public restroom. Michael discussed the incident on MTV, telling an interviewer, "I got followed into the restroom and then this cop--I didn't know it was a cop, obviously--he started playing this game, which I think is called, 'I'll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I'm going to nick you!"

Following that incident, Michael publicly came out as gay. In 2006, a similar incident involving a 57-year-old man was followed by Michael's declaration that he habitually engaged in cruising, despite being in a long-term relationship.

Previous to the incident on July 4, 2010, in which Michael crashed into the photo shop, the singer had had several drug-related brushes with the law.

"I have a serious problem with the fact that, every time I made a big mistake or let myself down, I felt I was letting gay young kids down because they would then witness the homophobia that was thrown at me," Michael told the press. "I like to think that life is a balance so I have some plans to try and do things to help gay children."

Michael went on to add that, in his opinion, the GLBT community is "notoriously bad as a community at helping our own when it comes to children--because we don't have our own children."

Added the singer, "I want to make up for some of the damage that I have done in making myself so newsworthy and putting myself on the back foot enough that there was no room, or space, for me to defend gay children," BANG! Showbiz reported on May 12.

The article said that Michael's plan for a new album includes assembling a "gay collective" of musicians, though the pop star would not name any names.

Michael envisions his new tour as a symphonic experience. "The idea of singing with symphonic orchestras around the world is because I heard Tony Bennett had done it recently, and I thought, 'What a nice idea.' The idea of singing with this kind of backing has been very attractive to me for a long time."

The singer has an album to go with his new tour, the article said: A "dance-inspired studio album," Michael's first studio release in seven years, will be a different sort of listening experience, "as far removed from the symphonic tour as can be imagined," Michael said.

"At this stage in life, I feel there are two areas I can explore further. One is dance music and the other is my voice," Michael explained. "Once you stop thinking about the charts, authenticity is what you strive for. I have so much time to make up."

The singer's last tour kicked off in 2006--and stayed on the road until 2008.

"In terms of making the decision to tour again, I couldn't see myself going and doing a big greatest hits show," Michael told BANG! Showbiz. "But it's such an amazing thing to watch the effect on my audience of an evening's entertainment, so, I thought, 'It's the most positive experience you've had in the last 20 years, why wait?' "

Other pop acts have explored a symphonic sound. In 1995, Australian band Split Enz released "ENZSO," the title referring to a clutch of the group's hits re-imagined for symphony orchestra.

Last year, Sting translated a number of chestnuts from his catalogue into symphonic form with the album "Symphonicities."