See George Michael, James Corden in early ‘Carpool Karaoke’ video
At this point in time, “Carpool Karaoke” is considered to be one of the biggest recurring sketches on TV, and it is something that has really taken over a lot of the late-night landscape thanks to “The Late Late Show with James Corden”. It’s fun, it’s silly and it’s a great venue to see some of your favorite artists performing their greatest hits for you to sing along to at home.
What many people may not realize is that the concept itself actually far predates its appearance on CBS, and that Corden really has George Michael to thank for its initial success. In the video below, you can see Corden alongside Michael performing what is a very early version of the sketch during a BBC Comic Relief bit, one that includes some comedy and a couple of musical performances. While this is not in any way the same fully-formed version of “Carpool Karaoke” that we’re seeing at this point on “The Late Late Show,” we do see some of the same elements in here beyond the singing.
This sketch has a whole new light now in the wake of the shocking news yesterday about Michael’s untimely death at the age of 53 over the Christmas holiday. He was one of the most influential performers in music, and following his passing Corden himself tweeted out the following message:
“I’ve loved George Michael for as long as I can remember. He was an absolute inspiration. Always ahead of his time.”
While Michael was not known for his television work, we reported earlier as a reminder that he was very much involved at times with the production of “Eli Stone,” a short-lived series on ABC starring Jonny Lee Miller (“Elementary”, “Trainspotting”) as a man who used George Michael songs as a form of inner dialogue. Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, now of “Arrow” fame, were the masterminds behind the production of that series, and they recently also shared their thoughts on Michael’s passing. You can read some more news on that over at the link here.
Our thoughts continue to go out to Michael’s friends and loved ones during what has to be a difficult time. (Photo: BBC.)