How George Michael’s iconic music career was almost overshadowed by his turbulent personal life
GEORGE Michael will be remembered as one of the world's most defining music icons thanks to his work in Wham! and his solo career.
However, towards the end of his short life, his turbulent personal life threatened to overshadow his years of hard work - with brushes with the law and drug-related activities frequently hitting headlines.
He was a musical great and giant of popular culture, known for both his chart-topping hits and his turbulent personal life.
He enjoyed a glittering career both as a singer with band Wham! and as a solo artist, selling more than 100 million records.
Michael had seven number one singles in the UK, with tracks such as Careless Whisper and Faith.
But brushes with the law and tales of his drug use increasingly made more impact than his musical output.
The hit machine slowed, chart positions faltered and incidents of drug possession, driving offences and personal problems became the chief reasons for his occasional returns to the spotlight.
His last appearance in the top 10 was in 2004 and a Christmas single released last December climbed to just number 14 despite a devoted fanbase.
Michael entered a period of semi-retirement in 2008, quitting live performances and seeking a "quieter life" out of the public eye.
George - real name Georgios Panayiotou - shot to fame in 1984 with his band Wham! alongside school friend Andrew Ridgeley, and their pop hit, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.
After a string of number one hits, the pair decided to split on top in 1986 - finishing their collaboration by headlining Wembley and releasing their final track, The Edge of Heaven.
During his time in Wham!, George had been working on his own material, and launched a solo career.
During his career the pop icon collaborated with the biggest and best in the business - including Sir Elton John and Queen following the death of their lead singer, Freddie Mercury.
His album Faith - which has been remastered and later released in 2010 - was a massive success in 1988.
But lengthy legal battles followed as he tried to free himself from a deal with record label Sony which effectively prevented new recordings - only to re-sign with them a few years later.
He also became connected to a series of drug-related incidents, and he was arrested for a series of driving offences as well as possessing illegal drugs.
Things began to unravel further when, after years of refusing to be drawn on speculation about his sexuality, he was arrested in public toilets in Beverly Hills, California, in 1998 for engaging in a lewd act.
The incident forced him to disclose his homosexuality and his relationship with American Kenny Goss.
He parodied the arrest incident in the video of 1998 single Outside, which reached number two, but he struggled to reach such heights again.
The star said: "I had my very first relationship at 27 because I really had not actually come to terms with my sexuality until I was 24.
"I lost my partner to HIV then it took about three years to grieve; then after that I lost my mother. I felt almost like I was cursed."
In 2004, George had his last appearance in the UK Top 10 with Flawless (Go to the City) - a dance number that was part of his Patience album.
But in October 2006, George had another run-in with the law when he was found slumped over the wheel of his car.
The following May he pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and was banned from driving for two years.
In 2008 Michael entered a period of 'semi-retirement', and took a step back from the public eye and announced he would no longer be performing live shows.
However, less than a month after the announcement he was once again making headlines after being cautioned for possession of class A drugs, which included crack cocaine, and class C drugs.
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Two years later, in September 2010, Michael received an eight-week prison sentence crashing his Range Rover into a shop in north London the previous July.
He was also given a five-year driving ban after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis.
The star caught pneumonia in late 2011 - and nearly died as a result. After he received treatment in a Vienna hospital, George revealed when he returned to London it had been "touch and go" whether he lived.
It triggered a period of major anxiety which caused Michael to cancel his forthcoming Australian tour, and the singer later called it "basically by far the worst month of my life".
Adding he had been lucky to have become ill close to a hospital with suitable specialists, he said: "I have to believe that somebody thinks I've still got some work to do here."
The same year, he also announced his split with his long-term partner Kenny - however recent reports state that the pair had reconnected shortly before his death.
But he was to return to hospital just 18 months later with a head head injury following a bizarre incident on the M1 motorway when he fell from his vehicle on to the tarmac.
In an attempt to relaunch his musical career, Michael performed a song from his new album during the closing ceremony at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
It was revealed only weeks ago that he was planning on making a comeback next year with new material and a possible album - but died before he had the opportunity to complete his work.
On Christmas Day, George's long-term manager Michael Lippman announced that he had died peacefully at home at the age of 53.
Tributes to a music legend
Bandmate Andrew Ridgeley, Madonna and Elton John led tributes from around the world for British pop star George Michael.
Referring to him by his nickname "Yog" (Yours Only George), Wham! co-star Andrew Ridgeley said he was "heartbroken" by Michael's death.
"Farewell my Friend! Another Great Artist leaves us. Can 2016 Fuck Off NOW?"; Madonna wrote in a post on Instagram accompanied by a video of her presenting Michael with an award.
Elton John also published a picture of himself with Michael, saying: "I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend - the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist".
"2016 - loss of another talented soul. All our love and sympathy to George Michael's family," the band Duran Duran, who were 1980s contemporaries of Wham!, said on their official Twitter account.
Spandau Ballet, a British band which formed in the late 1970s, wrote: "We are incredibly sad at the passing of our dear friend George Michael. A brilliant artist & great songwriter."
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