Yesterday marked one year since Wham! singer and legendary pop icon George Michael passed away at the age of 53. In the ensuing year, there have been plenty of tributes made to the late musician, but now, to mark the first anniversary of his passing, George Michael’s family have posted a rather moving tribute to the late icon.
Sharing a picture of a four-year-old George Michael (nicknamed ‘Yog’ by his family) on the singer’s website, Michael’s family posted a tribute, which included thanking his fans for their constant support throughout the last year.
“This year has been a series of new and tough challenges for those of us close and loyal to Yog,” the statement read. “Not least of which was steeling ourselves this month, to hear ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘December Song’ streaming out of shops, cars, and radios, as it has done for decades, knowing he’s no longer here with us, missing him.”
“This Christmas will be hard without him, but we know that we are not alone in our mourning the anniversary of his loss, and that the sadness of our wider family, and true friends, is shared by many of you.”
“We are at ‘that age’ and realise that this year many of you will have had difficult losses too.”
“Yog shared his music with all of us, and many of you connected deeply with his words, yet in life, many hold their own important words and feelings inside, as so often they are the hardest to say out loud,” the statement continued.
“So if you can, in his memory this year, take a moment and a deep breath and say those ‘I Love You’s’ out loud. We all think there is time, don’t we? – but, just maybe, it’s later than you think…”
In the months following George Michael’s death, there has been an increased interest in the musician’s work, with a tribute to George Michael by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Mariah Carey covering ‘One More Try’ in Dubai, and British artist Damien Hirst selling a psychedelic painting of Michael for $750,000.
Relive George Michael performing ‘Last Christmas’ as part of Wham!:
