what does george michael min to me. what does george michael min to you? he is a pioneer.influenced by him singing with aretha franklin, and him being british, big with someone who was there before was a real liberation. a great singer, songwriter. you are and r&b songwriter and discover some of the influences, r&b, pop, that george michael had. hello? sorry... you say it was quite an influence? he showed there are no boundaries. he showed there are no boundaries. he had a black and white backing singer even back in the day with wham and you pay attention. he was really soulful. it is crazy, isn't it? he was so young. he also had a side to him that into the social conscience as well, where you aware of that? no, no. i remember him as a legend from wham. every christmas you hear, last christmas. he outed himself, obviously... spectacularly. laughter but him and saying, you know what, and i am not going to sweat but i do care what you think. what was your favourite song? when he did a cover of stink... triple gold, last christmas. back when i was younger, before i knew he wa

let's go back to the news about george michael.ance with wham on top of the pops. # see me, single and free # no tears, no fears, what i want to be # one, two, take a look at you # death by matrimony! # wham! # bam! #iam! # a man! #job or nojob, you can't tell me that i'm not # do! # you! # enjoy what you do? # if not, just stop! # don't stay there and rot! # you put the boom—boom into my heart # you send my soul sky high when your lovin' starts #jitterbug into my brain # goes a bang—bang—bang till my feet do the same. # club tropicana, drinks are free # fun and sunshine, there's enough for everyone. # all that's missing is the sea but don't worry, you can suntan! # last christmas, i gave you my heart # but the very next day, you gave it away # this year, to save me from tears # i'll give it to someone special. # oh, when that love comes down without devotion # well, it takes a strong man, baby # but i'm showing you the door # cos i gotta have faith # i gotta have faith # cos i gotta have faith, faith # i gotta have faith, faith, f

george michael loved fame but never became used to it.o be obviously a part of people's lives as an artist, that's what i dreamed of and that's what i'm still grateful for. but my god, i wish i could cope with the other stuff the way other people do. i wish i'd been born with that particular suit of armour, you know, because i wasn't. # you know not everybody has got a body like you. but i gotta think twice before i give my heart away... as his career waned, he hit the headlines for other reasons. he was stopped for a series of traffic offences leading to a spell in jail. he was cautioned and fined for drug possession and received treatment for addiction. # time can never mend the careless whispers... in 2011, he suffered a life—threatening bout of pneumonia while on tour in austria. police said his death was unexplained but not suspicious. his family said he had died peacefully at home. they called him a beloved son, brother and friend. john covach is the director of the institute for popular music at the university of rochester in new y

paul young duetted with george michael. he paid tribute today.credible pop sensibility and a voice that could touch people. some people have a voice that cuts straight to your heart. he seemed to have that ability. as well as success over the years, he also had brushes with the law. his car collided with a high street shop, leading to a spell in prison. he was cautioned and fined for drugs possession and received treatment for addiction. to be a part of people's lives as an artist, that is what i dreamed of and what i'm still grateful for. but, my god, i wish i could cope with the other stuff the way others do. i wish i had been born with that particular suit of armour. cause i wasn't. when george michael revealed he was gay, he said he had kept it secret to stop his mother worrying about hiv. in 2011, he said he had nearly died in vienna after a bout of pneumonia. more music was on the way, a collaboration with producer naughty boy and a documentary was due next march. when it came to pop, george michael had it all, the looks, the voice and the

they found george michael dead there.say they are treating the death as unexplained but at this stage there are no suspicious circumstances. we had a statement in from the star's publicist saying that it is with great sadness we confirm that george michael passed away at home over the christmas period. the family asked for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time. it goes on to say there will be no further comment at this stage because of the timing, i guess, we will not guess, get much more information now until daylight. but because of the news machine, as it is, tributes have been coming in thick and fast. have you got some we can look at? we will hear in a moment from elton john who can look at? we will hear in a moment from eltonjohn who is leading the tributes but a number of his contemporaries, remember this was a man about a career for decades. he formed wham in the early 19805 decades. he formed wham in the early 1980s and went on to forge an excellent solo career, notching up a lot of number ones. ma

george michael pop icon pass away yesterday. e of prince george. she is leaving the church service yesterday. she attended with his pa rents yesterday. she attended with his parents and sister. the main story says that charities and contract is profit from foreign aid and spends taxpayers money on it exorbitant salaries. they will be named and shamed under government plans. the daily express is focused on the fact that the queen was forced to cancel her traditional church service. that is because she has fallen ill with a cold. use brexit to steal uk trade. what does this mean? yes, we going to have to get very, very used to the new cabinet in america. they look like they might be the most wealthy cabinet ever put together by an american president. this man is reportedly worth something like £2.5 billion. he has done a load of financing. he was talking to a group of subdued financiers and he made the point, as you said, that they should take the opportunity of the god—given right of the uncertainty in this period of confusion ove

yet george michael did it. he broke away from wham!.re successful career as a solo artist. how much should we appreciate how difficult that is? it's very difficult. there are only a few people that have done it. one is george and the other is robbie williams. and his first song bas a solo artist was freedom. when you listen to that song, it makes you think, that is what it is likely to be in think, that is what it is likely to beina think, that is what it is likely to be in a band. it really was mental. for him to break away from that and come out with face. . that catapulted him to superstardom. he changes look. he had a leather jacket and then he had a suit if yea rs jacket and then he had a suit if years later. i'm just so happy that i got to see my idol and the legend in concert at least once and that is a memory that will keep forever and ever. it makes you wonder how many stars inspired, as you say, robbie williams. he released his first solo single and coverage. thank you. that was a former member of the successful boy band blue.

george michael was so tragically young at just 53 george michael was so tragically young atjust 53 yearse george michael was so tragically young atjust 53 years old. one man said he'd seen george michael while he was fishing down by the river, and he didn't look terribly well. many people here are worried —— wondering what happened here. we know he was found in his bed just after lunch and he was unresponsive. he was declared dead inside the house. the cause of death is allegedly heart failure, but we anticipate that over the coming days, we will learn more about what caused george michael to pass away. thank you, ben. let's get some more reaction. we are going to speak to darren scott from the gay times. we are so sorry. darren scott from the gay times. we are so sorry. it's a huge loss to so many fans across the world. a really sad christmas for many. we want to talk to you because george michael is famous for coming out as being 93v, is famous for coming out as being gay, one of the first in his generation, but it goes beyond that what he did for the l g bt community. he was a great s

and the sun dedicates its front page to george michael — showing a picture of him in his heyday, the ne special, george. so let's begin. the papers, the tabloids were not a lwa ys the papers, the tabloids were not always particularly kind to george michael but in death they what is interesting about the sun and the daily mirror is that they choose to different front pages. the sun shows george michael in his heyday, the picture is some years old. the mirror has chosen a picture of where george michael is looking fat and bloated and it is all recent picture. the sun, inside, shows that picture. the sun, inside, shows that picture also but it isn't the way they chose their front pages. over they chose their front pages. over the years, george michael has done enough things to keep himself in the news. one would argue that what happens with celebrities is that when he was finally caught by a los angeles police officer in a lavatory in la, thejob until then had been beefy, heterosexual man and that helped him to come out. from what he has said since, he was quite pleased to come out becau

tremendous shock, no suggestion that george michael recently had been u nwell george michael recentlybulance service that an ambulance had been called. whether reiterating that police are saying there are no suspicious circumstances but his death is unexplained. george michael, of course, as we have been reflecting, sheeting to fame very early in life, one half of the band wham and then an enormously successful career as a solo artist. he burst onto the scene is in the early 1980s when he formed wham with andrew ridgeley. number one singles around the world and concrete china, becoming the first western band performing there. george michael leitch fame but never became used to it. to be a part of people 's leitch fame but never became used to it. to be a part of people '5 lives, thatis it. to be a part of people '5 lives, that is what a dream of and what i rate fall for. but my god, i wish i could cope with the other stuff the way other people do. that i had been born with that particular suit of armour because i born with that particular suit of armour because i was born with that pa

he said, george michael's dead.music world it was true. he could not have been a nicer guy and i have to tell you the shock in southern california that such a great icon has gone is amazing, just another, a brilliant british act has gone and people have been posting on my facebook page, the year starts with bowie and ends with george michael. the irony is that when wham! first came out their first single was banned by the bbc because they were talking about unemployment and hire purchase and then their second single was more poppy and then wake me up before you go—go was absolutely massive for them and last christmas. but then george became more serious and you could tell that he was transitioning from being a pop star to a serious artist with careless whisper. he actually gave a lot of the songwriting credit to andrew on that one but if you watch the video, it's all george and he's almost staging that the transition from wham! to becoming george michael, the solo artist, which he did and exceeded everyone's, includ

i think george michael came of age asa i think george michael came of age as a pop star in the earlyusic video for dominant was really beginning to take off. it was really beginning to take off. it was the early days of mtv and he was really one of the pioneers that helped launch that format as a vehicle of expression for music and for pop music in particular. you think back to some of his early hits like careless whisper, faith, wake me up before you go—go, whether with wham or as me up before you go—go, whether with wham orasa me up before you go—go, whether with wham or as a solo artist, he was really on the cutting edge of that whole phenomenon. he also managed to make the transition that a lot of people don't quite make from boy band pinup to actual serious respected artist. that is true. he started out as this kind of teenybopper star with andrew ridgeley and wham and transition very quickly to be this kind of new male sex symbol that we haven't really seen before, a guy with... who goes from being the teenybopper pinup idol to the stubbornly guy wearing the levi jeans end the

george michael, who's died at the age of 53. hart, the host of hollywood live spoke to me a little earlier from los angeles. she says george michael's death comes on a long list of talented musicians that the world has lost in 2016. when i heard about george michael today, my stomach started hurting. i can't imagine losing another person. i was thinking yesterday, it's almost the end of the year, can we get through without losing anyone else? apparently not. he was such an important person in the world of music, especially during the 80s and 90s and was really one of those transition people that made the world of pop music, he made that big transition leading into where we are now with the musical world and with a lot of the alternative music that they now call alternative music, and a lot of the real club music we hear, george michael was at the forefront of that. some incredible collaborations with maryj blige and aretha franklin and he was doing it at a time others weren't. that's right, he was a leader in a lot of genres. yo

your initial reactions to the news of george michael's death. sad. 0bviously he is a huge star. arguably the biggest british bar of the eighties. madonna, michael jackson and prince robert lee just about eclipsed him in the 1980s but in terms of british superstars there was him and phil collins —— print is probably. he was huge and as david sillitoe alluded to the was one of the few musicians to make the rare transition from teenybop idol to bona fides serious grown—up artist when he quit wham at the heart of theirfame in 1986. when he quit wham at the heart of their fame in 1986. he when he quit wham at the heart of theirfame in 1986. he could have gone on with one but he chose to make the leap and he did it very successfully, very ha rd make the leap and he did it very successfully, very hard to do. he had the rare fortune of cracking it in the us, didn't he? that's right. in the 1980s there were a couple of groups that are merged out of what is loosely described as the new romantic era. he made a successful bid to crack the states when really

early in his career, george michael hid his homosexuality.e later said made him feel fraudulent. a series of unhappy events and scandals followed his career peak in the 1990's. his mother died, as did his partner. and he was dogged by health problems and brushes with the law. but the singer always found a way to come back. after the hits faded, he expanded his repertoire. the new material had reinvigorated his voice. >> i can feel myself singing every night. reporter: you will always be known for classic hits like last christmas. the loss of such a huge star, aged just 53, left fans outside his london residence in shock. >> i cannot believe we are standing here. i can't believe we're standing here and george has passed away. >> euros songs for the good times and bad times. we came here today just to say thank you, george. reporter: george michael is gone, but his music remains. >> ♪ i think i'm through ♪ christopher: we're good -- we are going to get a personal perspective on this from this man, richard blade. you can see him standing in the

pmena that was my introduction toct george michael. celebrities chiming in this morning about george michael and again iin thi think he transcended the musical john r particularly jn former band mate andrewe andre ridgely who said "heartbrokenarn at the loss of my belovedel friend yog. y me his loved ones his friends, n the world of music, the world tr at large forever loved axx and yog by the way is a nickname nim derived from george's greek g name and that was his family yog and wham by the way the t band that andrew was in withn wt george michael had some of theot biggest songs ever of hist songi career wake me up before youefoo go-go, freedom and careless whisper which is probable my favorite song by him. him elton john who is a huge a h friend of george michael andhael also somebody he collaboratedboa with wrote on instagram sayingg i'm in deep shock. sho i have lost a beloved friend frn the kind defendant mostst generous soul an brilliant briit artist.st. my heart goes out to his gt to s family friends and all of his fans and reme

when it came to pop, george michael had it all.and the ability to write hit after hit, again and again. remembering george michael who has died at the age of 53. russia is holding a day of national mourning for the 92 people who were killed when a military plane crashed in the black sea. authorities in russia say they've located the site where the plane came down yesterday, soon after it took off from sochi, heading to syria. the first of the bodies have this morning been airlifted to moscow. our moscow correspondent, steve rosenberg reports. across russia, they prayed for the dead for the 92 victims of yesterday's plane crash. there was a special service today in every orthodox church in russia. this is a day of national mourning. as a sign of respect, russian flags were flown at half—mast. this is thought to be the last picture of a chicken of the aircraft. a a few others later it crashed into the black sea. the search operation continued today. not for survivors but for the bodies. and also for the plane's black box flight recor

george michael's death.ars old. i suppose one of the interesting thing is, as you said, it is difficult for the papers because it happened so late last night. some of the papers, including the daily mail, carry some of the tributes, mainly drawn from social media. eltonjohn, tributes, mainly drawn from social media. elton john, who tributes, mainly drawn from social media. eltonjohn, who was very close to him. but they did have a difficult relationship and they did fallout when elton john was difficult relationship and they did fallout when eltonjohn was seen to be giving him particular advice about drugs and the misuse of drugs. at eltonjohn about drugs and the misuse of drugs. at elton john commented about drugs and the misuse of drugs. at eltonjohn commented last night that he is heartbroken and his thoughts go out to the family and his friends. george michael was also, earlier this year, his friends. george michael was also, earlierthis year, it his friends. george michael was also, earlier this year, it

george michael said that he believes that music is to one of the greatest gifts god gave to man. riginally replied that it was from god, it was from george himself. and the horrible irony that george michael saying two of the biggest christmas songs of all time, do they know it's christmas? ? by band aid and last christmas? ? by band aid and last christmas by an wham. it is still number 16 christmas by an wham. it is still number16 in the christmas by an wham. it is still number 16 in the charts at the moment. and on christmas day. thank you very much. russia is holding a day of national mourning for the 92 people who were killed when a military plane crashed in the black sea. authorities in russia say they've located the site where the plane came down yesterday, soon after it took off from sochi, heading to syria. 0ur moscow correspondent, steve rosenberg reports. this is one of the final images of the tupolev 154 jet. it was taken by a journalist before he boarded the plane. the flight would end in tragedy. the aircraft crashed into the black sea. the russians scrambled helicopt

i remember. cowboy hat and denim jacket, that is the george michael i rememberlj read the george michaelthat he said about his personal life and how at various points it threatened to overwhelm the success that he had achieved in his career, but he says it always righted itself like a duck in a bath. hejust had this great talent. it was a combination of a natural gift and ha rd combination of a natural gift and hard work. he grew up loving pop music, he absorbed it is a young teenager, and i think that inspired him to make great pop music himself, but he also worked very hard at it, and that is one of the reason that he didn't produce a lot of new music, that he was a perfectionist, and that is why he reminds me of someone and that is why he reminds me of someone like prince or david bowie. and he was 19 when he wrote club tropicana with andrew ridgeley. he said he wrote it on a bus, it came to him almost like magic, a song that will last forever and he wrote it in that will last forever and he wrote itina that will last forever and he wrote it in a few minutes on the top deck ofa it in

george michael did.e represented something greater thanjust being he represented something greater than just being a he represented something greater thanjust being a pop he represented something greater than just being a pop star who sold a lot of records. he represented something that the gay and lesbian community and something to left—wing politics, because he was an arch anti— thatcherite. he was suspicious of new labour. he wrote songs making light of his own situation and songs for the downtrodden. he neverforgot the dance beat and the musical hooks, but he meant something more than just selling a lot of records. i think that is why george michael has been such a painful loss these last 36 hours. absolutely. so many of his songs are memorable for many different reasons, because he made an extraordinary comeback. he did, george michael was on the cusp of them even greater comeback, he claimed to have a new solo album in the works 97% done and i'm sure we will hear it in one form or another over the

george michael, very sad news, were you a george michael fan? you were just talking to who was singing tom i think that demonstrated, that duet he did with aretha franklin demonstrated his fantastic vocal range because he could go from wham, which was pop boy band stuff to that fantastic almost gospel sound. he was very talented, and 53 is now age. so i think everybody is terribly shocked. but this coverage in the i is not so much about his music but the fact he was incredibly generous, to charities and the individual people, but did not seek any sort of fame from it. he didn't want the george michael trust all the george michael foundation. i mean come he gave millions of royalties to child line from the single, jesus to a child, and apparently paid for a woman's ivf treatment after seeing her trying to win the money on a daytime tv show. he did a free concert for nhs nurses after his mother was so ill. so it is nice to see this, and very pleasant to see somebody who actually wasn't seeking their name in lights. and his life of course, nigel, t

let's go back to the death of george michael. home in oxfordshire. he sold more than 100 million albums during a four decade career which started as the front man of wham!. we can talk now to simon hattenstone, a guardian journalist who has interviewed george michael twice. he joins us via webcam from north london. he didn't give many interviews so you are privileged to have been able to meet him in that context. what was he like? george was really complicated. he was lovely, he was big headed, he was vulnerable, he was sweet, he was depressed, he was frustrated with himself, he was funny. and, like you say, he didn't give many interviews but when he did, hejust give many interviews but when he did, he just wanted to tell everything that he could about himself. there is something slightly weird that i thing happened in his life, in that it was almost as if his private life became public. he was happy to talk about drugs and his sex life and he almost found it more difficult to talk about music because he'd had such bad creative b

reaction to his passing and george michael in his own words.hat he told abc news about his demons. >>> also, tough travel on this day after christmas. snowy conditions forcing the closure of interstate highways. rain and storms elsewhere making a mess across the middle of the nation. >>> developing story in michigan, a state of emergency declared because of a sinkhole. families out of their homes, forced to evacuate with no word on when they'll be back. >>> and kansas city's hefty quarterback throwing a late touchdown pass for the chiefs as they end the playoff hopes of the defending super bowl champs. >>> and we do say good morning to you on this holiday monday. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm marci in for dianne ma said owe. > >>> we begin with the passing of george michael. >> we got the word overnight who said he died of heart failure at his home in england on christmas day. michael had not been ill. we have more on the pop icon's life and career. ♪ >> reporter: the stunning death of george michael brings a sudden end to one of pop music's mo

the other was george michael shaking his butt in the video "faith." one can do the riff without the dance. >> reporter: "faith" gave michael five number one singles and a grammy for album of the year. ♪ freedom ♪ i won't let you down >> reporter: "freedom" seemed to cement his sex symbol status with 90 supermodels like naomi campbell lip synching in the music video. >> talk about freedom and being the person he's got to be, being his true, authentic self. it sort of became an unofficial anthem for the lgbt community. >> reporter: michael was still in the closet with fans when "freedom" was released but he says he had his first gay relationship around the same time. >> 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. even after that, i lost my mother. i felt like i was cursed. >> reporter: back-to-back losses threw him into a depression, lasting years, taking him almost entirely out of the public eye. >> the only thing that got through it was my music. it

and these are the words of george michael's partner who found him on christmas day, the front page ofe someone christmas day, the front page of the sun, you were someone special, george. the news follows the deaths of other influential music stars in 2016, including david bowie and prince. here's a look back at what's been a sad year for the world of music. # he's in the bestselling show # is there life on mars? #. 0ur breaking news this morning is the sad news that it's been confirmed in the past half hour that the singer david bowie has died. prince's home and recording studio is awash with tears and tributes as fans of all generations come to pay their respects to a musical genius. # you look like you're having fun # open up your loving arms # watch out, here i come # you spin me right round, baby, right round # like a record, baby, right, round, round, round #. tributes have been paid to one of the most influential singer songwriters of all time, leonard cohen, who has died overnight at the age of 82. # hallelujah...#. # get down, deeper and down # down, down, deeperand down #. ge

the music world is mourning the death of pop icon george michael.oday, michael's manager announced the singer died in his london home on christmas day. ♪ ♪ because there ain't no joy for an uptown boy who just isn't willing to try ♪ >> george michael's career began as a member of the british duo wham!. wham! was the first western pop group to ever perform in china. you remember their songs so well. i implore you to try to not dance when you hear their music. when they broke up in 1986, george michael began his solo career and a huge career it was. winning two grammys and selling millions upon millions of albums along the way. cnn correspondent ian lee is outside george michael's home right now. early this morning, it was just you and some tributes we saw outside his door. i see behind you now a lot more people are gathering there. what are you hearing? >> reporter: that's right. i will give you a look at the people behind me. we have seen this steady stream of people throughout the day coming in. they are leaving flowers, candles, also personal note

a lot of people remembering the late singer george michael. aying. here we have dear, george, one of the world's sensitive souls. the world has yet to embrace those who feel deeply and hold the flame of love for all. over here, we have another one that says, you have been loved. you were loved. you w

this time, george michael dead at the age of 53. >> michael's manager says he died of heart failure yesterday at his home in glntd. many have tape to twitter to honor him. >> michael rose to fame as part of the duo what happens in the '80s before a solo career selling more than 100 million albums. we'll look back with the bbc. ♪ >> reporter: he burst into the scene in the early '80s when he formed wham with andy ridgely. the duo had number one singles around the world and conquered china, and they were the first pop band to perform there. george michael loved fame, but he never blame used to it. >> hip hop artist, that's what i dreamed of, what i'm still grateful for. but my god, i wished i coped with the other stuff the way other people do. i wish i'd been born with that particular suit of armor, you know, because i wasn't. ♪ not everybody has got a body like you ♪ ♪ but i gotta think twice before i give my hide away ♪ >> reporter: he hit the headlines for other reasons. he was stopped for a series of traffic offenses leadsing to a spell in jail. he was caused and fined for drug possession a

why george michael was a true pop visionary.>>> fierce blizzard conditions move across parts of the midwest and northern plains causing major delays and road closures on one of the busiest travel days of the year. people getting ready to head back home after celebrating hopefully with family and friends. when people can expect relief, especially those of you who are traveling. i'm only in my 60's. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, it could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to sti

back to you. >> lucy, we've been watching this and thinking of michael george -- excuse me again, george michael, looking at the pictures from his career singing, much loved throughout the world. in the '80s he was multigenerational and now in the teens. there was word that he was working on a new album potentially with naughty boy, a deejay and songwriter who has worked with beyonce and he was looking at introducing another record, another album. the way naughty boy described who george michael was is that he was timeless. as he think of who george michael was, is that he changed, he was part of that '80s trend of music, successful in the. he was one of the artists able to follow the changing of the times. what is being said about george michael? how are fans reacting? how it is being reported right now? >> the news is so fresh but obviously this is a man who's changed himself, who's changed and left his footprint on audiences over the years, over the generations. london in mourning so doubt tomorrow when people wake up to the news. such a tragedy that oz christmas day, this massive, ma

this time, george michael dead at the age of 53. dyi dying of heart failure in his home in new england. >> michael rose to fame as part of the duo what happens in the '80s before a solo career selling more than 100 million albums. we'll look back wit ♪ >> reporter: burst into the scene in the early 1980. the duo had number one singles around the world and conquered china, and they were the first pop band to perform there. he loved fame, but never became used to it. >> hip hop artist, that's what i dreamed of, what i'm still grateful for. but my god, i wished i coped with the other stuff the way other people do. i wish i was born with a suit of armor because i wasn't. ♪ >> reporter: hit the headlines for other reasons, series of traffic offenses rs leading to a spell in jail, cautioned and fined for drugs possession and received treatment for drug addiction. in 2011, he suffered a life threatening bout of pneumonia while on tour in australia. it was unexplained, but not suspicious. the family said he died piecefully at home, called hi

up first, the entertainment world is mourning the death of george michael at the tender age of 53. ♪ christmas i gave you my heart ♪ >> the pop icon rose to fame in the '80s as part of the two-man group wham!. michael went on to have a solo career selling more than 100 million records and collabora collaborating with some of the biggest names in the music business. his manager saying it is suspected that george michael died of heart failure. cnn's ian lee live in london with details. ian, i bet fans are in shock and gathering at his home. >> reporter: that's right, alison. we're at his home in london. behind us, there are people that you can see gathering. people leaving messages and also leaving candles in remembrance. you have people talking about who george michael was as an artist and pop icon. someone who really influenced a lot of people's lives. if you grew up in the 1980s, he was part of your sound track growing up with "careless whisper" and "faith." a whole list of tracks. he sold over 100 million albums. he was a true artist, too. someone who could cross genres not just in

>> reporter: he calls it a huge loss for the music industry and nor george michael's fans. he helped produce a grammy-winning hit and says he has only gratitude and love for the late singer. narda michael walden is a three-time grammy-winning producer. he has worked with george michael. george michael has always stood out. >> george michael is brilliant, a perfectionist, very talented and gave 110% to make sure everything was always as he wanted it to be. there are only a few artists that really go to that extreme, and he's one of them. >> reporter: like the rest of the world, walden learned that michael died on christmas. the two worked together on the grammy-winning duet with"i knew you were waiting" with aretha franklin back in 1987. ♪ >> reporter: that same year, walden won a grammy for producer of the year. he keeps the award in his san jose home. >> i am saddened, but i can't say i'm surprised, with prince leaving, whitney leaving, all these people, it's like, okay, god is taking them back home. >> reporter: since the late 1990s, walden has followed his work and is pro

a lovely picture of george michael.t that made him so compelling. and talking about the nhs as well, it should spend more money on patients in their own homes instead of hospital beds. we have spoken about that on bbc breakfast as well. a couple of the other ones, i willjust get organised. the front page of the sun. you were someone special, george. that is in the daily mail, george michael again. talking about comments allegedly said by the queen. any front page of the daily mirror, comments by george michael's heartbroken partner. on the inside pages as well, if i can find them, i don't know if anyone of you were going shopping yesterday, but foreign shoppers apparently queued through the night for a bargain. millions of britons breading huge crowds for the boxing day sales. but the pound meant many foreigners came over to take advantage of the prices. i don't know if that lady has bought all of that, but that seems an extraordinary amount of close to buy. —— clothes. you're watching breakfast from bbc news. the main

well, we heard george michael speaking in will gompertz‘s report to michael parkinson about life on the998 and in it, the musician spoke at length about his relationship with his parents, his desire for fame and one of his firstjobs as a dj in hertfordshire. my connection with my mother, i spent a lot of time around her, so from that point of view, my mother being english and in a strange way, very kind of classless, because she came from a working—class background, but she had been sent to a convent school, because her mother was afraid she was going to be a tomboy. so she was sent there, which firstly put her off religion and she spoke very well. she spoke almost with a middle—class accent. so we had this really weird thing that i spoke like somebody relatively middle—class, yet my father was first generation immigrant, so the mentality of the two things. and my mother was also very british in that she had very... i get my attitude to money from her, which is that it was something to be afraid of and that took a long time for me to get over. yet, my father's attitude to money was to g

>> reporter: he calls it a huge loss for the music industry and nor george michael's fans. he helped produce a grammy-winning hit and says he has only gratitude and love for the late singer. narda michael walden is a three-time grammy-winning producer. he has worked with george michael. george michael has always stood out. >> george michael is brilliant, a perfectionist, very talented and gave 110% to make sure everything was always as he wanted it to be. there are only a few artists that really go to that extreme, and he's one of them. >> reporter: like the rest of the world, walden learned that michael died on christmas. the two worked together on the grammy-winning duet with "i knew you were waiting" with aretha franklin back in 1987. ♪ >> reporter: that same year, walden won a grammy for producer of the year. he keeps the award in his san jose home. >> i am saddened, but i can't say i'm surprised, with prince leaving, whitney leaving, all these people, it's like, okay, god is taking them back home. >> reporter: since the late 1990s, walden has followed his work and is pr

iconic singer george michael dead at the age of 53.d his l >>> president-elect donald trump is promising plenty of action in his first 100 days in office. and one area where he is vowed to get results is reforming corporate taxes and bringing home good-paying jobs. fox business networks peter barns takes a closer look at how he could get that done. >> reporter: every weekday in washington, d.c., these food trucks line up on massachusetts avenue to serve lunch to nearby workers. many of the trucks are operated by small business owners, entrepreneurs who serve food, like this woman, who serves $80,000 in meals every year. she knows what she would do with a cut in her taxes from trump. >> we could invest in more equipment and replacing newer equipment and also the truck itself, the engine, generators, there is a lot of things you can do that with. with newer equipment and we can run the business smoothly. >> reporter: mr. trump has proposed a big cut in corporate taxes as part of the plan to stimulate business investment, the economy and

not my favorite george michael song. >> what's your favorite george michael's song?a fool, which -- >> i'm a freedom girl myself. >> all right. tell us what's your favorite george michael song. weigh in on our twitter page. his neighbors in the english countryside remember him this morning. >> if you want to hear george michael, hit up a local pub. he was seen in the pubs and restaurants there, and one of them is playing his songs in a tribute to him. residents there respected his privacy, but one villager saw him out recently and did not look well. >> the music world reeling from the unexpected death of the superstar. >> making transition from teen heart throb to successful artist, and he overcame many challenges. here's more. >> reporter: george michael found dead at his country home christmas day. police called to the scene calling the death unexplained, but not suspicious. his manager told abc news he die of heart failure. pictures taken just a few months ago show his physique had changed, but there's questions about what happened to this 53-year-old. there will

george michael, dying suddenly at age 53.nd in his home in london on christmas day ♪ wake me up before you go go >> he raised to fame as one half of wham! before restoring our faith as solo superstar. ♪ i got to have faith >> captivating millions of fans. >> he made such a tremendous contribution musically. it's a huge loss. >> the tributes pouring in from around the world this morning. ♪ please don't go away >>> good morning. if you're around for the 1980s and if you like us were you teenagers that voice is unmistakable sfwlit's a huge loss. that's our big story this morning. the shock to the music world. singer george michael dead at the age of 6 53. fans showing their support for the music legend, even leaving flowers at hiss home. >> online, tributes have been pouring in. george michael was a musical genius and i'm so grateful to have known him. ellen degeneres calling her friend a brilliant talent. and sir elton john posting on on instagram, i am in deep shock. i have lost a good friend. >> the pop star being remembered