Celebrity News

Grieving fans on Monday mourned the death of George Michael as British charities revealed that the pop star had secretly been a major behind-the-scenes donor who gave his time and money to support cherished causes.

The man with the reputation for self-indulgence had actually given millions of dollars to charities involved with helping children, cancer victims and AIDS sufferers.

He also was remembered for small acts of kindness: helping his village in north London get a Christmas tree, and volunteering at a homeless shelter.

Paul McCartney posted a statement praising Michael's "sweet soul music," which he said will live on. "Having worked with him on a number of occasions his great talent always shone through and his self-deprecating sense of humor made the experience even more pleasurable," McCartney said, posting a picture of the two together.

The singer's death was announced late Sunday. Fans placed flowers and other tributes at his homes in north London and in Goring, England, where he died of apparent heart failure.

Michael's later years were marked by occasional brushes with the law and a series of driving incidents related to substance abuse, but this was overlooked Monday as directors of major charities and advocacy groups stepped forward to praise him.

Childline founder Esther Rantzen said Michael gave royalties from his 1996 hit "Jesus To A Child" to the charity along with many other donations. "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," she said.

Michael had spoken publicly about the pain of losing a partner to AIDS early in the epidemic, but he kept his long history of donations to the trust private.

Rights activist Peter Tatchell, who knew Michael before he achieved fame, said Michael had hidden his homosexuality in the early part of his career because gay public figures were subjected to vicious treatment by the British tabloid press.

It was an intergalactic holiday at movie theaters as "Rogue One" blasted past a quartet of new releases to hold onto the top spot at the weekend box office.

The "Star Wars" story added another $96 million to its coffers over the four-day holiday period, according to studio estimates Monday. The animated animal musical "Sing" debuted in second place with $56 million. Final box office figures will be released Tuesday.

Associated Press