Music Mariah Carey calls George Michael an 'inspiration' The singer tweeted a picture of her and the late star By Christian Holub Christian Holub Christian Holub is a writer covering comics and other geeky pop culture. He's still mad about 'Firefly' getting canceled. EW's editorial guidelines Published on December 26, 2016 12:55PM EST Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images; Paul Zimmerman/WireImage George Michael passed away on Sunday, but his legacy of pop stardom lives on. Singer Mariah Carey tweeted a tribute to the late star on Monday, calling him a “friend” and “inspiration.” “George Michael, you were such an inspiration,” Carey wrote. “You were such an inspiration. I’m honored to have not only been your fan, but a friend as well. May you rest in peace.” Carey accompanied the tweet with tearful and broken-hearted emojis and a picture of her and Michael smiling during a group dinner at a fancy restaurant. Carey recorded a cover of Michael’s 1988 hit, “One More Try,” in 2014, and Michael was touched. “@MariahCarey thank u for recording One more try. Such an honour 2 have one of the best voices in the world singing my song,” he wrote on Twitter at the time. Carey joins other pop luminaries like Paul McCartney and Madonna in paying tribute to Michael.