BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene

The sudden death of British pop superstar George Michael on Christmas unleashed the expected outpouring of grief on social media (and an escalating hatred of 2016 for all of the major talents lost this year).

The extent of Michael's appeal and influence was evident in tweets from musicians ranging from his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley to Carrie Underwood to Maxwell to Brian Wilson.

In addition to the remembrances below, check out this cool find - James Corden's first Carpool Karaoke, which he presented for the British charity Comic Relief in 2011. Yes, Corden's guest on his maiden car voyage was George Michael.

About the Author

Keep Reading

"Reclining Mother and Child" (1975) by Henry Moore at the Coca-Cola Company headquarters.
Courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company / Garrett Rowland

Credit: The Coca-Cola Company / Garrett Rowland

Featured

Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.  Palmer was fired less than two weeks after writing a post on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)