British pop-icon George Michael dies at 53
The world now mourns with the death of British pop-icon George Michael last Sunday, December 25, at his home in Oxfordshire in England.
British pop-icon, George Michael. Image from Reuters.
According to the UK-based Pressed Association, the British singer is believed to have died from heart failure, and the family is currently requesting for privacy at the moment.
Passed away at the age of 53, George Michael will be forever remembered with his classic hits such as “Careless Whisper” and “Last Christmas”. He rocketed to fame when he became a part of Wham! who popularized the song “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” ,then after which, the singer embarked on a solo career targeting more adult audience.
George Michael sold more than 100 million copies of his albums, including his 1987 solo debut titled “Faith”.
He also publicly came out as gay in year 1998, and had long lent his music to support AIDS prevention and gay rights. In 2004, he put out individual songs for free downloads and encourage listeners to contribute to charity. In 2006, with 25 years in the music industry, he could still headline stadium shows.
Hollywood celebrities started pouring and posting their tributes to the late George Michael, including Duran Duran, Ellen Degeneres, Mariah Carey, Stephen Merchant, and Elton John.
Sources: cnn.com, ABS-CBN news