George Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in London in 1963, was a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in the 1980s with the Britpop band Wham! and parlayed his success into a solo career that made him a global pop music superstar. His solo hits include “Faith,” “Father Figure,” and “Freedom! ’90.” Michael was also a significant trailblazer for LGBTQ+ recording artists.