George Michael has died. The British singer, who became famous during the 80s when he founded Wham !, a cult group of the period, with Andrew Ridgeley, was 53 years old. "It is with great sadness that we can confirm that our beloved son, brother and friend George has passed away peacefully in his home," the artist's rep said.
Rescuers, reports the BBC, arrived at the singer's home in the early afternoon of Sunday. The police specify that "there are no suspicious circumstances" related to the artist's death.
Michael, whose real name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou and was born in North London, sold over 100 million copies in a career that spanned nearly four decades. In early December he announced that he was working on a new album.
In 2011, the singer postponed a series of concerts after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Upon his return home, he tearfully recounted that he was on the brink of death. In 2014, he was in rehab for his crack addiction.
