Wham! Bassist Deon Estus Dead At 65
Deon Estus, the longtime bass player for Wham! and George Michael, passed away on Monday (October 11). He was 65.
"It is with real sadness I post that Deon Estus passed away this morning," a post reads on Estus' Twitter account. "Deon was mostly known as the third member of Wham! Deon was passionate about music and loved interacting with his loyal fans."
On Monday, Estus’ partner Brenda Kaye Pearce shared a message on Facebook about his death: "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."
Estus was born in Detroit in 1956 and is perhaps best known for the 1989 hit “Heaven Help Me,” which was co-written and featured background vocals from Michael, peaked at No. 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Adult Contemporary charts.
In addition to his work with Wham! and George Michael, Estus played bass with Tina Turner, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Frank Zappa and Annie Lennox, according to his bio.
