Celebrity Graveland

June 25, 1963 – December 25, 2016

From the years 1987 to 1992, there were 2, maybe 3, entertainers in the world more famous than George Michael. As one half of the ubiquitous ’80s English pop-duo, Wham!, Michael was already a household name when he launched his solo career. Wham! spawned a Gold album (Fantastic), a 6x Platinum album (Make it Big) and 11 Top-10 singles in the UK (6 in the US). George was the primary songwriter for the group and never hid his ambitions to be a solo artist.

In 1987, with bandmate Andrew Ridgeley’s blessing, Michael recorded his first foray into post-Wham! superstardom: A duet with Aretha Franklin called “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”. As was the trend, the song hit #1 in both the US and the UK. Later that year, he released his first solo album, Faith, and his meteoric rise hit the stratosphere.

“I Want Your Sex,” “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try,” “Freedom ’90″… Hit after hit after hit. He made duets with other superstars like Elton John and Whitney Houston. His music videos went viral before that was even a thing. He was everywhere.

With global mega-stardom, of course, comes intense public scrutiny. His personal life was daily tabloid fodder. He had spent his entire career feeling the need to hide his homosexuality from the world, but after he was arrested in 1998 for “public lewdness” he came out publicly. He lived the rest of his life as an advocate for LGBT+ and HIV/AIDS awareness causes. He also financially supported a number of other charities far outside of the public eye. He struggled with substance abuse for much of his career. Additional legal issues arose. But, he remained a beloved international figure for decades.

George Michael died in his sleep on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53. Coroners determined it was natural causes, mostly due to an enlarged heart. He was buried in London’s Highgate cemetery alongside his mother.

Burial

Highgate Cemetery West – London, UK

Specific Location

Just to the west of Comforts’ Corner, at the intersection with the Meadow loop. Maps are available at the information desk.

This entry was posted on December 25, 2023 at 10:23 am and is filed under Highgate Cemetery with tags Highgate Cemetery West, Singers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.