The Guitarist Who Shared His Faith and Prayers With George Michael

In the wake of the sudden death of 1980s pop superstar George Michael, one man is recalling the singer's interest in Christianity.

Michael Brown, a guitarist who worked with George Michael about ten years ago, said the two regularly prayed together.  Brown recalled the interactions in an interview on Premier Christian Radio.  Brown said he professed his Christian faith to Michael soon after they met and that Michael had a lot of questions about Jesus.  Brown said he ended up performing over 100 live shows with Michael over a period of four years, and that George Michael would seek out Brown before going on stage and would ask him to pray.  

"I used to hold his hand," Brown recalled. "I used to pray with him in his studios as well."

There has been speculation about the amount of interest the late singer had in Christianity, given his songs "Jesus to a Child" and "Faith," as well as pictures showing him wearing a cross-shaped earring on several occasions.

Brown offered his opinion about George Michael's spiritual life. "At the end of the day we have a choice... The choice is ours either to be saved or not to be saved. But at least I can say that he definitely knew who Jesus was."

Michael was found dead alone in his home, in bed, on Christmas Day.  He was 53.  His manager Michael Lippman said Michael, who was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, died of heart failure.  The medical team called to the scene said, "At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious.  A post mortem will be undertaken in due course."

Many people are coming forward to tell personal stories of generosity and kindness, often anonymous, Michael showed them, according to The Guardian. The news outlet also says Michael, an outspoken homosexual, struggled with drugs and depression.

Michael was part of the duo "Wham!," which produced hits like "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go," "Careless Whisper," "Last Christmas," "Everything She Wants," and "Freedom." Later he embarked on a successful solo career, generating hits such as "Father Figure" and "I Knew You Were Waiting," a duet with Aretha Franklin.