In 1996, George Michael released the deeply moving ballad “You Have Been Loved,” which he wrote following the death from AIDS of Brazilian fashion designer Anselmo Feleppa, the great love of his life.
This emotionally charged song is now being performed in a new version by internationally acclaimed Greek singer Alexandra Gravas, nine years after the untimely death of the beloved pop star.
Seeking to pay tribute to the memory of the iconic artist, Alexandra Gravas requested—and received—official permission from Warner Chappell Germany to record the cover. She approached the song through her own distinctive musical lens, placing the guitar and cello at the center of the arrangement, giving it an even more atmospheric and intimate character.
The cover will be released on all digital music platforms on December 25, the anniversary of George Michael’s death.
What inspired Alexandra Gravas to pursue the rights to this particular song?
“One Sunday afternoon in London, I was walking through a park when I noticed, from a distance, a strikingly beautiful man dressed in cream, wearing impressive sunglasses. At that moment, the heart of an unknown singing student named Alexandra Gravas skipped a beat at the sight of the legend, George Michael,” she recalls.
She adds:
“This song is one of the most inspired and honest declarations a person can make about love and loss. George Michael’s deeply personal and sincere approach to the lyrics made me feel that it was my story, your story—a story so intimate that it belongs to all of us. Through his music, George Michael gives us the chance to engage with the legacy he left behind, while continuing to illuminate us with his art.”
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