Singer/songwriter George Michael was found dead in his home in the Goring village of Oxfordshire, England on Sunday, December 25th. The English singer/songwriter and former Wham! frontman was 53.

According to a statement from the Thames Valley Police, who deemed his death “unexplained but not suspicious,” Michael had been discovered in the property shortly before 2:00 PM. However, the “I Want Your Sex” vocalist’s manager, Michael Lippman, told the Hollywood Reporter that he had died of heart failure “in bed, peacefully.”

George Michael rose to fame with the breakout success of Wham!’s 1984 single “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” After the group disbanded he went on to see success as a solo artist well into the ’90s. While the consistency of his releases slowed into the 2000s, he still commanded a respectable draw well into the later portion of his career.

2016 has seen a list of untimely deaths that includes such well-known musicians as David Bowie, Keith Emerson and Prince – not to mention the passing of influential figures from other arenas of entertainment and politics. As the holiday season draws to a close, we here at djbios encourage the fans and supporters of these individuals to not only mourn their deaths, but celebrate their lives as well.