The family of George Michael have asked fans to remove their tributes from outside his former homes so that things can return to normal for the late singer’s neighbours.
Since the 53-year-old’s death from heart and liver disease in December 2016, fans have been leaving flowers, candles and messages outside his properties in Highgate, London and Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
In a message on Michael’s website, his sisters Mel and Yioda, father Jack and friend David Austin said they had been “touched by your many tributes celebrating and remembering Yog [the singer’s nickname], reminding us how very much he is missed and loved”.
“However, we feel we cannot expect our Highgate and Goring neighbours to continue to accept as normality, the memorials so personal to you all, to remain as and where they are any longer, although we do appreciate your recent efforts to minimise their impact,” they continued.
The family requested that the tributes be removed by May 26/27 so that the properties can be returned “to their former simple state”.
“Yog liked his privacy, his homes were true havens for him (such a Cancerian!) and, ultimately, long term, we know he would not want to disturb or change the quiet neighbourhoods he so loved, for the people in the local area, who honestly, despite reports otherwise, have been gracious and very understanding,” they explained.
They suggested that making a donation to a charity or volunteering would be a “fitting tribute”.
“We like, whenever we are charged with making decisions in Yog’s name, to think ‘What would Yog do?’, and the family will continue to take decisions as we think he would have done.”
RTE.ie
