The singer's death was probably linked to his heart and liver problems, the coroner said. George Michael died unexpectedly on Christmas Day, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow musicians.
Image: Reuters/S. Wermuth
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British popstar George Michael died of natural causes according to a coroner's report released on Tuesday. This was likely connected to preexisting heart and liver problems, the evaluation said.
"As there is a confirmed natural cause of death, being dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver, the investigation is being discontinued and there is no need for an inquest or any further inquiries," read a statement from Darren Slater, the senior coroner for the county of Oxfordshire.
"No further updates will be provided, and the family requests the media and public respect their privacy," Slater added.
Michael died at his home in Oxfordshire on Christmas Day, aged 53. His long history of drug and alcohol abuse had given rise to speculation that they could have played a role in his death. These rumors were prolonged by the initial autosopy remaining inconclusive.
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou to a British mother and Greek Cypriot father in 1963, Michael rose to fame in the 1980s as one half the pop duo Wham! with his school friend Andrew Ridgeley. Michael went on to have a successful solo career, selling more than 100 million albums over four decades of work.
His untimely death in December sparked worldwide tributes from fans and other artists, including from Chris Martin of Coldplay at the Brit awards earlier in March and singer Adele at the Grammys. On Monday, designer Stella McCartney dedicated her Paris Fashion Week show to the late singer and had her models walk the catwalk to his hit "Faith."
Chart-toppers and controversies: George Michael’s life in pictures!
Pop star George Michael has died aged 53 on Sunday. He rose to fame with the band Wham!, selling more than 100 million albums in his career but struggled in his later years, fighting a number of drug abuse problems.
Image: picture-alliance/PA Wire/N. Carson
End of an era
George Michael was pronounced dead at 13:42 GMT at his residence in Oxfordshire on Sunday. "It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period," his publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. His manager Michael Lippman said the cause of death was heart failure.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Grant
An album in the making
Michael was due to release a documentary in 2017 after a period of living as a virtual recluse. Earlier in December it was also announced that producer and songwriter Naughty Boy, whose real name is Shahid Khan, was working with Michael on a new album for next year.
Image: Reuters/P. Noble
Wham!
British-born George Michael met Andrew Ridgeley at high school and the pair went on to form Wham! in 1981. The duo captured the go-getting spirit of the age and fast became one of Britain's biggest pop acts.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
First Western pop band to perform in China
In 1985, Wham! became the first Western pop band to perform in China as the country was slowly beginning to open up to the outside world under reformist leader Deng Xiaoping.
Image: Getty Images//LightRocket/P. Charlesworth
Rise to fame
Michael was known across the globe for his 1980s hits "Last Christmas," "Freedom," "Careless Whisper," and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," resulting in a career that spanned more than three decades. He won many awards including two Grammies and three Brit Awards. His last album "Symphonica", which was released in 2014, also rose to number one in the charts.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Mori
A lewd act and a confession
This is the gentlemen's toilet in Hampstead where George Michael was arrested in 2008 on suspicion of drug-possession. However, it was not his first run-in with law enforcement: Michael came out as gay in 1998 after being arrested for committing a lewd act at a public toilet in a Los Angeles park. It was the first of several incidents that were to overshadow his musical career in his later years.
Image: picture-alliance/Captital Pictures
The controversial years
George Michael's 2008 arrest in London prompted the superstar to apologize to his fans, promising to get his life, and especially his drug habit, in order. But in 2010, Michael had his driver's license revoked for five years after driving his car into the side of a photo shop in North London while under the influence of cannabis and prescription medication.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Grant
2016 – Music losses
It is unclear whether there is any unreleased material by the British singer and whether the planned 2017 documentary film on his life will still be going ahead. The loss of George Michael continues a year of grief in the music industry, with David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen all among those dying in 2016.
