LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — The family of the late pop star George Michael have blocked the use of the performer's name in conjunction with a charity concert.
According to the Daily Mirror, Michael was due to be honored by be honored by Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen but she was forced to scrap the event after the singer's family declined to participate.
The show had already been booked to take place at London's Royal Albert Hall, however, in an interview with the Mirror, Rantzen said the show had been called off.
“‘There will no longer be a tribute concert because his family said no,” she said. “It was a real shame as I’d have loved to celebrate his music and give the fans a chance to say goodbye – and it would have been to benefit his favourite charity, too," Rantzen told the paper.
“Once the family say no there’s nothing we can do," she added.
Representatives for Michael's estate declined to elaborate on their decision not to support the charity, telling the Mirror: “We don’t usually comment on private or business matters.”
Childline is a free 24-hour counseling service for children and young adults in the United Kingdom provided by the NSPCC. They accept child abuse referrals and general child well-being concerns, and transmit the information quickly to the appropriate investigating agency. While he was alive, Michael supported the charity, giving them £2 million in proceeds from his 1996 single 'Jesus to a Child.'
