George Michael was an English singer, songwriter, and producer. He was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou on June 25, 1963, in East Finchley, London. His mother Lesley Angold Panayiotou was an English dancer and his father Kyriakos “Jack” Panayiotou was a Greek Cypriot restaurateur.

From 1981 to 1986, Michael was a member of the pop duo Wham!, which he formed with childhood friend Andrew Ridgeley. The duo went on to sell over 28 million albums before their amicable split.

After going solo in 1987, Michael became known for his provocative and massively popular pop music. His debut solo album, Faith, went on to sell more than 20 million copies.

Michael passed away at the age of 53 on December 25, 2016 of a heart condition. At the time of his death, Michael had sold more than 115 million records worldwide, making him one of the best selling music artists of all time.