You’ve heard many times over that 2016 was a year in which we lost many celebrities including Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Prince, Carrie Fisher and tragically on Christmas of all days, the late George Michael

The latter particularly affected The Late Late Show host James Corden.

 

Last night in his first live show back from the holidays, Corden opened up about the former Wham singer, “I feel like I’ve loved George Michael as long as I’ve loved music, in a way, and I know so many of his fans feel the same…I can remember so many specific times in my life where I might have felt on my own, and George’s music would feel like, you would listen to a song and he would reach his hand out and tell you that you weren’t on your own and that these feelings were not particular to you.”

Corden has also credited George Michael with the success of his widely popular late night segment ‘Carpool Karaoke’, which originated back in 2011 when Corden and Michael sang some of his hits while driving around in a UK charity sketch.

Corden said of the experience, “It was the first time I’d ever sung in a car with anybody, and it’s become quite a big part of my life now, and he really inspired it.”

He also revealed that when he first began The Late Late Show, that he struggled to find celebrities who would be willing to join him until Mariah Carey agreed to do it; she apparently cited George Michael as her reasoning as well saying, “Her words were, ‘If it’s good enough for George, then it’s good enough for me. I’ll do it.’ So we all have so much to thank him for, for the music that he’s given that will last forever, but we personally, here at this show, we owe him so much.”

Watch some of the more popular Carpool Karaoke segments involving Justin Bieber, Adele and One Direction below!

 

Filed under: carpool karaoke, george-michael, james corden