George Michael's Ex-Wham! Partner Is 'Heartbroken'

Christmas Day brought news of one of the most shocking celebrity deaths in a year notorious for them. Tributes quickly poured in for George Michael, who died at age 53. "Rest with the glittering stars, George Michael. You've found your Freedom, your Faith. It was your Last Christmas, and we shall miss you," tweeted George Takei. A selection of some of the many other tributes being paid to the star on Twitter and elsewhere:

• Elton John: "I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend—the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist."
• Andrew Ridgeley: "Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog," writes his former Wham! bandmate. "Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved."
• Rob Lowe: "Had the pleasure of knowing George Michael in the 80s. Voice of an angel. Now he can sing for them."

• Bryan Adams: "RIP George Michael. I can't believe it. Such an incredible singer and a lovely human being, far too young to leave us."
• Boy George: "He was so loved and I hope he knew it because the sadness today is beyond words. Devastating. What a beautiful voice he had and his music will live on as a testament to his talent. I can't believe he is gone. I hope the Buddha will hold him in his arms."
• Alison Moyet: He was "a gentle, unassuming soul. A rare presence in a world full of self. Honest, genuine talent."
• Madonna: "Farewell My Friend! Another Great Artist leaves us. Can 2016 F*** Off NOW?"
• Kevin Fallon at the Daily Beast pays tribute to the "beloved" but "reviled," and now, "more tragic than ever" Wham! hit "Last Christmas." "The beauty and the reason the song lasts is that the emotional pangs of those lyrics are felt every so often," he writes. "But never more than today."
• At the Guardian, Laura Barton praises the star as somebody who "succeeded in transforming what might’ve been a fleeting pop flirtation into a serious music career" and, with his pushing of boundaries, helped send the message that "we should at long last and for heaven's sake just accept love in all its forms."
• Rolling Stone has rounded up 20 essential George Michael songs—including, of course, "Last Christmas."

(More George Michael stories.)