George feared he’d never sing live again
Star torn apart’ by damage to voice Tributes flow at tragic cottage
TRAGIC George Michael was in despair when he died because the voice that made him a superstar had been ruined.
The pop legend lost 20 per cent of his lung capacity after contracting pneumonia in 2011 and was devastated to find it had reduced his ability to sing.
He was torn apart by the setback to his plans for a comeback in 2017.
News of his state of mind emerged after an inconclusive postmortem raised the possibility that he did not die of natural causes as initially thought.
A source close to George, who died aged 53 on Christmas Day, said: “Losing voice capacity for a man like him was like losing his inner self or his soul.
“Things got so dark and difficult after it hit him. It tipped him over a psychological edge. George would never be the same man again – and more importantly, never be the same singer.
“He needed drugs and alcohol and anything he could get hold of to cope with such a severe loss.”
Friends revealed that the singer who shot to fame with Wham! suffered lasting effects from the life-threatening pneumonia, which left him unconscious for 15 days. Doctors had to perform a tracheotomy to keep his airways open.
He recovered but found it difficult to walk uphill, swim and do the thing he loved most – sing.
It is understood he was left with only three quarters of his lungs functioning and could only limp through performances with the help of steroids and other medication. He could barely finish a concert, never mind a whole tour.
Haunted
“It was the third big loss in his life,” said the insider. “He lost his partner Anselmo Feleppa to HIV, his mother Lesley and then the voice he once had.
“To lose your three most cherished things by your early 50s is very hard and was a big load to carry.
“George was an old soul who died young because he found it very hard to manage the albatrosses in his life.”
But he was determined to get back to making music andd was set to release a new album next year, produced by Naughty Boy.
The UK songwriter,ter, musician and producer, 31, said d last month: “I can’t wait. I don’t know ow what to expect. He’s mysterious.”
The source confirmed:med: “Yes, he was going to do anotherer album. He was planning to regain someome breath control by regular swimmingng with a therapist and walking, to strengthen engthen his lungs and get the weight down.
“But George kneww that in reality his lungs would neverer regain their same capacity. Soonerer or later he would be the star whoo used to sing for hours and do tours.ours. Could he ever do this again? Could he be like Madonna, Elton, n, Jagger – all older than him but still bouncing around? That’s the kind of thing he e was filled up with. He wasas a haunted man.”
George left three e full albums of unre- leased music in hiss private collection.. Now they may neverr see the light of day.y. The perfectionist had ad shelved the nearly-finfinished albums and those hose in charge of his estate ate will not go against his wishes.ishes.
George was foundd dead in bed at his home i n Goring-ng- on-Thames, Oxfordshire, by his partnerartner Fadi Fawaz, 40. Further tests are planned to determine how he died. Police olice said the star’s death was still being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A SEA of tributes 50 metres long and three metres deep has formed outside the cottage where George Michael died.
Emotional fans yesterday continued to flock to the pop star’s home in Goring, Oxon, to say their goodbyes.
Fans have also left balloons, candles, drawings, discs, teddy bears and even a guitar.
A card left by a woman who travelled from South Wales referenced some of Michael’s hits. It read: “Not sure I’m gonna heal the pain I’m feeling inside but I have faith.”