Singer George Michael, who rose to fame for being one-half of the duo Wham!, passes away. No cause of death was announced.
Michael has had no history of serious illness, except for a time in 2011 when he was placed in an intensive care unit for pneumonia, and in 2013 when he sustained a head injury after falling from his moving vehicle.
Because of the unexpected death, many celebrities expressed their shock:
Unbelievable.
RIP George Michael.— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) December 25, 2016
Wow. RIP George Michael pic.twitter.com/sVgRYnfm6J
— Randy Jackson (@YO_RANDYJACKSON) December 25, 2016
My god. Rest in paradise @GeorgeMichael–an icon, an ally, a legend. pic.twitter.com/MfxPVFG0B2
— Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) December 25, 2016
Oh God no …I love you George …Rest In Peace x
— Robbie Williams (@robbiewilliams) December 26, 2016
R.I.P George Michael. Beyond sad, you were a legend, and you were far too young. Blasting “Last Christmas” now ????
— OneRepublic (@OneRepublic) December 25, 2016
Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, started his singing career as one-half of Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. Together, they released four albums, which included the hit songs “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Last Christmas,” and “Freedom.” In their five year career, they sold 25 million records worldwide.
Following the duo’s split in 1986, Michael released his first solo album Faith in 1987, which included the single of the same name. It went on to be included in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” The singer released six more albums until 2014.
By the time Michael passed away, he was recognized as one of the best-selling British acts of all time and the most played artist on British radio during the period of 1984–2004. He also won 15 awards from the Brit Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, Ivor Novello Awards, American Music Awards, and the Grammy Awards.
Michael was 53 when he passed away.
WheninManila.com sends its condolences to the Michael family.
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