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George Michael: Quick Facts

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News •

George Michael's Faith guitar sells for £180k after auction row • Oct. 29, 2026, 2:26 PM ET (BBC)

Facts

Also Known As Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Born June 25, 1963 • London • England
Died December 25, 2016 (aged 53) • England
Awards And Honors Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (2023) • Grammy Award (1989)
Notable Works “I Want Your Sex” • “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”

Photos

Portrait of George Michael wearing a black shirt, cross earring, and wristwatch, with styled hair and a trimmed beard, photographed against a neutral background.
Wham!
George Michael, wearing glasses and a dark suit, performs on stage holding a microphone during his 25 Live tour at the MEN Arena in Manchester.
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The Shakespeare of his generation
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Michael Jackson
American singer, songwriter, and dancer
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
American musician
James Brown
James Brown
American singer
Lionel Richie performs on stage holding a microphone and pointing upward, with blue stage lights and a blurred band in the background.
Lionel Richie
American singer, songwriter, and producer
Prince stands on stage in a turquoise suit, holding a purple, symbol-shaped guitar above his head, during his Super Bowl XLI halftime performance.
Prince
American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer
Carole King smiles while playing the piano and singing into a microphone during a performance at the White House.
Carole King
American singer-songwriter
Neil Diamond in profile, facing right, with a guitar in the background. The portrait is in black and white with dramatic lighting on his face.
Neil Diamond
American singer-songwriter
Sheryl Crow smiling outdoors, wearing a sleeveless black top, with greenery and flowers in the background.
Sheryl Crow
American singer and songwriter
Carly Simon
Carly Simon
American singer-songwriter
Tom Waits
Tom Waits
American singer-songwriter
Randy Newman in a suit holding his Academy Award Oscar and raising his fist in celebration, standing in front of a gold Oscar statue.
Randy Newman
American musician
The Genius
Ray Charles
American musician
Isaac Hayes wearing sunglasses and a vest made of chains sings into a microphone onstage in a scene from the 1972 film Wattstax.
Isaac Hayes
American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor
Annie Lennox, wearing a black suit with sparkling details, sings into a microphone on stage with a purple-lit background and a grand piano behind her.
Annie Lennox
Scottish singer and songwriter
Gone too soon
Amy Winehouse
English singer-songwriter
Charli XCX poses at an event, wearing a light-colored outfit with bold pink blush and metallic earrings, in front of a green and yellow patterned background.
Charli XCX
British singer and songwriter
Adele poses in a black beaded dress with side-swept blonde hair and bright red lipstick at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
Adele
British singer-songwriter
Donovan stands outdoors holding an acoustic guitar, framed by the branches of a tree, with bare trees and forest ground visible in the background.
Donovan
Scottish singer-songwriter
Paul McCartney wearing a black jacket and shirt, looking slightly to the side, with people blurred in the background.
Paul McCartney
British musician

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