British singer, songwriter and producer George Michael has sadly passed away. The cause of death is currently unknown. Michael died in his home in Goring, Oxfordshire on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2016.
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in London, Michael rose to prominence in the 80s with the group Wham!, alongside friend and fellow band member Andrew Ridgeley. The group released their debut album Fantastic in 1983 which landed at Number 1 in the UK Albums Chart. Whilst successful, the group’s second LP Make It Big shot the band into international stardom as they stormed the charts with singles such as ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ and ‘Freedom’. George Michael’s 1984 single ‘Careless Whispers’ reached Number 1 on the charts in the UK, Australia, Japan, Italy and Switzerland, just to name a few.
As a solo artist George Michael continued to record hit albums and singles with the singer releasing five albums beginning with the critically acclaimed LP Faith, released in 1987. George Michael would continue to perform shows around the world
Many entertainers and fans around the world have expressed their condolences on social media.
#Heartbroken Here's how George Michael impacted my life… https://t.co/C6oY6ekJ91 pic.twitter.com/yFpJiuh4ed
— Debbie Gibson (@DebbieGibson) 26 December 2016
I don't have it in me anymore to write about our greats. I just knew one day I'd get to work with #GeorgeMichael. Sad Christmas.
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) 25 December 2016
RIP George Michael:( One of the greats gone. Not many ultra talented superstars left. He was a true undeniable mega presence & inspiration.
— reggie watts (@reggiewatts) 26 December 2016
Needed a little more space to pay tribute to the genius of George Michael & its effect on me. If you want to read…https://t.co/odLM1Ppiqy
— Mark Ronson (@MarkRonson) 26 December 2016
https://t.co/OUtP6naila
Rest In Peace George Michael. Another musical legend gone in 2016 😢— mistajam (@mistajam) 26 December 2016