On Christmas Day, 2016 claimed another victim in its ongoing tally as the century’s most prolific serial killer with the death of George Michael. The former frontman of Wham! died suddenly on the morning of Dec. 25 of heart failure at age 53.
The ‘80s icon was a staple of early MTV and helped define the look of the music channel for the first decade of its existence. From Careless Whisper to Faith, Michaels was a finder of Faith, a wanter of sex, a Father Figure and more, and he will forever be remembered for his contributions to pop culture.
Here is a look back at a few performances from early in his career:
Wham! Performs on The Music Shop (aka Muskicladen) (1982)
In 1982, a very young George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley rapped and danced their way inthe the hearts of German fans on this Berlin-based TV show.
Wham! Sings Blue (Armed With Love) On The Russell Harty Show (1983)
Blue was one of Wham!’s first hit singles, so they took it on the road to all the talkers, including this variety program.
Wham! Performs Freedom Live On The Terry Wogan Show (1984)
The duo appeared the Irish broadcaster’s BBC talker in this bouncy little number.
Wham! Performs Blue (Armed With Love) (Again) Live in China (1985)
From the Club Tropicana album tour
Wham! Performs The Edge of Heaven (1986)
The pop duo take over Top of the Pops
George Michael Interview and Performance at the Stand By Me AIDS Benefit Concert (1987)
The crooner sings Everything She Wants to a sold out charity performance and a post-Wham! reunion with Andrew Ridgeley.
