George Michael dies from suspected heart failure aged 53
Pop superstar George Michael’s death at the age of 53 from suspected heart failure is being treated by police as “unexplained but not suspicious”.
The 53-year-old, who rose to fame as the front man of Wham! and had chart-topping hits including Last Christmas, died peacefully at home, his publicist said.
The cause of the star’s death was heart failure, according to his manager Michael Lippman.
Michael – whose real name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou – sold more than 100 million albums throughout a career spanning almost four decades.
Michael’s former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley said he was heartbroken and “cleft with grief” and in a tweet referred to Michael as “Yog”, standing for “Yours Only George”.
Michael formed duo Wham! with Ridgeley in 1981, and went on to massive success, releasing a string of hit singles including Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do), Club Tropicana, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, and Last Christmas.
They were the first Western pop act to visit China when they played there in 1985, before splitting in 1986, by which time Michael had already released a handful of solo singles.
On Sunday night, Thames Valley Police said they were called to a property in Goring-on-Thames shortly before 2pm, adding: “Sadly, a 53-year-old man was confirmed deceased at the scene. At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A post-mortem will be undertaken in due course.”
Big names from the world of entertainment have paid tribute, with Sir Elton John posting a photograph of them together on Instagram, writing: “I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend – the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans.”
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