George Michael settles feud with Sony, returns to label

BBC News reports that out singer George Michael will return to Sony for his next album. Michael left the label in 1993 after losing a court battle in which he sued to extricate himself from his contract. After accusing Sony of "professional slavery," the remainder of his contract was bought out by Virgin, where he failed to reach the sales heights he had previously enjoyed. Michael, 40, has begun work on a new album, which Sony plans to release in early 2004. "We are delighted to be working again with one of the greatest recording artists this country has ever produced, who has produced another classic album," Sony Music UK's chairman and chief executive Rob Stringer told the BBC. "In a career spanning more than 20 years, George has been responsible for nearly 75 million record sales."