George Michael: 'I'm Incredibly Fortunate to Be Alive'

George Michael holds a press conference outside his home in London.

Neil Mockford/Getty Images

George Michael told reporters outside his home in London yesterday that he his very thankful to his doctors for getting him through a "touch and go" battle with pneumonia at a hospital in Vienna. The pop star, who appeared gaunt and visibly weak after several weeks in bed, was discharged from the Vienna General Hospital on Wednesday.

"I got streptococca-something," the singer told reporters. "It's a form of pneumonia and they spent three weeks keeping me alive basically." Michael was hospitalized late last month, resulting in the cancellation of the remainder of the tour dates on his Symphonica orchestral tour. "It was basically by far the worst month of my life but I'm incredibly, incredibly fortunate to be here," he said. "If I wasn't spiritual enough before the last four, five weeks then I certainly am now."

Michael added, "I'm very weak, but I feel amazing. I've spent the last 10 days since I woke up literally thanking people for saving my life, which is something I've never had to do before and never want to have to do again."

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Song Stories

“Push It”

Salt-N-Pepa | 1987

Originating as a B side to their cover of the Stax classic “Tramp,” Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandi “Pepa” Denton and Dee Dee “DJ Spinderella” Roper came up with the goods on this career-making, Grammy-nominated platinum single about working it on the dancefloor. “Push It” has been sampled and spliced to death since it debuted in 1987, yet the original track is as fresh and fly as when SNP — among the few original women of hip-hop — debuted it. “Most men will never believe ‘Push It’ was never about sex,” said James. “And that’s why the record went to Number One,” said Denton. “Everybody thought it was about sex.”

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