Michael: 'Music saved me from depression'

George Michael has revealed that his love of music helped guide him through problems in his personal life.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Michael disclosed that his rise to fame in his 20s coincided with private turmoil.

Speaking about the loss of partner Anselmo Feleppa, he said: "It was a terribly depressing time. I had my very first relationship at 27 because I really had not actually come to terms with my sexuality until I was 24.

"I lost my partner to HIV then it took about three years to grieve, then after that I lost my mother. I felt almost like I was cursed.

"The only thing that got me through it was my music. It survived. I wrote very, very little, but the little I wrote did well and kept my head above water. It was depression and shock which just went on for years."

The 'Careless Whisper' singer is currently nearing the end of a seven-week US tour, with dates in six more cities - including Philadelphia, Boston and Washington – still to come.