George Michael

A wildly talented but seemingly self-destructive pop superstar, George Michael rose to fame in the British duo Wham! along with good friend Andrew Ridgeley. With international No. 1 hits like "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Careless Whisper," Michael's blue-eyed soul vocals proved to be the real reason behind the duo's success. As a solo artist, the talented singer-songwriter with MTV-friendly looks became an American and global superstar with 1987's Grammy-winning Faith and its hit singles "I Want Your Sex," "Father Figure" and the eponymous title track. Three years later, he scored a No. 1 with "Praying for Time" and a Top Ten hit with "Freedom! '90," but his decision not to do publicity for his 1990 solo follow-up Listen without Prejudice Vol. 1 hurt his profile in the States. After a self-imposed exile following an unsuccessful lawsuit against his record label, Michael charted again with 1996's Older and its modest hits "Jesus to a Child" and "Fastlove," but his American mainstream career effectively ended after a cop arrested him in 1998 for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public toilet, effectively outing the singer as gay. Embracing his sexuality publicly, Michael maintained superstar status in Europe. Although his reputation and legacy were tarnished by his erratic behavior and frequent scandals, and he only rarely recorded in the final two decades of his life, George Michael remained one of music's most talented and successful singer-songwriters. His death on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53 was greeted with worldwide mourning from fans and peers alike.