George Michael died alone, boyfriend reveals, as he 'battled a secret heroin addiction'

George Michael performing at a concert to raise money for an Aids charity in 2012

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.

George's boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz discovered his body on Christmas morning CREDIT: SPLASH NEWS

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."

George Michael earned a legion of fans after bursting onto the music scene in the 1980s CREDIT: CHRIS CRAYMER

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.

Fans left floral tributes outside his h
Fans left floral tributes outside his home home in Goring CREDIT: ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA

 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".

George Michael had well publicised battles with drugs CREDIT: PA

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."

George Michael was an iconic figure in the global music industry

 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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George Michael dies at 53

Ex-Wham! member and London-born singer and songwriter George Michael has passed away. He was 53.

Michael (probably one of the biggest musicians of the 80s along with Prince, Michael, Whitney and Madonna) was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayitou in 1963. He was a member of the pop duo Wham! from 1981 to 1986. Wham! sold more than 25 million albums.

Michael sold more than 80 million records worldwide as a solo artist. His first album, "Faith," sold more than 20 million copies. Billboard magazine named Michael the 40th most successful artist on its Hot 100 Top All Time Artists List in 2008. His many hits included "Careless Whisper," "Freedom" and "Father Figure."

Michael was named the most played artist on British radio from 1984 to 2004 by the Radio Academy.

In 1991, Michael and Elton John joined musical forces with a live rendition of John's 1974 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." The performance reached number one on the Billboard Top 100 the following year.

The BBC was the first to report Michael's death. The cause of death was heart failure, according to Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter.

The pop star's death stunned the entertainment community. His U.S. publicist, Cindi Berger, told the Associated Press he had not been ill.

"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 publicist said.

Thames Valley Police said South Central Ambulance Service arrived at a property in Goring in Oxfordshire at 1:42 GMT, according to BBC.

Police say no suspicious circumstances were involved.

Michael’s first solo album, 1987’s Faith, confirmed that. With six top-five singles — among them the title track, the then-controversial smash I Want Your Sex and the rhapsodic Father Figure — Faith dominated the charts for much of 1988, and has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide to date.

But Michael’s solo debut, which earned a Grammy Award in 1989 for album of the year, was more than a commercial milestone. Faith’s artful blend of pop, funk and blue-eyed-soul textures made it the first album by a Caucasian artist to reach the top position on Billboard’s R&B chart. Michael’s intense creative involvement — he wrote all the songs, most independently, and also produced — helped reshape the template for pop acts. Even Michael Jackson hadn’t been quite so autonomous, collaborating heavily with Quincy Jones and others on his ’80s megahits.

 George Michael, the British singer, musician and founding member of Wham!, died over the Christmas holiday, his publicist confirms to USA TODAY. He was 53. "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," read a statement sent to USA TODAY by Michael's London-based publicist, Connie Filippello. "The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage."

 George Michael, pictured here in September 2010, died over the Christmas holiday. 


 The musician died in Goring, England. The BBC was the first to report Michael's death.

The cause of death was heart failure, according to Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter.

Elton John wrote on Instagram. "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."

Michael sold more than 80 million albums globally, earned numerous Grammy Awards, and recorded duets with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti and John, among others. Stunned stars react to George Michael's death Few teen idols have made critics eat their words more handily than Michael did back in his late-’80s heyday, when the former Wham! frontman emerged as one of the most successful and admired singer/songwriters of that decade.
But in the years that followed, Michael made news more frequently for his professional struggles and personal scandal, even as he continued to record and tour profitably and inspire younger acts.

Born Georgios Panayiotou in North London — his father was a Greek immigrant — Michael met another aspiring musician, Andrew Ridgeley, while both were attending secondary school in Hertfordshire. By 1982, they were recording together as the bubble-gum duo Wham!, and within two years they would be among the world’s most popular acts, with bouncy hits such as Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and Freedom becoming staples of the early MTV era. One song from Wham!’s American breakthrough album, Make It Big, was credited to Michael as a solo artist when it was released as a single: the lovelorn ballad Careless Whisper, which reached No. 1 in the U.K., the USA and various other countries. That feat, and subsequent well-received solo turns, including a duet with Aretha Franklin (1987’s I Knew You Were Waiting for Me), led many to suspect that Wham!’s frontman had abilities and ambitions beyond making little girls scream.

 Garth Brooks and George Michael perform at the Equality Rocks concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.


  Michael’s first solo album, 1987’s Faith, confirmed that. With six top-five singles — among them the title track, the then-controversial smash I Want Your Sex and the rhapsodic Father Figure — Faith dominated the charts for much of 1988, and has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide to date. But Michael’s solo debut, which earned a Grammy Award in 1989 for album of the year, was more than a commercial milestone.

Faith’s artful blend of pop, funk and blue-eyed-soul textures made it the first album by a Caucasian artist to reach the top position on Billboard’s R&B chart. Michael’s intense creative involvement — he wrote all the songs, most independently, and also produced — helped reshape the template for pop acts. Even Michael Jackson hadn’t been quite so autonomous, collaborating heavily with Quincy Jones and others on his ’80s megahits.

 If Faith clearly demanded a new level of respect, some viewed Michael’s behavior in its wake as self-defeating. He refused to actively promote his much-anticipated follow-up album, 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, and didn't appear in its music videos; for the hit single Freedom! '90, he memorably tapped a bevy of supermodels, among them Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell, to lip-sync the lyrics. Listen yielded other hits, notably the chart-topping first single Praying for Time, but didn’t approach the massive success of its predecessor.

 The BBC was the first to report Michael's death. The cause of death was heart failure, according to Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter.

 The pop star's death stunned the entertainment community. His U.S. publicist, Cindi Berger, told the Associated Press he had not been ill. "I am in deep shock," Elton John wrote on Instagram. "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."

Michael sold more than 100 million albums globally, earned numerous Grammy Awards, and recorded duets with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti and John, among others. Stunned stars react to George Michael's death Few teen idols have made critics eat their words more handily than Michael did back in his late-’80s heyday, when the former Wham! frontman emerged as one of the most successful and admired singer/songwriters of that decade.

 But in the years that followed, Michael made news more frequently for his professional struggles and personal scandal, even as he continued to record and tour profitably and inspire younger acts.

 He continued to release albums — Michael's last studio effort, the aptly titled Patience, came out in 2004, and his final album was 2014's live Symphonica — but his music career would be overshadowed by his tabloid exploits. Longstanding questions about Michael’s sexual orientation came to the fore in 1998, when he was arrested for lewd behavior after revealing himself to another man, who turned out to be a police officer, in a public restroom in Beverly Hills. Michael would later make light of the incident, and became more open about his homosexuality. Having lost a partner, Brazilian designer Anselmo Feleppa, to a cerebral hemorrhage in 1993, Michael began a long-term relationship a few years later, with Texas-born businessman Kenny Goss; they split in 2009. The singer, whose charity work dates back to his participation in the 1984 Band Aid single Do They Know It’s Christmas?, also raised money for AIDS research and terminally ill children.

 There would be other run-ins with the law for Michael, who between 2006 and 2010 was arrested several times in London for possession of drugs and driving under the influence. Michael was hospitalized in November 2011 in Austria for pneumonia after postponing a series of concerts. In 2004, the Radio Academy declared that his music had been played on British radio more than that of any artist between 1984 and 2004. That year, Michael told USA TODAY that he “was kind of glad that my success level went down in America. I got more of a life, got to enjoy being in America, with less attention than I was used to in Europe. But now I’m strong again. I feel ready to take on the world.”



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