The news of George Michael’s premature death conquered traditional and online news titles around the world as many millions of people were still relaxing with family over the Christmas break.

The pop superstar, who rose to importance in the early ‘80s as the frontman with English pop duo Wham!, approved away from a heart attack on Christmas Day, He was just 53.

British newspaper The Independent led its Boxing Day front page with a black and white image of Michael on stage, below the headline, “From Eighties picture Boy to suffering Pop Icon.” The Daily announce tabloid led ran a two-deck headline on its frontpage, “George Michael Found Dead at 53.”

The huge common of European news sites dedicated reporting of Michael’s passing to their homepages. Paris’ Le Monde led with Michael’s passing, presentation the late artist as a “tormented pop icon,” Milan’s Corriere della Sera remember the singer as a “giant pop star” from a “troubled life” and Munich’s Süddeutsche Zeitung carry its obituary under the stark banner, “Singer George Michael is Dead.”

News of Michael’s death insolvent mid-morning on the east coast of Australia, where the singer had enjoyed mainstream achievement both with Wham! and as a solo artist. Michael last travel around Australia in 2010, that time he performed in stadiums in around three cities for his LIVE tour. The British artist was planned to tour Down below again in November 2012 but all dates were scrap on account of his lingering ‘‘anxiety’’ issues.

His passing was the top story crossways the slate of most important Australian news titles, from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Website, to the Sydney Morning Herald, Melbourne’s The Age and Brisbane’s Courier Mail.

He was also come in the ARIA Hall of Fame inducted broadcaster and former Countdown host Ian “Molly” Meldrum recalled interviewing a shy George Michael in his Wham! days, and pointed to his understated pressure on the world of pop.

“George paved the method for people like Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake to leave boy bands and then to go on to be taken acutely as solo acts, Robbie even covered George’s Freedom 90,” he wrote in the Courier Mail.