<p>Pop star George Michael enjoyed an impressive career, selling more than 100 million records, but led a turbulent life marked with drug battles, run-ins with the police and health problems.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In last few years, Michael's brushes with the law and stories of drug use made more news than his musical outings.<br /><br />Michael, born Georgios Panayiotou, found fame as a teenager in the early 1980s after forming Wham! with school friend Andrew Ridgeley.<br /><br />The pair enjoyed a string of hits, including "Last Christmas," "Club Tropicana" and "Young Guns"(Go For It) before ending their partnership in the mid '80s while still at the top of the game.<br /><br />He had seven UK Number 1 singles and one of Wham's best known hits was 'Last Christmas', released in 1984.<br /><br />Michael transitioned to a successful solo career with his album "Faith" in 1988. The solo album sold more than 20 million copies.<br /><br />The singer's career spanned nearly four decades but he struggled with addictions to crack cocaine, alcohol and marijuana.<br /><br />After years of refusing to be drawn on speculation about his sexuality, Michael disclosed he was gay in 1998 after being arrested in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, California, for engaging in a lewd act.<br /><br />He followed it up with a music video for the single 'Outside', featuring a men's bathroom transformed into a disco and policemen kissing.<br /><br />In October 2006, he pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs, and in 2008 was cautioned for possession of class A drugs, including crack cocaine.<br /><br />Michael entered a period of semi-retirement in 2008, quitting live performances and seeking a "quieter life" out of the public eye.<br /><br />In September 2010, Michael received an eight-week prison sentence following an incident in which he crashed his Range Rover into a shop in north London. He was given a five-year driving ban after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis.<br /><br />In 2011, Michael postponed a series of concerts after being taken to hospital for treatment for pneumonia. After treatment in a Vienna hospital, he made a tearful appearance outside his London home and said it had been "touch and go" whether he lived.<br /><br />The experience inspired the single 'White Light', which was his last Top 40 hit in 2012 and which he performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London.<br /><br />In 2013, he suffered a head injury after falling from his moving car. He was airlifted to a hospital and was later photographed with a huge scar on the back of his head.<br /><br />Michael was working on an album with British Asian producer Naughty Boy as well as a documentary chronicling his rise to fame with Wham and made a direct appeal on Twitter to his fans, asking them to send in their own videos and photographs dating from 1988 to 1996.<br /><br />The documentary film entitled 'Freedom' was originally expected to be released this year but was recently delayed until next March.<br /><br />Michael passed away at the age of 53 due to heart failure on Sunday.</p>
<p>Pop star George Michael enjoyed an impressive career, selling more than 100 million records, but led a turbulent life marked with drug battles, run-ins with the police and health problems.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In last few years, Michael's brushes with the law and stories of drug use made more news than his musical outings.<br /><br />Michael, born Georgios Panayiotou, found fame as a teenager in the early 1980s after forming Wham! with school friend Andrew Ridgeley.<br /><br />The pair enjoyed a string of hits, including "Last Christmas," "Club Tropicana" and "Young Guns"(Go For It) before ending their partnership in the mid '80s while still at the top of the game.<br /><br />He had seven UK Number 1 singles and one of Wham's best known hits was 'Last Christmas', released in 1984.<br /><br />Michael transitioned to a successful solo career with his album "Faith" in 1988. The solo album sold more than 20 million copies.<br /><br />The singer's career spanned nearly four decades but he struggled with addictions to crack cocaine, alcohol and marijuana.<br /><br />After years of refusing to be drawn on speculation about his sexuality, Michael disclosed he was gay in 1998 after being arrested in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, California, for engaging in a lewd act.<br /><br />He followed it up with a music video for the single 'Outside', featuring a men's bathroom transformed into a disco and policemen kissing.<br /><br />In October 2006, he pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs, and in 2008 was cautioned for possession of class A drugs, including crack cocaine.<br /><br />Michael entered a period of semi-retirement in 2008, quitting live performances and seeking a "quieter life" out of the public eye.<br /><br />In September 2010, Michael received an eight-week prison sentence following an incident in which he crashed his Range Rover into a shop in north London. He was given a five-year driving ban after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis.<br /><br />In 2011, Michael postponed a series of concerts after being taken to hospital for treatment for pneumonia. After treatment in a Vienna hospital, he made a tearful appearance outside his London home and said it had been "touch and go" whether he lived.<br /><br />The experience inspired the single 'White Light', which was his last Top 40 hit in 2012 and which he performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London.<br /><br />In 2013, he suffered a head injury after falling from his moving car. He was airlifted to a hospital and was later photographed with a huge scar on the back of his head.<br /><br />Michael was working on an album with British Asian producer Naughty Boy as well as a documentary chronicling his rise to fame with Wham and made a direct appeal on Twitter to his fans, asking them to send in their own videos and photographs dating from 1988 to 1996.<br /><br />The documentary film entitled 'Freedom' was originally expected to be released this year but was recently delayed until next March.<br /><br />Michael passed away at the age of 53 due to heart failure on Sunday.</p>