His music and his voice will live on. Mariah Carey remembered her late friend George Michael in a blog post on Monday, December 26.
“This Christmas, we received the devastating news that beloved singer, songwriter, and music producer George Michael passed away peacefully in his Oxfordshire home,” she wrote on her Mariah’s World blog. “George was only 53 at the time of his passing. He left us way too soon.”
The “Vision of Love” singer explained that Michael was an inspiration to her, and his songs pushed the envelope. “He was a genius that gave us classics like ‘Faith’ as well as boundary pushing singles ‘I Want Your Sex’ and ‘Father Figure.’”
The pop songstress, who released her iconic Christmas album, Merry Christmas, in 1994, added, “He also gave us the FIRST modern Christmas classic with ‘Last Christmas.’” Wham! released the holiday single in 1986.
She continued, “George was not only a great musician, he was an active ambassador in the LBGTQ community, pushing for greater understanding, acceptance, and love for all people. He touched so many lives and inspired us all. ‘One More Try’ on Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse is a tribute to his influence, in many ways.” Carey included a Twitter exchange between the two about her 2014 cover of “One More Try.”
.@GeorgeMichael I’m so honored u like my rendition of “One More Try.” You & this song have always meant so much to me. Fan&friend for life♥♥
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) June 25, 2014
Carey concluded her post by paying tribute to the lasting impact of his music. “George Michael was an original. He changed music and his music changed lives,” she wrote. “We’ll continue to mourn the loss of an incredible artist and friend but his music will keep us smiling and dancing, forever.”
As previously reported, the former Wham! lead singer died at age 53 on Sunday, December 25. His manager confirmed that he passed away of heart failure and he was found peacefully in his bed. Michael’s partner, Fadi Fawaz, later tweeted the heartbreaking news that he found the singer’s body on Christmas morning.
