George Michael, 80s Singing Icon, Dead At 53

George Michael, the iconic 80s singer, has died at 53 in London. “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,” his publicist said in a statement. No cause of death has been revealed at this time, but medical examiners have said the cause is “unexplained” but there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Michael rose to fame as lead singer for the duo Wham! and went on to have a highly successful solo career. His hits included “I Want Your Sex,” “Freedom” and “Faith.”

> READ: WHO IS FADI FAWAZ, GEORGE MICHAEL’S BOYFRIEND

In recent years, Michael experienced a number of brushes with the law including an arrest for indecent exposure in Los Angeles. He exhibited erratic behavior in public. He was arrested and banned from driving in 2006 for falling asleep at a traffic intersection. In 2010, he was sentenced to eight weeks in jail for crashing his Range Rover into a photo store while under the influence of pot.

Michael came out as gay in the 90s and, in recent years, went public with his relationship with boyfriend Fadi Fawaz. In 2011, Fawaz, a Lebanese celebrity hairstylist, whose clients include Naomi Campbell, stayed by Michael’s side while he battled pneumonia.