George Michael (1963-2016)
December 29, 2016
A few days ago on Christmas, December 25, British pop music icon George Michael died suddenly of heart failure at age 53. Michael gained fame in the 1980′s as part of the popular duo Wham!, and later enjoyed a successful solo career. His albums, including the smash hits “Faith” and “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1,” won numerous awards and sold more than 100 million copies. The United Kingdom’s Radio Academy listed Michael as the most-played performer on British radio from 1984 to 2004.
Pop music superstar George Michael, seen here in 1987, died suddenly on Dec. 25, 2016. Credit: © Michael Putland, Getty Images
George Michael was born Georgios Panayiotou on June 25, 1963, in the north London borough of East Finchley. His father was a Greek Cypriot restaurant owner and his mother was an English dancer. In 1979, George and his friend Andrew Ridgeley formed a music duo that would eventually become Wham! Their 1984 hits “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Careless Whisper” topped pop charts around the world.
Leaving Wham! in favor of a solo career, Michael’s 1987 album, “Faith,” rocketed to the top of the charts and went on to win a Grammy Award for album of the year. “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1,” released in 1990, was also a smash hit. Michael complemented his popular success by funding numerous charities and participating in benefit concerts. His later singles and the albums “Older” (1996), “Songs from the Last Century” (1999), and “Patience” (2004) met with steady but lesser success than his earlier releases. Michael’s last album, a collection of live performances called “Symphonica,” was released in 2014.
