George Michael dead at 53 years old

George Michael, the two-time Grammy-winning British pop star who weathered controversy while recording smash hits like “Careless Whisper” and “Faith,” has died at 53.

The cause of death was heart failure, Michael’s manager, Michael Lippman, said.

“Our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period,” Michael’s publicist, Cindi Berger, said in a statement.

Local police, who responded to a call at Michael’s home in Goring, England at 1:42 p.m. Sunday, said they were treating the death as “unexplained but not suspicious.”

Michael — born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou — rose to fame as a teen idol in the 1980s music duo Wham! with hits such as “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Careless Whisper.” His solo hits included “Freedom” and the holiday favorite “Last Christmas.”

Michael’s career appeared in danger in 1998 he was arrested for lewd conduct in a public toilet in Los Angeles by an undercover cop.

But instead, Michael made light of the incident in a song and began speaking openly about the fact he was gay.

Throughout his career he sold over 100 million records worldwide, was nominated for eight Grammy awards, and recorded with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti and Elton John.

“I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend — the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist,” John wrote on Instagram.

Celebs and musicians like Ricky Gervais, Russell Crowe, Duran Duran and Robbie Williams tweeted their condolences.

Michael’s debut solo album, “Faith,” sold more than 20 million copies and showed a vocal range lauded by critics.

That album produced one of his first major controversies, as critics slammed the hit 1987 tune “I Want Your Sex” as encouraging promiscuity in the midst of the AIDS epidemic.

His music videos often showed Michael in tight jeans and a leather jacket, surrounded by beautiful women — perfect for MTV.

His last album, “Symphonica,” was released in 2014. The admitted marijuana smoker and user of prescription downers continued to have run-ins with the law, often over his use of drugs while behind the wheel.

He was also arrested a second time in public toilets — this time in North London in 2008 for drug use, an incident that prompted him to apologize to his fans and promise to get his life together.

But a year later he wasn’t asking forgiveness for his lifestyle, telling The Guardian he enjoyed cruising for sex with strangers in a London park. He said it beat picking up men in bars.

Source: DailyNews