Wham! and George Michael bass player Deon Estu has died aged 65, the cause of death has not yet been confirmed but the announcement was made on his Twitter page.
Deon passed away on Monday and the news was shared to fans on the musician’s official Twitter account, with many tributes flooding in.
The announcement read: “It is with real sadness I post that Deon Estus passed away this morning.
“Deon was mostly known as the third member of Wham! Deon was passionate about music and loved interacting with his loyal fans.”
Estus’ partner Brenda Kaye Pearce also took to social media to pay tribute to the bassist on Facebook.
She wrote: “My dearest, closest partner and significant other of 4 years transitioned and all I can remember is our last conversation the day before. My heart will need time to heal. R.I.P. Deon. Love you forever.”
Deon was most famous for playing with the pop group Wham! and George Michael in his solo career.
The star also co-wrote the hit 1989 song ‘Heaven Help Me’ with George Michael, which went on to be a Top Five hit in the United States.
The well-known track also went on to appear on his solo studio album, ‘Spell’.
(Image: Getty Images)
Deon also played with a big list of master musicians during his career including stars such as Elton John and Marvin Gaye.
The bass player also joined the ranks of Tina Turner, Annie Lennox and Frank Zappa throughout points of his successful music career.
Other tributes that have poured in include a note from Wham! backing singer and Pepsi & Shirlie member Shirlie Kemp.
(Image: Getty Images)
Shirley tweeted: “Shocked to hear the passing of such a lovely man. Spent so many years with Deon touring with Wham. God Bless..RIP.”
New Orleans funk DJ Soul Sister wrote: “RIP to soulful pioneer Deon Estus. Many know him as the integral, vet bassist w/Wham and George Michael. I know him as the killer young bassist with Brainstorm (3rd from right) in ‘78 & ‘79. In recent years, he was a beloved added member of the reunited Switch. May he rest well.”
In his later years, in 2018, Deon starred in a tribute concert to mark the late George Michael’s 56th birthday.
At the time of his friend’s death in 2016, Deon spoke to Billboard and said: “I’m still in shock. It hasn’t quite hit me yet, but it helps to talk about it and to think about all those fantastic tours, all those records, all the people he’s helped and all the things he’s done, which is a lot. I was blessed to have known him.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
