As news of George Michael’s passing at the age of 53 spread Christmas evening into Monday morning, more stars — including many of Michael’s musical contemporaries — paid their respects.
Andrew Ridgeley, the other half of the popular duo Wham!, tweeted this about his former partner:
Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog. Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved. A xx https://t.co/OlGTm4D9O6
— Andrew Ridgeley (@ajridgeley) December 26, 2016
“Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog. Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved.”
#GM had a voice that would transport u, he was the finest singer/songwriter of his generation & has left the best of himself 4 us. RIP GM xx pic.twitter.com/Gjcp55Chei
— Andrew Ridgeley (@ajridgeley) December 26, 2016
Ridgeley later added, “#GM had a voice that would transport u, he was the finest singer/songwriter of his generation & has left the best of himself 4 us. RIP GM xx.”
La Toya Jackson paid tribute on Twitter as well.
You have given the #world an amazing gift! What a #talent! What a #loss! We will continue to love you! #RIP George Michael! 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/plb7KjXOaP
— La Toya Jackson (@latoyajackson) December 26, 2016
Jackson wrote, “You have given the #world an amazing gift! What a #talent! What a #loss! We will continue to love you! #RIP George Michael!”
Debbie Gibson, another ’80s pop star, wrote a lengthy blog post about her favorite Michael memories, including winning tickets to see Wham! She was also inspired by the singer/songwriter’s skills, writing, “When I saw ‘Written and Produced by…’ on those records, it was the very thing that let me know that it was possible for me to do the same. I knew that he was channeling music without any outside interference and that notion captivated me.”
Popular on Variety
Boy George posted, “I am thinking of @GeorgeMichael’s family, friends and fans right now. He was so loved and I hope he knew it because the sadness today is beyond words. Devastating. What a beautiful voice he had and his music will live on as a testament to his talent. I can’t believe he is gone. I hope the Buddha will hold him in his arms.”
Madonna posted a clip of herself introducing Michael from the 1989 MTV Music Awards with the caption, “Farewell My Friend!”
In the throwback, Madonna called Michael “a great songwriter who makes very classy videos … like me.”
Michael’s most famous music video was arguably “Freedom! ’90,” which featured ’90s supermodels Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington.
Each model took too social media to pay tribute to the late singer.
Crawford said she was “very honored” to be part of the project and that his “bravery inspired us all.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOd1kNljkmX/?taken-by=iamnaomicampbell
Campbell wrote, “too much loss” and described Michael as “the man with the Golden Angelic voice.”
Evangelista said she was “beyond heartbroken and devastated by another tragic loss.”
While Turlington thanked Michael for his “soulful music and open heart.”
You can watch the iconic “Freedom! ’90” music video below:
