You don't get to die on Christmas morning because Jesus loves you and heaven awaits you (although, it's possible if you're religious or believe in coincidence). You die because you are unhappy with real life's complications and drugs and the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of sadness that pull you deeper into the oblivion.
Maven
In a haunting image, a famous music star staring out from the window of his country home as the village Christmas procession passed by - life going on without him. To his fans he was the defining pop idol of their generation, to his admirers he had one of the most beautiful soul voices in British pop, but this last sighting of George Michael reveals that he died the death of a recluse. His boyfriend has revealed how the singer-songwriter, who gave us one of the most-loved Christmas songs of all time, had died alone on Christmas morning, at the age of just 53.
Fadi Fawaz, a celebrity hairdresser, who had been in a relationship with the star since 2011, said he discovered the singer when he went to his home in Oxfordshire.
He told The Daily Telegraph: "We were supposed to be going for Christmas lunch. I went round there to wake him up and he was just gone, lying peacefully in bed. We don't know what happened yet.
"Everything had been very complicated recently, but George was looking forward to Christmas, and so was I.
"Now everything is ruined. I want people to remember him the way he was - he was a beautiful person."
In recent years, the hedonistic lifestyle that the singer became famous for had left the once dashingly handsome pop icon a bloated version of himself.
It can also be revealed that during the past year he is thought to have been battling a spiralling heroin addiction.
A source revealed yesterday that Michael had been treated in hospital for an overdose.
“He's been rushed to A&E on several occasions," the source said. "He used heroin. I think it’s amazing he’s lasted as long as he has.”
Cardiac arrest - the cause of death according to Michael's manager, Michael Lipman - is common among heroin users.
It was a deeply sad death for a man whose bravery in forcing the world to come to terms with his sexuality on his terms was widely admired, but who was dogged by the long shadow of Aids.
The condition took several friends and at least one lover and had initially forced him to keep the truth about his homosexuality hidden for fear of terrifying his mother about the consequences.
His former partner Kenny Goss described him as an "extremely kind and generous man". In a statement, he said: "I'm heartbroken with the news that my dear friend and long-time love George Michael has passed. "He was a major part of my life and I loved him very, very much. He was an extremely kind and generous man. "The beautiful memories and music he brought to the world will always be an important part of my life and those who also loved and admired him." Neighbours near his home in Goring-on-Thames, near Oxford, which Michael bought for a reported £1.5 million in 1999, spoke movingly yesterday about his last few months. Outside his home, two reindeer sculptures lit by fairy lights were still illuminated in the garden, while a Christmas wreath covered in apples, berries and pine cones hung on a side door. The manager of the nearby Catherine Wheel pub, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Michael had been a regular face in the pub, but in recent years his appearances became few and far between. "He has changed over the years, got a lot bigger and wore glasses. He was very self-conscious. He just did not look like George Michael any more. It's very sad. "I went down to lay a candle outside his house with a group and they said the last time he was seen was watching the torchlight procession on Christmas Eve from the window."
Residents told how Michael chose to buy his home in Goring-on-Thames after he visited the area with Geri Halliwell and no one recognised him. They said the star had become less visible in recent years and was rarely seen out and about, unless it was to buy packet of Rizla cigarette papers from the local newsagents. Neighbours fear he spent Christmas Eve either alone or with his housekeeper. Malcolm Allport, 80, reported seeing Christmas deliveries arriving, but no guests. Church Warden David Beddall, 77, said: 'He came to the midnight service last year but he didn't come this year. “He decorated the garden with Christmas lights so we knew he was there but we didn't see him."
George had maintained a low public profile in recent years, only communicating with fans through Twitter where he had insisted he was “perfectly fine”. In his last Facebook post, the star said he was busy putting the finishing touches to a documentary called Freedom, which is due to air in March 2017. On his 53nd birthday, on June 25, Michael apologised to fans for his absence from the limelight. He wrote on Twitter: “To my lovelies and fans around the world, thank you for all the birthday wishes, I am truly overwhelmed. I am looking forward to spending it with friends and family, thank again, love The Singing Greek!” The once fresh-faced boy from East Finchley, who had wowed the world with a song about enjoying life on unemployment benefit with his school friend Andrew Ridgeley, had long struggled with substance abuse.
In 2014/15, it was claimed that Michael had secretly spent a year in the £190,000-a-month Kusnacht Practice in Switzerland after becoming addicted to crack cocaine. Michael’s spokesman said he had not entered rehab but instead had been "spending time in Europe" on an ‘"extended break".
What is certain is that the singer had a close brush with death as a result of contracting pneumonia in 2011, while on tour. George started dating Texan art dealer Kenny Goss in 1996 and they broke up in 2009 - something the singer did not confirm for two years. On the opening night of his Symphonica tour in 2011, he said: “I love him very much. This man has brought me a lot of joy and pain.”
His secret donations to charity Quietly generous, Michael's many acts of kindness have begun to be revealed since his death. A couple who desperately wanted a baby but could not afford fertility treatment and a debt-ridden student nurse were among those who he secretly donated small chunks of his fortune to. The pop icon’s silent acts of philanthropy over the years added up to millions of pounds, it is now thought, as recipients began to come forward to reveal how his generosity changed lives. Lynette Gillard, 38, from Bolton, received £15,000 from an anonymous donor in 2008 after her husband at the time Stephen appeared on the game show Deal or No Deal but walked away with £3000 - £5000 short of the amount needed for a round of IVF treatment. The show’s former executive producer Richard Osman announced on Twitter that after a contestant said they needed money for fertility treatment, “George Michael secretly phoned the next day” and said he wanted to donate the thousands of pounds the couple needed. Last night Ms Gillard said: “For many years I wondered who would have been so generous and now I know. What more can I say other than thank you George.” A spokesman for Deal or No Deal would not confirm whether Ms Gillard’s mystery donation was from Michael, saying: “Anonymous donations are kept private in line with the donor’s wishes."
The author and journalist Sali Hughes said that Michael once tipped a barmaid £5,000 because she was a student nurse who was in debt. She added that Michael was the only star on the celebrity version of the game show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire who felt comfortable gambling with all the money he had raised for his chosen charity because he had decided he would pay back the money out of his own pocket if he lost.
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