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Pop Icon George Michael Dies,aged 53 by Enapesunday(m): 6:15am On Dec 26, 2016 |
The British pop star
and former singer of
Wham!, George
Michael, has died at
the age of 53,
according to his
publicist. The global
superstar reportedly
"passed away
peacefully at home" in
England.
In a statement released late
on Christmas Day, George
Michael's publicist said: "It
is with great sadness that
we can confirm our beloved
son, brother and friend
George passed away
peacefully at home over
the Christmas period."
Emergency services
reportedly attended a
property in Goring, west of
London, at 13:42 local time
(1442 UTC) on
Sunday. According to
authorities, there were
no suspicious circumstances
surrounding
his death.Thames Valley
police said a "post-mortem
will be undertaken in due
course."
The 53-year-old shot to
fame in the 1980s as a
member of pop duo
Wham!, which he formed
with school friend Andrew
Ridgeley. The group -
which became the first
western pop act to play a
concert in China - was best
known for the songs "Wake
Me Up Before You Go-Go,"
"Club Tropicana" and the
Christmas hit "Last
Christmas."
Global success
Michael - born Georgios
Kyriacos Panayiotou - went
on to enjoy a hugely
successful solo career,
spanning almost four
decades
and selling more than 100
million albums worldwide.
His 1987 debut solo album
"Faith" alone sold more
than 20 million copies
across the globe. The
singer-songwriter won
numerous music
accolades, including four IvorNovello
Awards, three American
Music Awards,
three BritAwards, four MTV
Video Music Awards, and
two Grammy Awards from
eight nominations.
Following years of
speculation over his
sexuality, Michael disclosed
in 1998 that he was gay
after being arrested for
"engaging in a lewd act" in
a public toilet in California.
Negative headlines
As his music career waned,
Michael continued to hit the
headlines, but often for the
wrong reasons. In October
2006, Michael was banned
from driving after pleading
guilty to driving under the
influence of drugs. Two
years later, the singer was
cautioned for possessing
class A drugs, including
crack cocaine.
Within a year,
Michael crashed his car into
a shop in north London. He
was later handed an eight-
week prison sentence.
In 2014, Michael released
his sixth and final album
"Symphonica." The record
was his only live album and
marked his first album of
new recordings since
"Patience" in 2004.
George Michael with fellow
Wham! member Andrew
Ridgeley in 1984
Michael had remained out
of the public limelight in
recent years. In 2011, he
postponed a number of
concerts after being
hospitalized
with pneumonia where he
remained unconscious for
some time.
After recovering from the
respiratory infection,
Michael said it had been
"touch and go" whether he
would live.
Fellow musicians pay
tribute
Prior to his death on
Sunday, Michael's 1990
album "Listen Without
Prejudice Vol. 1" had been
due to be reissued. A new
film featuring Stevie
Wonder, Elton John and the
supermodels who starred in
the video to his hit single
"Freedom! '90" was set to
accompany the album's re-
release.
In the early hours of
Monday morning, fellow
musicians and entertainers
paid tribute to the late
singer, including his former
Wham! bandmate.
"Heartbroken at the loss of
my beloved friend Yog,"
Ridgeley tweeted. "Me, his
loved ones, his friends, the
world of music, the world at
large. 4ever loved. A xx"
1980s pop band Duran
Duran also tweeted their
sympathy to Michael's
family, referring to the so-
called "curse of 2016,"
which has seen the deaths
of a host of stars, including
David Bowie and Prince.
Musician Elton John reacted
to the news on Instagram,
posting a photo of himself
and Michael.
"I am in deep shock," the
singer-songwriter wrote. "I
have lost a beloved friend -
the kindest, most generous
soul and a brilliant artist.
My heart goes out to his
family and all of his fans."
In 1991, John and Michael
re-recorded the former's
1974 hit "Don't let the sun
go down on me" - reaching
number one in both the US
and UK charts.
Michael was also a patron
of the Elton John AIDS
Foundation. In 1984, the
singer starred alongside a
host of contemporaries to
form Band Aid. The
supergroup's Christmas
charity single "Do they
know it's Christmas?" raised
£8 million ($9.8 million / 9.4
million euros) for the
famine in Ethiopia within
twelve months of release.
|
Re: Pop Icon George Michael Dies,aged 53 by Enapesunday(m): 6:16am On Dec 26, 2016 |
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