Tributes to the late singer and gay icon George Michael have been pouring in from all over the world. In a year that’s already taken David Bowie and Prince away from us, this (hopefully) final name on the In Memoriam list is particularly painful.
Even on one of the biggest single days of the Premier League season, fans took a few moments to remember the pop star, who died unexpectedly of heart failure on Christmas Day at age 53. During their away match at Manchester United yesterday, Sunderland fans started a rendition of Michael’s “Last Christmas.” You can hear it around 2:08.
What a tribute to @GeorgeMichael. #SAFC supporters sing Last Christmas during match v. #MUFC. pic.twitter.com/f2tLlSJMiE
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) December 26, 2016
Sunderland supporters changed the lyrics in order to honor both Michael and 5-year-old terminally ill supporter Bradley Lowery, who we’ve written about earlier this month.
Time doesn’t stop and loss doesn’t wait until after the holidays. The best any of us can do is carry on and remember. The tribute from Sunderland fans— short, sweet, and heartfelt— underlines the extent of Michael’s influence over popular culture.