ONE of George Michael's biggest hits was called Faith but many fans have questioned whether the singer was religious himself.
The legendary late musician, who would have turned 60 on June 25, 2023, sadly passed away in December 2016.
What religion was George Michael?
George Michael stated in several interviews that he did not live by any religion.
The Wham! singer was born in London, England with the birth name Georgios Panayiotou and was brought up as a Protestant Christian by his family.
George lived with father Kyriacos "Jack" Panayiotou, a Greek-Cypriot restaurateur who emigrated from Cyprus, to England, and his mother, Lesley Angold, who died in 1997.
He had two older sisters, Yioda and Melanie.
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According to George, however, growing up under the religion did not have any impact on him.
Was George Michael's family religious?
Some of George's family were Protestant Christians and some of his ancestors were Jewish.
In June 2008, Michael told the Los Angeles Times that his maternal grandmother was Jewish.
He revealed that she married a non-Jewish man and raised her children, including George's mother, with no knowledge of their Jewish background.
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This was due to her fears over World War II and Hitler's Nazi regime.
What did George Michael say about religion?
George, who often wore cross-shaped earrings, spoke about religion a handful of times throughout his career.
In 1988 he told Paris Match magazine that, while he did not live by any religion, he was interested in the concept of faith.
He said: "I do not have a religion, but I believe that one can influence one’s life, one’s future, through faith and decency towards others."
Michael named his 1987 album Faith, as well as boasting a hit single by the same title, and revealed why he chose the name.
He said: "Because I believe, today much more than during my adolescence. I believe that the forces of Good and Evil are real things."
After George's death, his friend and co-worker Michael Brown spoke about the late singer's interest in religion.
Brown began working with George as a guitarist in the mid-noughties, and toured with him on his Live 25 Tour.
Over four years, the pair performed 110 concerts together.
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After Brown introduced himself as a Christian, George began asking the guitarist to pray for him before concerts, per an interview with Premier Christian News.
Brown said the singer also often asked him questions about God and Christianity.
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