How Old The Wham! Star Was When He Died

The troubled pop star had a meteoric rise to celebrity with Wham!. Unfortunately, it would tragically come to an end with his death in 2016.

George Michael was the celebrated and legendary music star and half of the breakout pop hit duo Wham!, with his tragic death leaving a hole in the music industry. Generating a series of hits in the 1980s, the powerful singer-songwriter-producer would become a cultural icon and luminary of his time. Unfortunately, George Michael's demons would eventually catch up to him and begin to erode the star's mental and physical health. A prolonged battle with both drugs and depression would take its toll on the talented musician and leading to his eventual decline, with friends and family looking on.

Being catapulted into international superstardom at the tender age of 22, George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou) would ride the wave of commercial success with his flamboyant and unapologetic pop group Wham!. Forming the bandwith his close childhood friend, Andrew Ridgeley, George would quickly establish his confidence and talent as a lead singer, frontman, and sex symbol. With the pair splitting up amicably following a final tour in 1986, George Michael would go on to have an incredibly successful and influential solo career. Having achieved worldwide acclaim and 13 #1 hits during his 35 years in the music world. Despite his success, however, the singer eventually succumbed to his troubles at an early age.

George Michael Died From Heart & Liver Complications At Age 53

Ironically, the songwriter of "Last Christmas" would himself pass away in the early hours of Christmas Day 2016. George Michael died of natural causes at the age of 53 in his Oxfordshire home, a coroner would confirm the cause of death in 2017 owing to a comorbid diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, and a fatty liver. With cardiomyopathy causing the singer's heart to pump less blood than normal and myocarditis exacerbating the condition with inflammation around the heart muscle, the conditions proved to be a deadly combination. Buried in a modest grave neighboring his mother, and, three years later, his sister, George Michael is interred at Highgate Cemetery in North London.

George Michael's Net Worth & Posthumous Song Releases Explained

With his tragic passing, George Michael's estate would honor the songwriter by releasing the single "Fantasy" in September 2017, and the next month, the accompanying music video to "Fantasy" was released. Emma Thompson later wrote the Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding movie "Last Christmas", with the soundtrack featuring music from both Wham! and George Michael's solo career. In June 2022 George Michael's autobiographical documentary Freedom Uncut was released to favorable reviews. Finally, Michael's 1996 album Older would be remastered and released in September 2022 which would go on to chart at #2 in the UK.

As one of the best-selling musicians of all time, George Michael also left his family a considerable sum. His extensive art collection was auctioned off for over £11.3 million, the entirety of which went to charities and non-profits the late singer was fond of in life. Despite George Michael leaving his considerable £97 million estate to his family and friends, George's former partner Kenny Goss would win a share after a legal battle with Michael's family. Even so, the influential George Michael will forever be remembered as a pop culture icon and author of some of the most contagious earworms of a generation.

(Sources: BBC, CBS, The Independent)