According to a press statement, Michael “passed away peacefully at home.”
Michael rose to fame as a member of the musical duo Wham! (“Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”). He achieved commercial success in the late 80’s and 90’s thanks to his pop hits, which included such chart-topping singles as “Careless Whisper,” “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try,” “Monkey,” as well as “Praying for Time.” He either wrote or co-wrote all of these aforementioned songs.
Throughout his respected career in the music industry, Michael sold in excess of 80 million albums worldwide. His breakthrough studio album, Faith, which was released on Epic Records and Columbia Records, was certified diamond, and it went over to sell over 25 million units worldwide.
Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley, London, and he was of Greek Cypriot descent. He won three American Music Awards (AMAs), which included “Favorite Album” for Faith, as well as two Grammy awards, which included a 1989 win for “Album of the Year” for Faith, and in 1987, for “Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal” for “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” his duet with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.
