Sad news on Christmas Day: Iconic British singer George Michael died at age 53 of heart failure, his manager confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Michael’s publicist confirmed on Sunday that the musician died “peacefully at home” on Dec. 25. The singer was once part of the ’80s duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley and had a very successful solo career, producing classic songs such as “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “Fastlove,” “Careless Whisper,” and “Freedom ’90.”
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| George Michael |
With Wham!, Michael and Ridgeley collaborated on the hit ’80s songs “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Last Christmas,” and “Everything She Wants.” In 2000, Michael and legendary singer Whitney Houston sang the hit single “If I Told You That,” which is a ’90s dream if you’ve ever seen one.
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, Michael has sold 20.7 million albums in the U.S. over the course of his career — combining both his solo work and that of Wham! — according to The Hollywood Reporter.