George Michael, the founding member of Wham!, died peacefully in his sleep over the Christmas period at the age of 53.
"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 family said in a statement. The family also asked to respect their privacy "at this difficult and emotional time."
His death inspired a wave of tweets about how generous George Michael was during his life.
