He actually is reported to have died two days ago (hence all of the "Last Christmas" jokes), but nonetheless, sad news. Wham! was slightly before my time, but I was around for and really enjoyed his solo stuff (and older Wham! stuff). 2016 really has been a plague to the entertainment world. RIP
George Michael is a sad loss for sure. Apparently he wasn't just a great musician, he was also a great person: George Michael's 12 most generous acts show just how kind he was | Metro News
Also on Christmas, a plane crash took out all but three of the singers in the Alexandrov Ensemble, the world-renowned Russian army chorus: Alexandrov Russian Army Song and Dance Ensemble loss | Russia | Al Jazeera
By all accounts George Michael was extraordinarily generous with his time and money over the last few decades. Sounds like Heroin finally got him.