As the Spinning the Wheel Podcast prepares to release its final episode this June, we wanted to take a moment to honor someone who has spent years doing what all true George Michael fans understand at their core: keeping the music, the stories, and the love alive.
For longtime listeners, Matt Cook has been the voice guiding them through George’s music, his eras, his contradictions, his brilliance, and his humanity. For us at Yours Only George, Matt has been something even more personal — one of our earliest supporters, a loyal reader, and someone who has often credited our site as part of his own George Michael journey.
As he closes this chapter, we asked Matt to reflect on the podcast, the community, and the legacy he has helped nurture.
What originally inspired you to start the Spinning the Wheel Podcast, and at what moment did you realize it had become something truly meaningful to listeners?
My original inspiration was actually very simple — that I love podcasts and I love shows that deep dive into catalogs of artists. I knew I had never seen a George Michael podcast like that. I had seen different episodes of different shows that cover George Michael and small doses but not a podcast where George and his music and his legacy was the focus of the entire show week in and week out.
The moment that I truly realized what the show could be was when I received a note from Peter in Australia on a Saturday morning — that would turn out to be the weekend I lost my father — to tell me about his friend Christian and what George and his music had meant to them when they were younger. Peter and Christian were huge fans of George and tragically Christian was killed in the tsunami in 2004. Peter expressed how much he appreciated the show helping him keep the memory of his friend alive, and it was that moment that I truly realized how special this show could really be. I have no words to express how surreal that was to me in that moment to get that from somebody that I had never met on a morning when I needed to feel the universe wrap its arms around me.
When you look back at the first episode, what do you think has changed the most about the podcast, about you, about your relationship with other fans, or about your relationship with George Michael’s music?
The first episode was really just trying to figure out how to format a show, what I wanted to say, and wondering if anybody would care. I think the thing that has changed the most about me is the connection that I feel with so many people all over the world. To think that people in countries that I’ve never been to and will probably never get to go to have got to hear my voice and listen to my show is the most humbling thing in the world. My relationship to George’s music is as appreciative as ever as I’ve really taken the time to share my thoughts and feelings and stories with others and have them share what these songs mean to them. It’s just amazing to realize that this great big world is actually smaller than we think sometimes.
As you wrap up the Spinning the Wheel Podcast, how are you feeling about closing this chapter after dedicating so much time, love, and research to George Michael’s legacy?
It’s a little bit bittersweet to be sure. I have definitely worked hard in the last 3+ years to cultivate my show and this little corner of the podcast world, but I also believe that the approach that Wham! took 40 years ago is still the best approach. I think that leaving the party a little early while I still have something to say is better than dragging it out until I repeated myself too many times and lose the passion for the music. I am absolutely going to miss the conversations and stories and sharing of the music for sure.
You’ve been a George Michael fan for decades. What was the moment or era that first made you say, “I’m going to be a George Michael fan for the rest of my life?”
It’s so cliché to say, but it really was the “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” time frame. In America, that was just such a big song and his persona and the fun of that was absolutely irresistible for an eight-year-old kid. Especially an eight-year-old kid from the middle of nowhere in Kansas! After that, we got “Careless Whisper” and “Everything She Wants,” and I was fully locked in.
Has your understanding of George — his artistry, his humor, his contradictions — changed because of the podcast?
I think it has evolved. I’ve been lucky enough to have conversations with people close to George and people who were in the rooms when the music was created and were on stage when moments happen, and it’s given me a whole new perspective and appreciation of the things that we all know so well. I always found it to be very insightful and very funny, and I always felt like I could see his contradictions perhaps better than other fans. I think he knew his contradictions too, and I think that’s the thing that is the most humanizing to me for him. The most rewarding thing has been being able to share episodes and stories of people who see and feel the same way, and sometimes they feel the exact opposite way about the things they saw at the same time I did. It has really given me a perspective outside of my own about what this music truly means to all of us.
If you had to describe George Michael’s impact on your life in one story, which one would you choose?
That’s so hard to nail down! Like many George Michael fans, I have one million stories where something George related happened in a time when you really needed it or in a place that would 99.99% of the time never happen, like walking into this room and there’s a George song playing. The impact on my life is that from a really early age, he was able to help my heart express the feelings that my brain didn’t know how to figure out. When I would hear the song that I knew I was too young for, I knew that the song would be there for me later on. It really is a collage of so many stories when someone has been the soundtrack of your life. All that I can tell you for sure about it is that I’ve been so very blessed to have this crazy idea for a podcast, have so many people come along for the ride, and have had the most wonderful experience in the world.
You’ve often credited Yours Only George as a source of your George Michael knowledge. What role has the site played in your journey as a fan and as a podcaster?
The role of your site can’t be highlighted enough! In the early days of the internet, any information was hard to come by and certainly any information for a fan in America! It is absolutely fair to say that I wouldn’t be the fan that I am and thus the direction that I took by creating a podcast if it wasn’t for the Yours Only George site!
Do you remember the first time you visited Yours Only George (or the approximate year or George Michael era) and why you felt it was worth visiting?
The first time I remember visiting was in 1997. If memory serves, it was about one of the interviews that George did for the homeless newspaper in the UK maybe? It was the first time I really had a chance to partake in the internet. Remember this was before everyone had a personal computer — because I sure didn’t. I had to use the computer lab at my college when there was a machine available. I was just obsessed with consuming any information that I could get at that point, and this was a way to feel connected to all of the things that I was hearing about overseas during the Older era that we just didn’t get as much of in America.
What episode was the hardest to make and why?
The episode I made as a tribute to my father after he passed was certainly up there. At the same time, we had a very complicated relationship, so I didn’t want to paint pictures that weren’t exactly the truth. I would have to say that going back a couple years ago and doing the episode with Julie in person when we first met and did “My Mother Had A Brother” was probably the most emotional in the moment. That song has always meant so much to me and very specific memories of things I would want to say to my own mother, and it was so surreal because it was the first time a guest was sitting right across from me and not on Zoom. I also just recorded “The Final” episode of Spinning the Wheel last weekend and really broke down on that one too. The support of the people who listen to my show and those that have joined me on the show has meant the world to me!
Which episode surprised you the most?
There are a few that really have surprised me or just turned out better than I thought they would. A couple that spring to mind is one I did with Tonia (of Freedom for George Michael) where she talked about her life and the music that had defined her life through divorce and the loss of a child. I have spoken to her many times and this one was different because she was so open. Really stood out to me. The other one that really hits home is with a lady named Lisa who reached out to me a couple years ago. We did an episode that talked about grief, and she spoke about the loss of her husband. It was so very emotional in that moment. I hope that the show gave her reason to be thankful for sure!
Were there any topics you wanted to cover but never had the chance? Were there any people you wanted to interview but never had the chance?
There are a couple of topics I would have loved to get into. Like Wham! in China with Simon Napier-Bell or things that were part of the Sony case for example. There were only a few people that I really wanted as a guest that just didn’t happen. Debbie Gibson was always one that I wanted. We have messages back and forth, and she’s very nice, but the schedules just never lined up. Kathy Hill from the “Last Christmas” video was another one I spoke to a few times but it just didn’t happen. Of course, there are others like Elton John that were frankly far out of my reach that would have been amazing. I really hoped we could have linked up with Andrew Ridgeley for the final show. I definitely thought that was one I could manifest, but it wasn’t meant to be.
What’s something listeners would be shocked to learn about the process of making the podcast?
How remedial I am and how clunky it was even more than it seems like it was — especially in the beginning! I never had a clue what I was doing so I never invested in tools or things to make the experience better. When you hear me fade a song out, it’s literally me sliding my finger over to turn the volume down!! In the early days, I didn’t have editing tools at all so if something had to be changed or recorded over I would have to fire up a new recording and hit pause and play just like an old mix tape!! Microphones were always a hassle too, and truthfully, I have never been happy with my sound — even though the guests sound good. The process is a lot of work. Making social media posts every day to highlight the show and having fresh content out day after day and week after week is daunting for sure.
What has been the most meaningful message, comment, or interaction you’ve received from a listener?
Oh my gosh, there have been so many. From people who work in a hospital across the world that listen to my show to just the nicest messages from people who are just happy to have a show that talks about our favorite singer. There have been literally dozens and dozens of messages over the years that have absolutely brought tears to my eyes. I always say “I’m just a kid from Kansas,” and to think that people all over the world hear my voice and listen to my show is the most humbling thing ever.
How has the George Michael fan community shaped or supported the podcast over the years?
The George Michael community is unique, to say the least. There has been lots of great support, and there are other parts of the fandom of George that aren’t so much a fan of what I’m doing. To each their own. There are fans who have reached out with ideas and stories and comments from all over. I’ve had to learn that a lot of these folks have been steeped in this George Michael online world for a long time, and even though I know my stuff as well as anyone out there, to them I am still somewhat of an interloper. That’s OK. I have truly been honored to have people come along for this ride.
What do you hope listeners carry with them now that the podcast is ending?
I hope they carry the positivity and love that I have tried to bring. I have always been about the music and the special things that George was for all of us, and I have never delved into the negative crap. I would hope that people feel the kinship of knowing that there are people out there who love this music and George Michael as much as they do, and it’s always there for them in the music.
Do you see yourself continuing to create George Michael content in another form?
I don’t think I would know how to do any other form! I’m not creatively talented in any sense, so this probably squeezed out all of my ability to do something in the George Michael realm. One thing I can do is talk! I feel like I got to say pretty much everything I ever wanted to say and so much more. I am totally fine to put this chapter to rest and let it stand for itself.
But you never know …
If you could have spoken to George, what would you have said to him?
I’ve thought of this question a lot actually. I’m sure I would have had to get my inner fan giddiness out of the way just like anyone else. But the thing I would say is simply thank you. Thank you for all that he gave to all of us. Thank you for being there when no one else was there for me. Thank you for being there when I didn’t know how to let someone else be there for me. I just feel the biggest sense of gratitude for the music and all that George Michael gave to all of us. I would have just loved to hug him and really express my appreciation and love.
When you think about George Michael’s legacy 10, 20, and even 50 years from now, what do you hope people will still understand about him?
I hope that the extra crap that was always around George Michael will be lost to time. It mostly has at this point. All the negative stuff is forgotten, and I’m happy about that. I would hope that the music is still played and appreciated and celebrated. It’s all there for you. There isn’t a movie or tribute show or anything else that will tell you more about George Michael than the music does. He’s always with us — just push play. I would hope that the next generation gets exposed to and gets to celebrate more than just “Last Christmas” at holiday time and “Careless Whisper.” We all know he was so much more than just those. I think people will remember him as an important part of the look of music in a time where the look meant everything, and he had the goods when it came to the music to be an icon in his time and long after.
Thank You, Matt
From all of us at Yours Only George, thank you, Matt —
for your voice, your dedication, your research, and your unwavering love for George Michael’s music.
Your podcast has been a gift to the fan community, and your loyalty to Yours Only George has meant more than you know.
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