Pop music idol George Michael dies at 53
George Michael, pop idol whose fame and influence put him alongside Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince in the pantheon of 1980s music superstars, died peacefully at his home on Sunday at 53, the BBC reported, citing his publicist. The British singer came to prominence with the male pop duo Wham!, before embarking on a successful solo career which began with singles such as "Careless Whisper" and "Faith." His striking good looks, soaring anthems wed to dance-club beats and eventual status as a gay icon placed him among the decade's most prominent pop culture figures. In a statement to the BBC, Michael's publicist confirmed the news: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period. "The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage." Michael's musical career spanned four decades, generating numerous No. 1 hits. Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in London, Michael formed Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. The duo took the world by storm with number-one hits, including "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Freedom." Michael's first solo single "Careless Whisper" also proved to be a hit, which prompted fans to speculate the duo's break-up. They did just that in 1986, announcing their separation. Michael was only 22 years old, while Ridgeley aged 23. In 1987, Michael released his debut solo album Faithwhich sold over 25 million copies worldwide and earned him a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1988. His second album, Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, was released in 1990 but sold only 8 million copies worldwide. It did, however, manage to win Best British Album at the BRIT Awards in 1991. Michael sued his record label Sony in 1994 in a bid to get out of his contract. He said the company did not properly marketing Listen Without Prejudice, Volume I and calling his 15-year contract with the company "professional slavery." He ended up losing the legal battle. The pop music star had his fair share of personal struggles, which included the devastation of losing his boyfriend Anselmo Feleppa to AIDS in 1993. Michael then lost his mother to cancer in 1997. Michael was arrested in 1998 by Los Angeles police for a public sex act, in a well-publicized incident that was recreated his video for "Outside" in the same year. In 2011, Michael suffered acute pneumonia and had to be hospitalised while on tour in Vienna. In November, Michael was putting the finishing touches on a documentary called Freedom, which is due to hit screens March 2017. It was only two weeks ago that plans for a new album came to light, with Michael collaborating with Beyonce producer Naughty Boy, real name Shahid Khan. "I can't wait. I don't know what to expect. And, to be honest, he's more mysterious than anyone else so I'm actually excited," Khan told BBC News. Celebrities, fellow musicians and fans shared their tributes to the singer on Twitter. Little Britainactor David Walliams responded by consecutively tweeting the singer's numerous music videos. Michael's Wham! bandmate, Andrew Ridgeley, also wrote of his heartbreak at the news.A life in the pop music world
Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael of Wham! in 1986.Credit: AP'Unbelievable'
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
- 最近发表
-
- Listeners encouraged to go wild with Le Sserafim's 4th EP
- Google redesigned nearly 1,000 emoji to look more realistic
- Google Doodle honours Australia's only Nobel Prize winner in chemistry
- 加强职业技能鉴定管理 搭建员工成长成才通道
- The Wonderful World of Christmas Trees
- North Korea fires 2 suspected ballistic missiles eastward: South Korea's military
- Apple iPhone 8 event: How to watch and what to expect
- How to download YouTube videos on your iPhone
- 7 Reasons to Explore Boston’s Lesser
- 名山县残疾人园艺协会成立
- 随机阅读
-
- Tesla Robotaxis aren't coming in August, it seems
- Anderson bows out of Tests as Eng thrash WI
- Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar will go exclusively to Disney streaming. Do not be alarmed.
- Methanol as fuel: An accessible early step toward clean shipping
- Apple's iPhone 17 will come with a huge RAM upgrade, report claims
- Alcaraz retains Wimbledon title
- Influit moves to commercialize its ultra
- 每年服务超100万人次!业内首创分子检测应用,这家公司要打造水产业最完善保障体系
- What Ever Happened to Winamp?
- 'Veep' ending after upcoming seventh season
- 倾力保供电 川台送锦旗
- Park administration kept parts of ‘comfort women’ agreement secret
- Game Plan
- 'Veep' ending after upcoming seventh season
- Enjoying “last battles” for Argentina: Messi
- What are Yats? They have investors paying $$$ to 'own' emoji.
- Google is bringing AI summaries to ‘Files’ so you can find your docs quicker
- Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar will go exclusively to Disney streaming. Do not be alarmed.
- Korea to listen to victims before deciding on controversial comfort women deal
- [News Focus] Is multiparty system viable in Korea?
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-