The Tragic Death Of Wham! Bassist Deon Estus
Deon Estus — a legendary bassist and longtime member of Wham! — has died, the New York Post reports. The 65-year-old musician's death was confirmed on October 11 via his official Twitter account with a somber tweet that 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 is survived by his partner, Brenda Kaye Pearce, who also posted an online tribute to remember the Wham! bassist. "My dearest, closest partner and significant other of 4 years transitioned and all I can remember is our last conversation the day before," Pearce penned in a solemn Facebook post. "My heart will need time to heal. R.I.P. Deon. Love you forever."
As reported by the New York Post, Estus enjoyed a successful career during his time on this earth, working with the legendary English duo Wham! — consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley — for decades. He also performed with many other greats including the famed Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner, Frank Zappa, and Elton John.
Deon Estus knew George Michael since the singer was a teenager
Deon Estus enjoyed a long run working with British singer George Michael, famously joining the Wham! lead singer for his 1988 to 1989 "Faith" solo world tour. According to the New York Post, he remained in the Wham! universe ever since. That said, as Estus explained during a 2011 interview with the blog Like Totally 80s, he had been working with Michael since he was 16 or 17 years old.
"I went to Belgium in 1979 with Marvin Gaye. I left California and never came back to America; I stayed for 24 years. I lived in Belgium; from Belgium, I went to Dublin to work ..." He added, "I got the call from George Michael's publisher, Dick Leahy, about this young Greek guy. They asked me could I come over and help them write songs, sing, play bass, and get together with him. ... We had a great meeting, and we were together ever since," Estus dished.
Though Michael sadly died in 2016, Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley penned a loving tweet in remembrance of Estus where he described him as a "lavishly gifted bass guitarist, a charismatic & impish character & a rock of the WHAM! rhythm section." DJ Soul Sister also posted a tribute to Estus that read "RIP to soulful pioneer Deon Estus," nodding to Estus' early days playing with the band Brainstorm, and recent years with the band Switch. Our hearts go out to his family.