British singer George Michael, 53, dies

December 28, 2016

, a well-known British pop singer and songwriter, died on Christmas Day at the age of 53. Michael was found dead at his home in, England, by boyfriend Fadi Fawaz.

Michael's publicist released the following statement to ' and ': "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." He also reported that Michael had died of heart failure and "passed away peacefully".

said via, "I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend &mdash; the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans." George Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in London. Over his multi-decade career, he sold more than 100 million records. Along with co-singer he became famous as part of the duo band. Together, Michael and Ridgeley produced several hit songs, such as ', ', and . In 1985, Wham! was the first Western band to play in China since the beginning of the country's strategy. Wham! dissolved in 1986. In 1984, Michael recorded the successful single . Michael was credited as the solo artist in the United Kingdom and as "Wham! featuring George Michael" in the United States. Michael released a hit solo album ' in 1987, containing hits like '.

Michael's life was troubled by both substance abuse and issues with his sexuality. He initially hid his identity as a gay man from his fans, only after a very public arrest for public lewdness in 1998. He would later be arrested for possession of drugs and driving under the influence of drugs. He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison in 2010 for crashing a Range Rover into a storefront while under the influence of drugs and possession of cannabis.

Michael had a history of transforming his negative experiences into art. He wrote White Light about a serious case of pneumonia that led to his hospitalization in 2011, and the music video for Outside, which followed on the heels of his arrest and coming out, showed scenes of a men's bathroom, a dance club, and men kissing while in police uniforms. He would perform White Light live at the 2012 London Olympics.