The first day of Christmas is five years since the shocking news about songs George Michael’s sudden and unexpected death. The popular artist, who became famous through the pop duo Wham! was only 53 years old.
The time of death was also special for many, as Wham! and George Michael is perhaps best known for the song “Last Christmas”. Christmas 2016 was thus his last.
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The artist, whose real name is Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, has lived a life in public ever since his debut in the early 80’s. Substance abuse, weight gain and his love affair were all carefully documented in the press.
POPDUO: Childhood friends Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael became pop idols when they broke through as Wham! in the 80s. Photo: Eugene Adebari / REX / NTB
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Found by girlfriend
When the cause of death became clear, just over two months after his death, it turned out that he was suffering from a heart defect that led to acute inflammation of the heart muscle.
In addition, Michael had contracted fatty liver, which is often due to high alcohol consumption and / or unhealthy diet.
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Michael fell asleep in his own bed, and was found dead in his home in London by his girlfriend, hairdresser and photographer Fadi Fawaz. An ambulance rushed to the artist’s property in Goring, Oxfordshire at 1:42 p.m., but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
– A bit of a Christmas. I will never forget it, because I found him peacefully dead in bed in the morning. I will never stop missing you, Fawaz wrote on Twitter the day after the death.
FINALLY: Fadi Fawaz and George Michael were lovers until recently. Photo: Martin Karius / REX / NTB
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He could also tell that things had been complicated lately, but that Michael was looking forward to Christmas.
The pop star was secretly buried at Highgate Cementery in London, three months after his death.
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Homoikon
Almost 20 years before his death, he stood out as gay. At that time, it was far from taboo to have a different orientation, and this made headlines at the time. The paparazzi photographers also hung on to his heels as he entered into a relationship with art dealer and businessman Kenny Goss. They stayed together for 13 years.
PERSECUTED: The paparazzi photographers hung on to the heels of Kenny Gross and George Michael through their 13-year relationship. Photo: Copetti / Photofab / REX / NTB
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Although Michael was seen by many as a gay icon, it was by no means easy for him to stand out. He was almost pushed out of the “closet”, after an incident with a plainclothes policeman in 1998.
At a men’s restroom in Will Rogers Park in Los Angeles, Michael is said to have flirted with him.
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The policeman then saw the pop star do what was described as an “indecent act”, which led to Michael being arrested and questioned for three hours before he was released on bail. After several hours of enormous media pressure, Michael chose to prevent further speculation in an interview with CNN.
– I have fooled myself, and can do nothing but apologize to the fans. I can not even say that it was the first time I have done something like that, but I want to say that I am ok, he said then.
GAY ICON: George Michael emerged as gay in the late 90’s, and became a role model for many. Photo: Francois Mori / AP / NTB
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In 2014, he could tell that standing out as a gay man made his life more complicated.
– It seemed as if the press found joy in the fact that I previously had a strong audience, and that they tried to destroy it. And I think a lot of men were frustrated that their boyfriends could not stop thinking that George Michael just had not found the right girl yet. There are many in my family who also still believe, he said.
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Tragic love story
Before he died, he worked on the documentary “Freedom”, which was released almost a year after he passed away. Among other things, it deals with Michael’s first love, told by himself. The love story started in 1991 when the artist made eye contact with Anselmo Feleppa in the audience during a concert in Brazil.
– He was so sweet. I was so distracted by him, so I stayed away from the corner he was standing in, otherwise I thought I would be really distracted and forget the lyrics, he has stated.
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After the concert, he saw Feleppa again in the hotel lobby, but the tour continued. However, Feleppa followed, and they fell head over heels in love.
– I was happier than I have been in my whole life. Fame, money, all those things – everything just faded in proportion. Being 27 years old and waking up in bed next to someone who loves you. And Anselmo was definitely that, he has stated to the magazine Attitude.
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Happiness, however, should prove to be short-lived. Just a few months after they found each other, at Christmas, Feleppa became ill. He decided to take an HIV test – and it showed was positive.
In the 1990s, the diagnosis was often a death sentence, and so was Feleppa, who died of a stroke just two years after they met.
George Michael was buried in secret
As most people know, the song “Last Christmas” is about love that did not work. Whether Michael had anyone in mind when he wrote the song in the boys’ room is not known.
Although it is one of the most played Christmas songs ever, the year should actually show 2021 before it topped the British hit list. January 1 this year, 26 years after it was released, it reigned supreme. Michael himself never got to experience it.
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