George: legacy of courage

STAR LED WAY FOR GAY COMMUNITY

- HALINA WATTS and MARK JEFFERIES

Swept free of fallen leaves and covered with fresh, fragrant roses, George Michael's grave is lovingly tended and visited every Christmas by his surviving family Singer George, who tragically diec from heart disease aged 53 or Christmas Day in 2016, is buried along side sister Melanie and mum Lesley.

Melanie was 59 when she died three years to the day after George, and Lesley was also 59 when she lost her battle with cancer in 1997.

Now the three rest side by side in the East Cemetery at Highgate, North London.

And for George's surviving sister Yioda and dad Jack there is finally some sense of peace after many long years of heartache.

George's friend and one-time manager Andros Georgiou says: "His family had a really hard time of it.

"He often said he would have given up all his fame and money to have his family together and his mum back with him. He loved them so much.

"Time is a healer, though, and Jack and Yioda are now at peace - as much as you can be at peace with that amount of tragedy.

Yioda, 61, now runs George's estate as well as his website and social media channels, including the campaign to get George into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Andros last saw Yioda at the funeral of a mutual friend in November 2021.

He says: "Yioda is as OK as she can be, losing her mum, brother and sister.

"It's hard. They visit George around Christmas time because his mum's birthday was Christmas Eve and that's when Melanie and George died.