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Singer George Michael dies at 53

by Elliot Smilowitz - 12/25/16 6:28 PM ET

British singer George Michael died Sunday at 53 years old.

The Wham singer, who came out as gay after a controversial incident and emerged as a fierce critic of President George W. Bush’s relationship with the United Kingdom, “passed away peacefully at home,” his publicist said, according to BBC.

“The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage,” the publicist said.

{mosads}Michael, whose real name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, sold more than 80 million records in his career.

He drew scrutiny in the 1990s when he was arrested for “engaging in a lewd act” in a public bathroom. After the incident, Michael publicly came out as gay and called the arrest a “subconsciously deliberate act” to force himself to admit his sexuality.

Michael was critical of Bush and his relationship with the U.K. in the run-up to the Iraq war. He wrote a song called “Shoot the Dog,” which featured a video portraying a cartoon British Prime Minister Tony Blair fetching a ball for Bush and being petted like a dog.

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