George Michael Died Of Heart Failure At The Age Of 53 We reported last night that singer George Michael tragically passed away at the age of 53 . A publicist for the Wham! leader confirmed that he “passed away peacefully”, in his sleep today at his Oxfordshire, England home. “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,” said the publicist. TMZ sources close to George claim the iconic singer died from heart failure and sleeping throughout the episode and suffered no pain. Read this legendary letter to George from Frank Sinatra: Sinatra’s classic 1990 letter about George Michael and “the tragedy of fame”: #LATimes pic.twitter.com/rRNRlJShV4 — Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) December 26, 2016 Rest in power to George Michael!
George Michael, the influential British singer and cultural icon, suddenly passed away over the Christmas holiday, his publicist confirms. He was 53. Michael’s London-based publicist, Connie Filippello, issued a brief statement to the BBC, the first publication to report Michael’s death. “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. There will be no further comment at this stage.” The music great’s cause of death was heart failure, according to multiple media reports, though this has yet to be independently confirmed. It is not clear when exactly Michael passed away. Immediately, his maby fans, family and friends reacted to the latest stunning celebrity death of 2016, a year that cannot end fast enough. “I am in deep shock,” Elton John wrote on Instagram. “I have lost a beloved friend, the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist.” “My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans.” Michael’s career began back in the ’80s, both as the frontman for the British teen idols Wham! and then as a hugely successful solo artist. He leaves a legacy of tremendous musical achievements, and also of well-documented professional struggles and personal scandals. Michael’s first solo album, 1987’s Faith , was a cultural milestone thanks to huge hits in the title track, “I Want Your Sex,” “Father Figure” and more. The album’s blend of pop, funk and soul created a sound that endures uniquely and powerful to this day and cemented his legendary status. View Slideshow: 25 Shocking Celebrity Deaths He became the first Caucasian artist to reach the top position on Billboard’s R&B chart, and he remained a fixture on the charts for years. Michael wrote and produced almost all of his wildly successful work, setting a new standard for popular music stars and acts of his caliber. Faith’s follow-up albums, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, did not match his debut, but produced considerable hits and sales. In 2004, the Radio Academy declared that Michael’s music had been played on British radio more than that of any artist from 1984-2004. Michael’s career would be overshadowed, however, by his tabloid exploits, as questions of the singer’s sexual orientation came to the forefront. Most notably, thanks to an infamous moment in 1998. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016: Gone, But Not Forgotten That year, he was arrested for lewd behavior after revealing himself to a man, who turned out to be a police officer, in a public restroom. Michael later became open about his homosexuality. He was arrested several additional times between 2006-2010 for possession of drugs and driving under the influence, and battled health issues. We will have more on Michael’s tragic passing as information becomes available, and on the music world’s reaction to the loss of a legend. Our thoughts are with the singer’s family and friends.
That awkward moment when Prince totally kicks your famous, tremendous ass off stage . Kim Kardashian remembers it. We would never go so far as to say it was one of Prince’s finest moments. Prince’s finest moments had absolutely NOTHING to do with any Kardashian. But we have to admit, it was pretty sweet. Kim finally tweeted about her onstage encounter with the music legend, which took place during a concert at Madison Square Garden in 2011. She shared the pic above, capturing the moment when she briefly shared the platform with the purple majesty, just before he instructed her to “get off the stage!” “I will always remember this moment with one of my favorite artists! I was so star struck I froze! RIP Prince,” Kim wrote. Note that she makes no mention of how she was exiled, even though that’s the one cherished bit the rest of us all remember so fondly. It may have been an attempt to explain why she just stood there like a statue and refused to dance. AT A PRINCE CONCERT. Here’s the glorious footage, in case you missed it: Prince Kicks Kim Kardashian Off Stage At the time, she attempted to reclaim some dignity by tweeting about the incident. “Went up on stage AGAIN! This time I redeemed myself! We all danced while Prince played the piano! Wow! What a night!” It truly was a wonderful night… for Kardashian haters everywhere. All hail the Purple One. Prince died Thursday morning in his Minnesota home at the age of 57. A cause of death is yet to be determined. View Slideshow: Prince: Stars React to the Death of Iconic Singer
It may remain impossible to believe, but it also remains true: Prince is dead . The entertainment world and the world in general continue to wrestle with this tragic fact. Especially because the death of this multiple-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee remains a mystery. Did drugs play a role? Was he suffering from a chronic illness ? Did he have some idea that the end was near, prior to his collapsing in an elevator in his home in Minnesota on Thursday morning? We should find out a lot more after the medical examiner comes back with a full report. For now, however, all we can do is look back on a unique, talented, eccentric, inspiring, entertaining life that was lived exactly as Prince wanted to live it. He was one of a kind, as the following photo gallery helps depict: View Slideshow: Prince: Remembering the Music Legend’s Life In Photos It’s difficult to remember any celebrity death that has matched this one in terms of the sheer impact it has had on others in the industry. Consider what Will Smith had to say about Prince and then read through these moving tributes: View Slideshow: Prince: Stars React to the Death of Iconic Singer Prince was surprisingly camera shy for such a magnetic presence, carefully picking and choosing when he would make a television appearance. But he blew us away at halftime of the Super Bowl in 2007. And he cracked us up on New Girl many years later. Here’s a look back at nine times Prince made a memorable appearance on the small screen: View Slideshow: 9 Tantalizing Times Prince Appeared on TV As shared above, countless celebrities have sent along their condolences and their memories of Prince, mostly over social media platforms. But Lin-Manuel Miranda led the cast of Hamilton in a different kind of tribute, one special enough that we felt the need to give it its own space: Hamilton Cast Pays Tribute to Prince And the same goes for Jennifer Hudson and the cast of The Color Purple: Jennifer Hudson Helps Pay Tribute to Prince God bless you, Prince. Allow us to send a Kiss to heaven and for us to Party Like It’s 1999 in your honor this weekend. If we see Kim Kardashian on stage anywhere, we’ll even give her the boot. Just for you. Prince Kicks Kim Kardashian Off Stage
Madonna is no stranger to controversy. The iconic singer has used guns on multiple occasions over the past few months, either as performance art or as props in a concert. But now The Material Girl has pulled her 13-year old son into her scandalous world, posting an image on Instagram of Rocco and some friends posing with bottles of gin and vodka. “The party has just begun! Bring it! 2014,” Madonna wrote as a caption, leading to an eruption of criticism on Twitter. “Having under age kids pose with booze is aweful (sic),” Tweeted one critic, who described her/himself as “a big fan” of the singer. Madonna was quick to respond to the outcry, though, writing online: “No one was drinking we were just having fun! Calm down and get a sense of humor! Don’t start the year off with judgement!” For some, it appears to be too late for that. What do you think of Madonna posing her 13-year old son with a bottle of liquor? Harmless fun Totally inappropriate! View Poll »
Does this make Willie Wilkerson the King of Soul? Call him what you want, he’s engaged to Aretha Franklin! The iconic singer, 69, is planning to marry her “forever friend” Wilkerson, her rep confirms , adding that they are discussing tying the knot on Miami Beach, with an exclusive reception aboard a private yacht. Here’s a photo of the soon-to-be newlyweds: On the celebrity fashion front, Aretha “is considering Donna Karan, Valentino and the queen of wedding dresses, Vera Wang, to design her gown,” says her rep. Franklin, who lost 85 pounds last year after a health scare, said “I feel fabulous.” Adds the singer herself of the upcoming nuptials to Willie Wilkerson: “We’re looking at June or July for our date and no, I’m not pregnant, LOL!” LOL, indeed. And congratulations! [Photo: WENN.com]
Fans of the former Fugee Lauryn Hill have another chance to hear the iconic singer in action now that she’s announced new tour dates. Read More At HipHopWired.com
Kylie Minogue is mobbed outside BBC Radio One studios today. The iconic singer was debuting her new single, “All The Lovers” from her 11th album Aphrodite .
