PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI: If there is ever something called poetic death, English singer George Michael’s passing was the epitome of it. The Last Christmas hit-maker left fans in a state of shock after he didn’t wake up from his sleep on December 25.
The 53-year-old singer rose to fame in the 80s and went on to become a huge star, influencing a generation of artists. His tragic death was not only a huge blow for the global music industry but for Pakistani musicians as well.
PHOTO: FILE“People who lived during the 80s grew up listening to Michael’s music. He was special in his own way. Through his music, Michael will live on forever in our hearts,” Call front man Xulfi told The Express Tribune. “I personally admired his music arrangement and intricate attention to detail. Faith and Father Figure are my favourites and his songs were always in my playlist.”
PHOTO: FILEHe received multiple awards in his 30-year-long career including two Grammys and three American Music Awards, in addition to being the most played artist on British radio from 1984 to 2004. “I would say he left us at quite an early age. He was an inspiration to a lot of people,” shared musician Umair Jaswal. “There are some early childhood memories that one never forgets. Careless Whisper and Faith were two of my favourites. These were the songs I used to listen to when I didn’t even know I would go on to play music.”
Singer George Michael dead at 53
Jaswal said Michael sold over 100 million records worldwide and his early songs are revisited even today. “His melodies stick with you for a long time. It will be very hard to fill that void,” he added. As 2016 has seen some of the most iconic musicians, such as Prince, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen laid to rest, Jaswal stated, “It’s been a terrible year for music and I hope he (Michael) finds peace.”
Echoing Jaswal’s sentiments, musician Mohsin Raza Khan, famously known as Bunny found Michael’s music beautiful. He said, “I really admired him; his music got better with age. He was great when he started out but as he got older, his music became more mature. The world has lost a special talent.”
PHOTO: FILEShallum Asher Xavier of Fuzon admired Michael’s music but became a huge fan when he watched him perform with Freddie Mercury on TV. “I used to like his music but it didn’t grow on me until I watched him perform with Mercury. He just blew me away,” he said, adding his favourite songs include Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Freedom and Faith.
Fans reveal George Michael’s extraordinary acts of generosity after his death
Apart from Michael’s music, Xavier was intrigued by his extravagant and controversial lifestyle. “He was fearless and did what he wanted to do. When you are a star and are treated like one, you have room to be eccentric and be yourself without being judged. It’s sad because in our society, even artists have to look and behave like bankers or teachers,” he stated.
And of course, Twitter was abuzz with many celebrities expressing their grief over Michael's demise.
Shock. Disbelief. George Michael is dead at just 53. #georgemichael End of an era.
— Hassan Sheheryar (@HSYCOUTUREKING) December 25, 2016
Cant believe George Micheal is gone...he was only 53...what a star...what a voice...will live through his songs. #ripgeorgemichael
— Fakhr-e-Alam S.I & S.E (@falamb3) December 26, 2016
From Bowie to Prince to Sabri to Junaid Jamshed.. and now
— Feeha-Noor Jamshed (@FeehaJamshed) December 26, 2016
George Micheal 💔
Music just became really poor in 2016.
R•I•P #GeorgeMichael pic.twitter.com/dAU6R5ro13
Noooo!! https://t.co/WtS4GOPdkd
— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) December 26, 2016
George Micheal gone too. They're going too soon. R.I.P.
— Ali Zafar (@AliZafarsays) December 26, 2016
still dealing w/ JJ's loss in Dec & now #GeorgeMichael (RIP) whose #jesustoachild #CarelessWhisper #Faith we used to sing in #VitalSigns...
— Salman Ahmad (@sufisal) December 26, 2016
#RIP #georgemichael #legendgoesaway https://t.co/41LObIcYxJ
— NADIA HUSSAIN (@NADIAHUSSAIN_NH) December 26, 2016
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