George Michael gifted backing singer £50k amid her marriage breakdown to 80s pop star in secret act of kindness
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18:59, 22 Mar 2025, updated 20:42, 22 Mar 2025By
NIOMI HARRIS FOR MAILONLINE
George Michael once gifted his backing singer an incredible £50,000 amid her marriage breakdown to an 80s pop star, it's been revealed.
The former
Wham! singer died on
Christmas Day in 2016 and it was only then that many stories of his unpublicised acts of kindness and charity emerged.
The singer, who was 53 when he died at his home in Goring-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, was revealed to have donated thousands of pounds not only to charities but also strangers after being touched on learning of their struggles.
However, George also gave generously to people he was close to, with the Careless Whisper hitmaker helping his backing singer Shirley Lewis out when she when her relationship with Bros star Luke Goss began to crumble.
In an interview with
The Mirror, Shirley told how she'd been worried about where she and her young daughter would live amid her marriage troubles and had sold her watch for £5,000 in a bid to raise some much needed cash.
But when her envelope of cash suddenly went missing, Shirley, 64, was left in despair and it was George who came to her rescue with a huge offer.
George Michael once gifted his backing singer an incredible £50,000 amid her marriage breakdown to an 80s pop star, it's been revealed.
The former Wham ! singer died on Christmas Day in 2016 and it was only then that many stories of his unpublicised acts of kindness and charity emerged [pictured in 2012]
She explained: 'I was talking to George on the phone and suddenly burst into tears. He asked what was wrong and I told him my husband and I were in a really bad place and I’d lost some cash, and he said he was going to give me some money and hung up. The next day I woke up and he’d deposited £50,000 into my account!'
She told how she'd called him the next day and said that she couldn't take his money, but kind George was insistent and simply told her that he didn't want her to 'worry'.
Shirley split with Bros' Luke in 2017 after 33 years together.
Shirley, who worked with the star for 30 years, went on to say that George later invited her on tour with him, but she told the star that she'd only go if she her weekly wages was reduced and George took the rest - with the singer refusing.
She explained: 'He said he wasn’t doing that so I told him I wouldn’t come then. "Oh, you are such a pain in my a***," he said, and that was the end of it - we never spoke about it again. He was such a generous man.'
Meanwhile, George also came to the rescue of his other longtime backing singer Jo Garland, who was once left distraught after taking out three-months rent out of her back account in cash to secure a flat, only for the money to go missing.
Jo recalled: 'I was crying my eyes out in the studio and George walked in and asked what on earth had happened. He went, "Oh darling, don’t worry about it." He went off and came back with his own money. He said, "Let’s just hope whoever found your envelope really needed it." He was like our guardian angel.'
Jay Henry, who completes the trio of George's backing singers, noted how the popstar 'hated' the fame side of his career and his acts of kindness was a way of 'enjoying fame'.
George also gave generously to people he was close to, helping his backing singer Shirley Lewis out when she when her relationship with Bros star Luke Goss began to crumble.
The former Wham ! singer died on Christmas Day in 2016 and it was only then that many stories of his unpublicised acts of kindness and charity emerged.
Shirley split with Bros' Luke in 2017 after 33 years together.
She told how she'd called him the next day and said that she couldn't take his money, but kind George was insistent and simply told her that he didn't want her to 'worry' [pictured in 2005]
The trio are soon to head out on a UK tour singing the songs of George as they continue to keep his memory alive.
Following his tragic death, several of George's secret acts of kindness emerged, most notably gifting a Deal Or No Deal contestant thousands of pounds to fund her IVF treatment..
The £15,000 donation had initially been revealed by TV presenter Richard Osman in the hours following Michael's death on December 25, 2016.
Osman told how the singer had called a woman who appeared on Channel 4 quiz show Deal Or No Deal to give her the money she needed for IVF treatment, after she fell short of winning the sum.
Osman, who had been a producer on the programme, tweeted: 'A woman on "Deal Or No Deal" told us she needed £15k for IVF treatment. George Michael secretly phoned the next day and gave her the £15k.'
Another beneficiary was
Jo Maidment, who had appeared on ITV's This Morning in 2010 to tell of being rejected for fertility treatment on the grounds her partner already had a child - only for George Michael to later get in touch with the show and ask to get involved.
The mother-of-two later told how the star had wanted to remain anonymous, and only revealed his identity by sending her a huge bouquet of flowers with a card after she gave birth to her daughter Betsy in 2012.
His note read: 'Congratulations to you both, lots of love to Betsy. Love from Michelle and George Michael a.k.a anonymous.'
It was previously reported that a mystery businessman's PA had phoned into the show to donate the cost of treatment so she could have her longed-for baby.
Meanwhile, George also came to the rescue of his other longtime backing singer Jo Garland
, who was once left distraught after three-months rent in cash went missing
Jay Henry
, who completes the trio of George's backing singers, noted how the popstar 'hated' the fame side of his career and his acts of kindness was a way of 'enjoying fame'
When her first attempt at IVF resulted in a miscarriage the singer sent her flowers, but she still did not know the mystery benefactor's identity.
The couple saved up to pay for a second round of IVF, using the frozen eggs from the first round made possible by George.
Their daughter Betsey was conceived, but it was only after she was born that they discovered the identity of the mystery donor.
Jo recalled in 2017: 'It was a couple of days after we came home with Betsy and we had loads of cards and flowers, and there was a massive bouquet of flowers that came and I read the card - me and my husband read it hundreds of times to believe it.'
George Michael (pictured left, with Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley) made an anonymous donation of £15,000 to help a Deal Or No Deal contestant with IVF treatment
Jo Maidment, who also received an anonymous donation from George Michael, paid tribute to him - she is pictured on ITV's This Morning in July 2012 before his involvement was known
Other social media posts following George Michael's death included anecdotes about him
spontaneously paying off strangers' debts.
One person posted how he had overheard a distraught woman in a café discussing her financial woes, before writing a cheque for £25,000 and giving it to a waitress to hand over.
The staff member was reportedly given strict instructions only to present the cheque once the star had left.
And journalist Sali Hughes posted: 'I wrote in a piece ages about a celeb I'd worked with tipping a barmaid £5k because she was a student nurse in debt. Was George Michael.'
but you know when you just HEAR it and appreciate it.
. Loved Sat night though, George on TOTP singing Club Tropicana with shorts and open shirt, gorgeous man. I make my husband and daughter raise a glass to George every Christmas Day, bless them they go along with it as well
.. But I remember that shopping trip and playing my record when I got home. 