British music legend George Michael passed away on Christmas day at his home in the UK town of Goring at the age of 53.
Celebrities and political figures alike have expressed their sorrow and regret via Twitter and other social media platforms.
Some praised Michael’s contribution to the world of pop music and offered condolences to his next to kin.
So after a lovely family Xmas day, this 80s teen is off to bed feeling a bit sad, but listening to this masterpiece pic.twitter.com/tg2OujWLyO
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) 26 декабря 2016 г.
God bless George Michael peace and love to all his friends and family 😎✌️🌟💖
— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) 26 декабря 2016 г.
So sorry to hear about George Michael's passing. Brilliant icon. "Kissing a Fool" one of my all time favs. Strength & light to his family.
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) 26 декабря 2016 г.
R.I.P. George Michael…
— Whoopi Goldberg (@WhoopiGoldberg) 26 декабря 2016 г.
Thankful for the music…
Needed a little more space to pay tribute to the genius of George Michael & its effect on me. If you want to read…https://t.co/odLM1Ppiqy
— Mark Ronson (@MarkRonson) 26 декабря 2016 г.
What a shock. Sad to hear George Michael has left us. https://t.co/Uo90xjxOuy via @youtube
— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) 26 декабря 2016 г.
Others reminisced about what a kind and caring person George Michael truly was.
A woman on 'Deal Or No Deal' told us she needed £15k for IVF treatment. George Michael secretly phoned the next day and gave her the £15k.
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) 26 декабря 2016 г.
Years ago, I worked on the door at Harrods. Many celebs came to the store but George Michael was one who always stopped and said hi. #rip
— Rav Wilding (@RavWilding) 26 декабря 2016 г.
Michael, whose real name is Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, was born to Greek Cypriot parents on June 25, 1963 in London.
When he was 16, he and his classmate Andrew Ridgeley formed a school band, The Executive, which had only one hit song "Rude Boy." It fell apart very quickly.
However, Michael and Ridgeley enjoyed far more success when they went on to form the duo band Wham! In 1982, they released their first album: "Fantastic." Their second album, "Make It Big," sold 5 million copies and became the first pop music album of the 80s to feature three hits which topped the British charts. In 1985, the group became the first Western band to perform in China. The release of their songs "Last Christmas" and "I'm Your Man" marked the peak of their popularity, as the duo fell apart in 1986.
However, in 1996, he released the album "Older," which was recognized as one of the decade's most successful albums.
In 1998, Michael released "Ladies and Gentlemen," which topped UK charts for eight weeks.
In summer 2012, he performed his new single "White Light," during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
