LOS ANGELES/LONDON — The holiday weekend brought about the deaths of two more prominent figures after a year of numerous passings.
It was released Tuesday morning that Actress Carrie Fisher, who found enduring fame as Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars,” died at the age of 60. Sunday evening brought the news of the passing of British pop superstar George Michael, at the age of 53.
Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, released a statement through her spokesman saying Fisher died Tuesday morning in Los Angeles.
“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning,” read the statement from publicist Simon Halls. “She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly.”
Fisher had been hospitalized since Friday when she suffered a medical emergency on board a flight to Los Angeles.
She made her feature film debut opposite Warren Beatty in the 1975 hit “Shampoo.” Fisher also appeared in “Austin Powers,” ”The Blues Brothers,” ”Charlie’s Angels,” ”Hannah and Her Sisters,” ”Scream 3” and “When Harry Met Sally …”
But she is best remembered as Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” in 1977 with her now-iconic braided buns, who uttered the immortal phrase, “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.” Fisher played a part in which she was tough, feisty and powerful, even if at one point she was chained to Jabba the Hutt. (She reprized the role in Episode VII of the series, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015, and her digitally rendered image appears in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”)
Fisher long battled drug addiction and mental illness. Michael struggled with drugs too. Throughout his career, his drug use and taste for risky sex brought him into frequent brushes with the law, most famously in 1998 when he was arrested for public lewdness in Los Angeles. Yet, he managed to turn the incident into fodder for a popular song that poked fun at his behavior, and his acknowledgment of his homosexuality at that time made him even more popular with his fans.
Michael reached early fame with WHAM! and went on to a solo career lined with controversies and chart-topping hits that blended soul and dance music with daring social and personal commentary.
Michael died at his home in Goring, England. His publicist, Cindi Berger, said he had not been ill. Michael’s manager, Michael Lippman, says the cause of death was heart failure. His family issued a statement through Thames Valley Police saying that he “passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.”
“The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.”
One of the giants of ’80s and ’90s music, and an early idol for the MTV generation, Michael enjoyed immense popularity from the start with hits such as “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” ”Young Guns (Go For It)” and “Freedom.” As a solo artist, he developed into a more serious singer and songwriter, lauded by critics for his powerful vocal and expressive range. He sold well over 100 million albums globally, earned numerous Grammy and American Music Awards, and recorded duets with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti and Elton John among others.
The loss of Michael continues a year of grief in the music industry, with David Bowie, Prince and Glenn Frey among those dying before age 70. Other entertainment greats lost this year include Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, Florence Henderson, Doris Roberts, Alan Thicke, and Muhammad Ali.
