george michael has died at the age of 53. thin the past half—hour, thames valley police have confirmed the death of singer george michael. south—central ambulances service attended his home and police are reporting that there are no suspicious circumstances. he was 53 and launched his career with wham in the 1980s before going on to even greater success as a the 1980s before going on to even greater success 3s a solo performer. terry walker, the singer—songwriter is on the line. what do you think of this news? it is a crazy. me and there like young kids were just singing some of his christmas songs. they are for years old and new that song. to hear this news, it is crazy to me. what does george michael min to me. what does george michael min to you? he is a pioneer. he opened doors for many people. me being younger, 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 in

let's go back to the news about george michael. nce 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, fa

a front—page of the times also about george michael. the times also about george michael. t they will steal trade from the uk. the front page of the sun is also about george michael. george michael pop icon pass away yesterday. the front—page of the daily telegraph carries a picture 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

just explain to us why george michael was such a cultural icon. , it really comes down to those two big albums in the second half of the 1980s, wham's make it big and his first solo album, faith, those established george michael as one of the biggest performers of the 1980s. i was surprised to see people in their 20s tweeting condolences and saying how sad they were to hear he had passed away. he obviously appealed to a broad range of people. that's true. of your course today's young people are so connected via the web that they are almost a make by generation that grabs stuff from all different generations —— of course “— all different generations —— of course —— magpie. many of them are still beatles fans. his rise coincided with the rise of mtv. how did he use that to propel his career forward 7 did he use that to propel his career forward? the early years of mtv saw record companies having to be convinced in america at least that there was value investing in these videos. but by the time wham came along, the record companies were already willin

but to be concurred to george michael is a thought for a singer. t for a singer. it is just heartbreaking. george michael is a thought for a singer. it isjust heartbreaking. i feel for his family and his that. my condolences go out to his family and his friends. it's very hard for singers like yourself when you are a teen idol, to keep the career covering and become a respected artist with an older audience. yet george michael did it. he broke away from wham!. it could be argued he had a even more 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 lo

let's return to the death at 53 of the singer and songwriter george michael. with george michael. he paid this tribute. it was absolutely impromptu, and he just wanted to be a part of it for whatever reason. he wasn't on the list, but he came and said i would love to do something, and looking at what you've done, the only song i'm no all the words to its every time you go away, so he was practically out of the limousine and onto the stage and he was incredible, no rehearsal. the 80s, as everybody knows, wasim—mac periods for music, innovation, lots of different styles, and every band had an identifiable sound, and george had his own, in amongst everybody else, as we heard with wann. but he was he had something else on his mind. but he had that incredible pop sensibility and a voice that could touch people, and some people have a voice, and you hear rick, and it cuts straight through to your heart, and he seemed to have that ability. let's just go to one of his homes. as you can see, there is a big floral tribute. villagers here were very respectful of him, inv

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

that picture they say is george michael in september. exactly. n, who was george michael's higher refund but he wrote this in 2011 when george michael was actually dying from pneumonia in a vienna hospital and it was about the 30 years he had known him and he says that george went from being too fat, ron smart too stupid, from straight to overtly gay, from a responsible driver to someone who crashed into a shop. it is that celebrity and all the interviews i heard from george michael, there was this conundrum, this lack of self—confidence despite this amazing talent. "in the mirror, in his words, there is no such thing as a relu cta nt words, there is no such thing as a reluctant star, stars are almost a lwa ys reluctant star, stars are almost always people who want to make up for their weaknesses by being loved by the public and i no exception. it is interesting he had that tag. what he really wanted was claimed, that he really wanted was claimed, that he craved it, never thinking what fame brought and what it meant. with an came a nice big house,

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

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 dead at the age of 53. i want to go to london. lucy kaf naf, our correspondent has been following the story. what do we no in terms of what and how this happened? >> very little but certainly tragic news this christmas day. the pub la cyst saying that the 53-year-old died peacefully in his home in london. we did get a statement which said it is with great sadness we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend george passed away peacefully at his home over the christmas period. the family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult emotional time. no further comment at this stam stage. george michael sold more than 100 million albums. he launched his career with wham in the 1980s, later continued success with his solo career. no indication at this point as to the cause of death. police do say that there were no suspicious circumstances. 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 s

michael was such a significant musician? i think george asa i think george michael came of age as a pop star in the early 1980s just as the music 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

our top stories: the singer george michael has died. his publicist says he passed away peacefully at home. george michael rose to fame in the 1980s as a member of the duo wham! police say there were no suspicious circumstances. in other news: a major search operation off the black sea coast has pinpointed a russian military plane that crashed into the water with 92 people on board. israel orders ambassadors of un security council members to be reprimanded after they voted against its settlement building. and queen elizabeth misses her traditional christmas day service as she recovers from a heavy cold, but in a recorded speech she pays tribute to ordinary people doing extraordinary things. the death of the singer george michael has been announced. he was 53. he shot to fame in the 1980s as half of the band wham, and went on to have a hugely successful solo career. he's sold more than 80 million records worldwide. his publicist says he passed away peacefully at his home just outside london on sunday. andy moore looks back at his life. # w

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. you

when it came to pop, george michael had it all. nd 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 record

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

mirror, george michael dead at 53. of his career in wham!. it's as he died peacefully. the sun says george michael has died at the age of 53 suspected heart failure. the daily telegraph has a look at the greed of foreign aid groups to be exposed. the picture it has on its front page is of prince george. and the express has a look at the queen —— lee's state of health, saying she was too ill to attend the christmas service in sandringham. it is understood she has a cold. george michael's death. it's a real shame, a tragedy. 53 yea rs it's a real shame, a tragedy. 53 years 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 e

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

he did say thatth george michael -- he said i have hav loved george michael from as frs long as i can it. >> i'll find the video. i'l >> cool. >> thanks a lot guys.>> t >> allha right. all rig >> all right.>> allig >> doing movies.>> d >> i thought we were out of time. >> we'll do them next time. tim. >> time to meet our facebookur k fan of the day. today it is monica estevez.stevz cue monica.on >> let me see her.. >> tucker you got off easy eas 'cause this is monica dresseda s up as an elf.up asn elf. good morning, monica.good mng, toooo cute. monica says she watches us wates every morning and she says "this little self checking tolfg see if we've been naughty or nice.ce >> i love it. se boy>>stell you the up here have been naughty. >> no. always snow and ice. >> okay, t right, tuck? >> eh. >> where is the fun in that? >> this is is where you'rehereu supposed play along.ong. >> oh, okay, yes, i've been b night. kev you forgot about last christmas. >> great song. itthey've been playing nonstop. >> i've been listening to itistt foeks.eks. >> weeks and weeks. all right. >> now it's the

ben and oh is outside george michael's home in goring—on—thames. be quite stunned by the news that emerged late last night about george michael's death. we have seen people coming down, laying cards and candles and flowers outside his front door which isjust candles and flowers outside his front door which is just down the lane behind me. it faces onto the river thames, and the view from the front of the house shows what a lovely home it was where george michael lived, certainly part of the village. people here have spoken of seeing him pulling pints in the local pub, he was a well—known character here, it was the kind of place where if you are a well—known and famous, people will leave you alone, they won't trouble you, it is quite possibly why he chose to make his home here. one man i spoke to said he was fishing down by the river a few weeks ago and he saw george michael and thought he looked then that he looked unwell. he said he didn't look himself, he just looked a little bit ill, so make of that what you will. as far as george michael's death

you can see him standing in the 1980's next to george michael and andrew. first tour. richard, thank you very much for joining us. you tweeted that photo earlier today. you have known george michael since the 1980's, since that first wham! tour. whatat went througugh your headn you heheard e newews? richard: complete shocock. i think thehe audience in southn califofornia, where i amm broadcasting from right now, is also in shock. i have a radio shothat goeoes across the u.s. and canada and people cannot believe it. it is like a huge part ofofheir youth has just disappeared because george was such an incredible songwriter, and incredible p performer. just an incredible person. christopher: richard, you saw him from that very early phase of his career. he's on develop from a teenage sensation, as it were, to a global megastar. defame change him? -- did fame change him? richard: i think george alalways wanted to be a p pop star but he was not one of these people who surrounded himself with bodyguards and push you away. he was always open to his fans. i knew geo

a lot of people are in shock about george michael's death. he was 53 years old. earing from his manager that he died of heart failure. the police are saying it was unexpected but not suspicious. for people here, george michael was the sound track to their lives growing up in the 1980s. he was truly someone who could transcend the time, having a career over a few decades, also crossing genres. we are hearing also from celebrities as well. ellen degeneres saying i just heard about my friend's death. he was such a brilliant talent. i'm so sad. then george takei of "star trek" fame also social media said rest with the glittering stars, george michael. you found your freedom, your faith. it was your last christmas and we shall miss you. that last christmas was one of his famous songs. in talking to people here today, everyone was saying we were listening to the song yesterday and we are hearing about his death. but he was someone who is more than his music as well. he was a strong advocate for the lgbt community as well as aids awareness so this is someone who really l

so what legacy will george michael and other stars leave behind? author and joins us from our london newsroom. let's talk about george michael first. he death really seems to have quite an impact on people. first. he death really seems to have quite an impact on peoplem first. he death really seems to have quite an impact on people. it does, but i think it is because he has a greater cultural impact than just a singer—songwriter. 0n greater cultural impact than just a singer—songwriter. on many of his obituaries, he has sold millions of records, but not everybody has a cultural impact to match their musical impact. george michael did. he represented something greater than just he 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.

let's speak to ben ando who is outside george michael's home in goring—on—thames in oxfordshire. le continuing to arrive to pay their respects to george michael. that's right. this morning, there was just a that's right. this morning, there wasjust a small that's right. this morning, there was just a small pile of floral tributes but, during this boxing day, more and more people have been coming along and laying down flowers and candles, cards, messages, all wanting to perhaps share their grief at the death of somebody who seems to have been able to speak to people emotionally in a way that touch them, ina emotionally in a way that touch them, in a way perhaps that very few artists can, certainly in terms of spanning the generations. people of all ages, some we have seen in tears here. people we have spoken to, they have said he was somebody who was just brilliant, whose music, they said, will live on, will live with them, and was somebody who they could relate to in their own lives. but of course, people in goring—on—thames, he wasn't just but of course, people in goring—on—thame

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 proud of his legacy. >> george had it all. sex appeal, dance, great stage presence, great recording, great production, great everything. he's one of those people that just had everything going on. so

>>> making news in america this morning -- ♪ dance forever >> the untimely passing of singer george michaeldetails of his death this morning. reaction to his passing and george michael in his own words. what 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.

he found a quote from george michael and quoted around it. ichael said that he believes that music is to one of the greatest gifts god gave to man. andrew originally 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 flig

george michael's career spanned nearly four decades, and these fans will make sure his music lives onishi, bbc news. and we will be talking a bit more about george michael shortly. russian media is reporting that the black—box flight recorder has been recovered from the military plane that crashed into the black sea on sunday. 92 people were on board, 11 bodies have been found so far. 3000 people are involved in the search operation, including 200 divers. liz smith, the actor best known for playing nana in the sitcom the royle family, has died at the age of 95. a spokesperson for her family announced she passed away on christmas eve. peter ruddick has been looking back at her life. what is she? she's a vegetarian, nana. 0hhh! could you have some wafer thin ham? could she have wafer thin ham, barbara? no! 0hhh. from dotty nana norma speakman in the royle family to the eccentric baker letitia cropley in the vicar of dibley, liz smith carved out a niche playing scatty but hilarious older ladies. it's chocolate spread! chocolate? yeah, yeah. you promise? yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah. all right,

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

don't miss the full hour george michael special tomorrow night on "20/20" at 10:00 p.m. s.com and our "nightline" facebook page. thanks for the company, america. we leave you with george michael's popular anthem, "freedom." ♪ that i don't belong to you and you don't belong to me ♪ ♪ freedom i won't let you down ♪ freedom i won't give you up ♪ freedom remember what you say ♪ ♪ freedom

don't miss the full hour george michael special tomorrow night on "20/20" at 10:00 p.m. s.com and our "nightline" facebook page. thanks for the company, america. we leave you with george michael's popular anthem, "freedom." ♪ that i don't belong to you and you don't belong to me ♪ ♪ freedom i won't let you down ♪ freedom i won't give you up ♪ freedom remember what you say ♪ ♪ freedom after washing apply and rinse 24 hours of moisture with no sticky feel. then get dressed and go. delight your senses with in-shower cocoa butter. available in the body lotion aisle.

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 proud of his legacy. >> george had it all. sex appeal, dance, great stage presence, great recording, great production, great everything. he's one of those people that just had everything going on. so

don't miss the full hour george michael special tomorrow night on "20/20" at 10:00 p.m. our "nightline" facebook page. thanks for the company, america. we leave you with george michael's popular anthem, "freedom." ♪ that i don't belong to you and you don't belong to me ♪ ♪ freedom i won't let you down ♪ freedom i won't give you up ♪ freedom remember what you say ♪ ♪ freedom >> what could be better than a brand new season of "millionaire"? how about "millionaire" in las vegas? that's right, we're now playing our game right here at bally's las vegas on the world-famous las vegas strip. and it all starts right now. let's play "who wants to be a millionaire." [cheers and applause] [dramatic music] ♪ hey, everybody, welcome to the show. are you guys ready t "millionaire" today? [cheers and applause] all right, our first contestant was awarded the most cheerful "it's disgusting" title at work. i guess she's in the right place today. from los angeles, california, please welcome yolanda allen. ♪ how you doing? >> i'm fabulous. oh. >> come on over. [cheers and applause] >> yes! ah

from george michael himself in an interview from the abc news archives. ld news now" continues after this from our abc stations. >>> 80s.pop star, 90s pop star, as well the george michael passing away on christmas day. his last album was in 2004, but no doubt, he could fill a stadium. >> oh, absolutely. several years ago, chris talked to him for "good morning america" about the darker side of fame and he faced down his many demons. >> i had my very first relationship at 27 because i really had not come to terms with my sexuality until i was 24. i had my very first live-in relationship and six months into it discovered that my partner, who i was very, very, you know -- six months in, you're deep in the throws of love, aren't you? and i lost my partner to hiv. and then took about three years to grieve, and after that, i lost my mother, so almost like i was cursed. >> reporter: how did you survive what you went through? the loss of the most important man and woman in your life? >> it was depression and shock that just went on for years. then, of course, i got

an outpouring of tribute from friends and fans of george michael. memorials being place outside of his home in london. the pop star's home. this was in oxfordshire, england. shocking news spread and starting to sink in. no immediate official cause of death for george michael. he was just 53. local police call it unexplained bu not suspicious. steve patterson has details from los angeles for us and what we know. steve? >> reporter: police make entry to his home at about 2:00 yesterday. he's unresponsive. pronounced dead at the scene. there will be an autopsy that has been announced in plan for a later date, but for now, people across the world who are fans and people who knew him best are in shock about this legend's passing. here's a look back at his legacy. ♪ freedom >> reporter: music that made an entire generation move. ♪ baby >> reporter: those catchy melodies with a little social commentary. ♪ never going to dance again >> reporter: all tied together, became a mega hit. and turned george michael from teen pop singer to an international icon. a c

love and sympathy to george michael's family. actor knowing george michael the 80s the voice of an angel. now he can sing for them. and whoopi goldberg tweeted rip

>>> making news in america this morning -- ♪ dance forever >> the untimely passing of singer george michaeling. reaction to his passing and george michael in his own words. what 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

george michael passes away overnight at just 53 years of age.s from london. >>> and a fierce response from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu after the u.s. refuses to stand in the way of the u.n. resolution condemning settlements in the west bank. netanyahu meeting with the u.s. ambassador behind closed doors. >>> and donald trump looking to calm concerns of conflicts of interest. he says he will shutter his charitable foundation. is that possible to do before the oath of office? good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm alison kosik. >> i'm joe johns. it is monday, december 26th. 5:00 a.m. in the east. christine and john are off. up first, the evntertainment world mourning the death of george michael at the age of 53. ♪ last christmas i gave you my heart but the very next ♪ ♪ day you gave it away >> british pop icon first rising to fame in the 1980s as part of the two-man group wham!. michael went on to have a solo career selling more than 100 million records and collaborating with the biggest names in the music business. his manager

that is in the daily mail, george michael again. y 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 stories this morning. a study by the children's commissioner for england says the vast majority of young carers are getting no support from local authority social services. some voters in england are to be asked to provide id before being allowed to cast their ballots. the requirement is to be trialled as part of efforts to curb electoral fraud. also coming up in the programme — 2016 will be a year ast

george michael has died. he was 53 years old. we'll have more on that after the break. e bring you a fox news urgent, iconic singer george michael has died. the publicist saying he passed away peacefully at home but he did not go into detail about the cause of death so that remains unclear this hour. george michael selling more than 100 million records, first as one half of the musical duo wham. later as a solo star. many people remembering him for this hit -- snoe ♪ because i gotta have faith >> george michael was 53 years old. >>> president-elect donald trump announcing he will shut down his charitable foundation before he takes office in a move aimed at avoiding conflicts of interest and a whole lot of criticism. but the plan has a legal hitch. lauren blanchard has more. >> after the president-elect donald trump won the election last month, many wondered what would happen to his business empire and his nonprofit foundation. well now we know. mr. trump announcing he has directed his lawyers to begin dissolving the charity. in a statement, the president-elect saying to

michael parkinson. and there's more online. you can look back at georgehis career, and celebrity tributes — that's at bbc.co.uk/news. we will be finding out how this story are many others are being covered in tomorrow's front pages at 1020 this evening in the papers. russia has recovered some fragments of a military plane, which crashed in the black sea with 92 people on board. a huge search operation has been taking place near sochi where the aircraft had taken off from. the first of the bodies have this morning been airlifted to the russian capital. 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 ever taken of the tupolev154. a few hours later it crashed into the black sea. the search operation continued today, not for survivors — there were none — but for the

not my favorite george michael song. >> what's your favorite george michael's song? 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 b

michael? >> very rare. i mean, george michael was the whole package. the entire person. he was a celebrity that everybody loved. he had impacted so many people in the music world, elton john being one of his close friends, as well as madonna, but, yeah, he -- he wasn't just a singer. he didn't just have talent. but he was a person that could really just connect to his fans and let his fans know that no matter who you are, no matter what type of person you are, no matter who you love, it's okay. it's okay to be yourself and be who you are. and everybody will love you just for that. so, of course, the last few years of his life, we are just starting to put together how the last -- how he spent the last couple months, especially. of course, there's new details that will be coming out about his last days, but i do think today, while the news is starting to sink in, i think this is another major blow that the music world got in 2016. of course, after the passing of david bowie and prince. george michael will definitely leave a big hole in the music world. t