Fans are mourning the loss of George Michael, who died on Christmas Day at age 53. The British musician leaves behind millions of fans and a catalogue of wildly popular music that is so influential. The superstar was also a generous man and, now after his death, fans are sharing stories of George Michael's secret acts of generosity on social media, proving that the singer truly cared about the world around him. Michael passed away on Dec. 25 at his home in Goring, England, according to a statement from his publicist Connie Filippello.
"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," said the statement, according to USA Today. "The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage." Michael is best known for his hit songs in the 1980s with the pop duo Wham! (with Andrew Ridgeley) and as a solo artist, from his Grammy-winning album Faith.
He often donated the proceeds to his songs to charity. For instance, he donated his royalties from the often-played Wham! song "Last Christmas" to Ethiopian famine relief, according to The Guardian, and Michael gave the proceeds from "Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me," his collaboration with Elton John, to the London Lighthouse Aids hospice and the Rainbow Trust children’s charity.
And Michael was also quite a generous soul behind the scenes, fans are now sharing and learning. Check out some of the stories of George Michael's acts of generosity below.
7He Supported The National Nurse Service In The UK
Michael had a soft spot for nurses, because he valued the care they had given his late mother, and he honored the National Nurse Service in the UK with a free concert for nurses in 2006.
"The nurses that helped my family at that time were incredible people, and I realized just how undervalued these amazing people are," he wrote on his website, according to BBC News.
According to a tweet by Buzzfeed journalist Hayley Campbell, Michael often gave out free tickets to nurses and had a dedicated area for them at his concerts.
8He Saved John Lennon's Piano
Michael also looked out for the good of music history as well. When John Lennon's famous piano (where he wrote "Imagine") went up for auction, Michael not only purchased it for $2 million in 2000, but he recorded a song on it and returned it to the Beatles Story in Liverpool, according to the Associated Press.
"It's not the type of thing that should be in storage somewhere or being protected, it should be seen by people," he said, according to the AP.
9He Was Willing To Donate His Own Funds To Charity On 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'
When Michael appeared on the UK's Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, he played to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support — and he said in the clip above that he'd match the amount he might lose, so the charity would still receive funds.
10He Made Donations To The Terrence Higgins Trust
According to a Facebook post by the organization, Michael "personally supported the charity for many years," donating "experiences and gifts" for the Terrences Higgins Trust, which supports people living with HIV.
11He Donated Millions To A Children's Charity
According to a report from the UK's SNAP, Michael donated millions to the organization Childline.
Childline founder and president Dame Esther Rantzen told the Press Association: “Over the years he gave us millions and we were planning next year, as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations, to create, we hoped, a big concert in tribute to him – to his artistry, to his wonderful musicality but also to thank him for the hundreds of thousands of children he helped through supporting Childline."
