British pop singer George Michael, who achieved fame as half of the duo Wham! before a breakout solo career, passed away Dec. 25 at his home in Goring-on-Thames, England, according to his publicist.
Michael's hits with Wham! included “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” as well as seasonal staple “Last Christmas.” His solo hits included “Faith” and “Freedom ’90,” both of which also gained recognition for their racy videos. He won two Grammy awards, including a best album award for 1989's Faith.
Here, we look back at Michael’s career during the 1980s.
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George Michael at his family home in London in the early 1980s. (Sheila Rock/REX/Shutterstock) |
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George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! perform on Solid Gold during their first American television appearance, on Nov. 12, 1982. (Ron Wolfson—Getty Images) |
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George Michael performs with Wham! on Oct. 1, 1983. (Ian Dickson—Getty Images) |
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Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael of Wham! perform in London in 1984. (Phil Dent—Getty Images) |
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George Michael in September 1984. (Rosenlund/REX/Shutterstock) |
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George Michael in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 1985. (Michael Putland—Getty Images) |
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George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! with two fans during their 1985 world tour in Japan. (Michael Putland—Getty Images) |
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George Michael attends the BRIT Awards in London, on Feb. 11, 1985. (Georges De Keerle—Getty Images) |
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Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael of Wham! in 1985. (Michael Putland/Getty Images) |
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George Michael in a Sydney hotel room in January 1985 during Wham!’s world tour. (Michael Putland/Getty Images) |
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George Michael, concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith, Bono, Paul McCartney, Bob Geldof and Freddie Mercury join in the finale of the Live Aid famine relief concert at Wembley Stadium in London on 13 July 1985. (Joe Schaber/AP) |
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George Michael performs with Wham! at Brixton Academy in London, on June 25, 1986. (Dave Hogan—Getty Images) |
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George Michael in London, 1987. (Michael Putland—Getty Images) |
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George Michael performs with Boy George and The Police's Andy Summers at an AIDS awareness concert in London, April 1987. (Michael Putland—Getty Images) |
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Boy George with George Michael at a charity Aids concert at Wembley Arena in 1987. (John Paul/REX/Shutterstock) |
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George Michael in 1988. (Dave Hogan—Hulton Archive/Getty Images) |
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George Michael at a press conference in Japan, March 1988. (Michael Putland—Getty Images) |
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George Michael during the Japanese/Australian leg of his Faith World Tour in 1988. (Michael Putland—Getty Images) |
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George Michael during the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, on Sept. 9, 1989. (Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images) |
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George Michael in Los Angeles in 1989. (Kip Rano/REX/Shutterstock) |