Singer George Michael has died at age 53, his publicist announced on Sunday.
The British performer “passed away peacefully at home” in Goring-on-Thames, England, the publicist said in a statement, although no other details about his death were included. Police denied any suspicious circumstances, the BBC reported.
“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,” a statement from the publicist said.
“The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage,” the statement continued.
Michael, born in 1963 as Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, gained fame in the early 1980s as one half of the pop group Wham!, before launching a multi-platinum solo career that earned him two Grammy awards.
In his solo work, which veered toward R&B, Michael found his own kind of massive success, including the hits “Faith” and “Freedom ’90.”
As reported by Business Insider