George Michael's 13 most generous acts of charity

Singing, songwriting legend George Michael passed away on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53, and the world continues to mourn his death.

His legacy in the band Wham, along with his childhood friend Andrew Ridgeley has been immortalised in a new Netflix documentary about the 80s pop sensations.

The film charts their humble beginnings as struggling musicians before making their breakthrough on Top of the Pops and writing landmark songs such as 'Last Christmas' and 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go' before their eventual break-up in 1986.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Michael, whose real name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, died from a heart attack on December 25th 2016. In the wake of his untimely death many British charities, celebrities and individuals have revealed the secret donations, said to be in the total of millions, he made to various organisations and people in need, often anonymously.

Here are 13 of his most giving moments:

1. George Michael gave a woman on Deal or No Deal £15k for IVF treatment.

2. George Michael once gave a stranger £25k to pay for her debts, after he overheard her crying in a café.

3. George Michael worked in a homeless shelter, anonymously, for years.

4. George Michael set up a Trust giving grants to support rights of disabled children and adults.

5. George Michael sent free tickets to hospital workers after they treated him for pneumonia

6. George Michael played a free Christmas concert for NHS nurses in memory of the support his mother got when she was suffering from cancer.

7. George Michael let David Baddiel use Faith for “almost nothing” in The Infidel.

8. George Michael donated all the royalties from Wham! Last Christmas/Everything She Wants to Ethiopian famine relief

9. George Michael purchased John Lennon’s 'Imagine' piano in 2000, for £1.67m so people could see it, and then handed it over to the Beatles Story museum.

10. George Michael gave the proceeds from Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me to children and Aids charities.

11. George Michael once tipped a barmaid £5k because she was a student nurse in debt.

12. George Michael gave Sports Relief £50,000 after comedian David Walliams swam the channel.

13. George Michael supported 28 charities, including a number of children's charities, including Barnardo’s and War Child.