George Michael From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016), known professionally as George Michael , was an English singer, songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame as a member of the music duo Wham! He was best known in the 1980s and 1990s with his style of post-disco dance-pop , with best-selling songs such as " Last Christmas " and " Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go ". Michael sold more than 100 million records worldwide. His 1987 debut solo album, Faith , sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Michael garnered seven number one singles in the UK and eight number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, including " Careless Whisper " and " Freedom! '90 ". He ranks among the best-selling British acts of all time , with Billboard magazine ranking him the 40th-most successful artist ever. Michael won various music awards throughout his 30-ye