Emily Herbert - George Michael

Copyright 2017 Emily Herbert

first published in the united states of america in 2017 by: Lesser Gods

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first edition April 2017 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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isbn: 978-1-944713-34-8

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Death of an Icon

C hristmas Day 2016. Many were just sitting down to dinner when the news came through. One of the most famous stars of his generation had passed away. Aged just fifty-three, George Michael, golden boy of the 1980s and international superstar for the whole of his adult life, had been found dead in bed at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, yet another high-profile death in what had been an extraordinary year.

Ever since the singer David Bowie had died at the beginning of 2016, a roll call of the musical greats had seemed to follow suit: Prince, Leonard Cohen, Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White, Beatles producer George Martin, Keith Emerson, Merle Haggardthe list seemed to go on and on. Many more famous figures from other walks of life, including the writer Harper Lee, the actor Alan Rickman, the Egyptian politician Boutros Boutros-Ghali and numerous others had gone, too, which, allied to a series of earth-shattering world events in the political sphereBrexit, the election of Donald Trump, ructions in the Eurozone and the ongoing turmoil in the Middle Easthad seemed to be changing the very nature of the planet. And now, adding to the roll call of the Grim Reapers subjects in this extraordinary year, there was George Michael, too.

There seemed to be something particularly tragic about Georges death, howevera man who, like Prince, had gone decades before his time. A generation had grown up with music from his Wham! days as a backdrop to their lives and had watched, with a good deal of sympathy, albeit laced with bewilderment, as he battled his demons in later years, with addictions to alcohol and drugs leading to all manner of public escapades in which a worse-for-wear George would find himself in the headlines yet again. All this was actually explained by the battle that the public was not privy to in the early days: the struggle George had with his homosexuality, his reluctance to go public about it for fear of upsetting his Greek Cypriot parents and, when he first hit the limelight, his fans.

George had found fame as a teen idol appealing to young girls and the record industry was none too keen on the idea of its latest heart-throb making it clear to his female fans that his interests lay very much elsewhere; and so it took the singer-songwriter years before he was eventually able to come out of the closet, which he did only when in reality he had no other choice after his arrest in 1998 for engaging in a lewd actalthough in fairness, in later years he claimed this was a subconsciously deliberate act. It certainly put an end to years of speculation about the true nature of his sexuality. But as with so many of his travails, this too was greeted sympathetically by a public who had come to understand that George Michael was a deeply troubled man. Although prone to complain about the excessive media coverage that resulted in such scrutiny of his life, he was at the same time a much-loved figure and there was a palpable desire for George to defeat his demons once and for all.

Alas, it was never going to happen and soon the sad news of his demise had been verified. 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 Connie Filippello said in a statement. The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage. Of course, there was a great deal of speculation as to what actually happened: Georges heavy drug use was no secret and it was also widely known that he had spent periods in rehab, none of which had ever managed to make much of a difference to his life. Many feared the worst, but it eventually emerged that the cause of death had been heart failure: he died in bed, lying peacefully, his manager Michael Lippman said. Im devastated, he added, but there was no foul play whatsoever. Even so, Georges lifestyle, specifically his drug intake, must have taken its toll and it is the case that cardiac arrest is frequently suffered by heroin users. There were persistent rumors that this had become Georges drug of choice although members of his family strongly denied it. There was no doubt, however, that he had spent long periods in rehab and had indulged mightily in narcotics over the years.

The police had been called to the property as is standard in these matters and released a statement just before midnight on December 25, 2016: Thames Valley Police were called to a property in Goring-on-Thames shortly before 2 p.m. Christmas Day. Sadly, a 53-year-old man was confirmed deceased at the scene. At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. An ambulance had arrived at around 1:40 p.m. and the reality began to sink in for those on the scene: George Michael was gone.

Of course, George had had health problems for years, one of the most serious being a bout of pneumonia in 2011, during which hed needed a tracheotomy and which had left him with permanent lung damage, serious for a man who had previously confessed to smoking twenty-five marijuana joints a day. There was some speculation that there might have been some form of recurrence, this time a fatal one. His lungs never fully recovered, one source explained. That can happen after a serious bout of pneumonia like George had. Sometimes, it leaves the lung scarred or damaged, which can lead to a loss of function. It can leave you feeling breathless, as the lungs have a smaller capacity than before. George made no secret about how much he smoked. Smoking can seriously affect the lungs and dramatically increases the risk of infection. After having pneumonia, its incredibly dangerous to smoke at all. George had in fact previously given up smoking but some reports were suggesting that he had taken up the habit again.

As more details began to filter through about what had really happened, it emerged that it was Georges boyfriend, the celebrity hairstylist Fadi Fawaz, who had found the singer. Fadi was clearly in a state of shock. ITs a xmas i will never forget finding your partner dead peacefully in bed first thing in the morning. I will never stop missing you xx, he tweeted. Georges ex-partner, with whom he had been for many years (and many thought a reunion was on the cards), Kenny Goss, also issued a statement: He was a major part of my life and I loved him very, very much. The beautiful memories and music he brought to the world will always be an important part of my life and those who also loved and admired him.

Others were quick to follow suit to pay tribute and their respects. Sir Elton John, with whom George had fallen out on and off over the course of several years, but with whom he was now thought to be on much warmer terms, wrote: I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friendthe kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans. @GeorgeMichael #RIP.