Meet James Kennedy's Super Famous Father, Andros Georgiou
Plus, find out how the legendary George Michael became godfather to the Vanderpump Rules DJ.
Over the years we have had front-row seats to James Kennedy's iconic Vanderpump Rules musical moments, like when he performed the track "Feeling You" with Lala Kent several seasons back and his DJ gigs at SUR and beyond.
And over the years, we have learned more about the DJ's musical heritage. Previously, James revealed that the late George Michael was his godfather, and the legendary British singer grew up and worked with his father, Andros Georgiou. It's no wonder the DJ caught the music bug (jitterbug?) from an early age.
Long before James was spinning tunes on Vanderpump Rules, his dad Andros Georgiou enjoyed a life close to the spotlight. And just like his dear old son, Andros knew how to live a rock 'n' roll lifestyle.
James Kennedy's Father, Andros Georgiou, Grew Up with George Michael
So how does one meet and befriend a mega-pop star anyway? Andros and George's fathers apparently came from the same small village in Cyprus and emigrated to London where they started their new lives and families. Their fathers' friendship eventually led to Andros and George becoming mates as well. Andros even used to affectionately refer to George as "Yog" when the two boys were growing up.
Andros Georgiou Was in the Music Biz with George Michael
As George became an international pop sensation, first as one-half of Wham! and then as a solo star, Andros was right there with him. After establishing Hardback Records in 1986, Andros served as the managing director of Aegean Records, the record label started by George in the mid-'90s, according to his LinkedIn page. Andros helped Aegean become one of the early adopters of digital music distribution before anyone even heard of iTunes or Spotify. Clearly, Andros was onto something.
George Michael Was James Kennedy's Godfather
Andros and George were so close, James called him his dad's cousin on Vanderpump Rules. The pop star was a big part of the family when the DJ was growing up. “When I married [James' mom] Jackie, I told her, ‘[George] comes first. My kids are his kids and he’ll be in the delivery room with us’ and he was," Andros told The Sun. “When my son James was born in January 1992, Yog and I gave him his first bath.”
George and Andros Had a Major Falling Out
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and Andros and George eventually weren't on speaking terms. Their relationship became strained after George was arrested in 1998 for allegedly engaging in a lewd act in a public restroom in Will Rogers Park in Beverly Hills.
It continued to go further downhill after that and, sadly, George Michael sadly passed away in 2016.
Five weeks after his passing in 2016, James shared some of his fond childhood memories of the singer with The Daily Dish.
"You know, he was just Uncle George, really," he recalled. "He didn't really give me advice. I was very young. I wasn't into music yet. I was like a baby. He was just Uncle George and [he'd] pop me on his lap and stuff like that. I knew he was a singer like, 'Uncle George is a singer.' It's not like I didn't [know] who he was at the time ... He was a family member and was there when we were growing up, so it was two sides, I guess. His music changed the world, but he also was just a normal, beautiful person at home."
You Can Read All About His Life with the Pop Star
As you should be able to gather by now, Andros has lived quite an extraordinary life alongside his famous friend. You can really dive into it by reading Andros' autobiography Rock: The Luckiest Man in Pop and finding out what it was really like knowing George at the height of his fame.
Andors Has Hosted a Radio Show
After his work with George Michael, Andros hosted a radio show called the London Calling Radio Show, or LCRFM for short, where he played "a mad mix of classics 'that will surprise you.'" Now we know where James gets his DJ skills.
Andros Helped James Break Into the Music Industry
Andros later went on to work as a social media consultant for Public Images Ltd., a social media management agency, and an Internet marketing consultant for The Design People web design studio, according to his LinkedIn page.
In fact, Andros used his social media know-how to help his son get his music out there and build his brand as an artist. "My dad's an expert in social media, basically growing your look," James said on the Vanderpump Rules After Show previously. "He understands what you need. You need the talent, you need the music, but you also need a look as well. You need a brand."
