George Michael Feeling Well Enough to Drink, Rip Extremist Christians Who Prayed for His Death

George Michael rips the extremist groups who prayed for his death while he was gravely ill with pneumonia recently in a Vienna hospital:.

Tweeted Michael:

"Speaking of which, did you know that while I was fighting for my life in Austria there were a bunch of those lovely American 'Christian' ... organisations, who call themselves 'Christians for a Moral America',who were actually taking the time to pray for me to die...check this out ... Radicals Condemned for Praying for George Michael to Die ... How very sweet of them, considering how busy they must be on the whole. Now don't get me wrong, I know for a fact that many devout christians, such as the ones I work rest and play with on a daily basis, are truly wonderful, kind hearted men and women who take the best parts of that religion and live admirable, generous and loving lives. But In my opinion, and i think made evident by those who prayed for my death, there are others who use their twisted interpretations of ancient scriptures as a pathetic excuse to be.......wait for it, wait for it.......! Totally fucked up c**ksucking bastards. And not in a good way.......! Oh my GOD that felt good...... I must be getting BETTER ! Ok, I admit it, I've downed a couple of glasses of vino......life is GREAT ! I'd better go for dinner before I get in any more trouble. Love to you all, may 2012 be the BEST year we've known, not the last, after all x"

George Michael Gives Emotional Statement Outside London Home, Says He Almost Died from Pneumonia: VIDEO

An out-of-breath, emotional and physically fragile George Michael gave a brief press conference outside his London home today to speak about the pneumonia that almost killed him and explain to fans and the press why he tried to keep it quiet.

Said Michael: "It was by far the worst month of my life, but I am incredibly, incredibly fortunate to be here – and to have picked up the bug where I did...I got streptococca-something … It's a form of pneumonia and they spent three weeks keeping me alive basically."

Michael thanked all the fans who sent him support and the medical staff that kept him alive.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

George Michael's Family, Kenny Goss, Join Him at 'Bedside Vigil'

Singer George Michael's condition is slowly improving according to doctors, though it is still grave enough, apparently, that most of his family has come to join him at his bedside, the Irish Independent reports:

Specialists in Vienna, Dr Christoph Zielinski and Dr Thomas Staudinger, issued a statement today saying: "George Michael has severe community acquired pneumonia and is being treated as an inpatient. His condition has stabilised and he is responding to treatment. From the current point of view, the time until recovery cannot be estimated, but he will not be able to perform the rest of the tour. Besides medical treatment, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory."

The paper adds:

"He had been joined by his 75-year-old father Kyriacos Panayiotou, who is known as Jack Panos, as well as sisters Melanie, 49 and Yioda, 53. His former boyfriend, art dealer Kenny Goss, is also due to join the group in the Austrian capital shortly. The 48-year-old star’s boyfriend, hair stylist Fadi Fawaz, has kept a bedside vigil since the singer fell ill on Monday of last week."

UPDATED: George Michael's Condition Worsens

Recent news reports on George Michael's health are pretty grim. Yesterday, Andy reported that the star was hospitalized in Austria for severe pneumonia. Today, we have this, from The Vienna Times:

Doctors treating singer George Michael on the 13th floor of the Vienna AKH general hospital say his condition has worsened overnight ... He was taken by ambulance to the city's top Rudolfiner private hospital in the 19th district of the city, where a decision was taken to move him to the main general hospital - the AKH.

The hospital refused to say why the star was moved but it is believed it was decided that the singer's condition was so acute that it would be better if he was moved to the AKH - the biggest in Europe and where many of the continent's top medical experts are based because of the advanced facilities it offers for research as well as treatment.

... [Michael] is currently in intensive care on the 13th floor of the red tower as a result of heart problems believed to be caused by the shortage of oxygen caused by his pneumonia.

On Thursday afternoon he was fitted into a special full-body bed designed to keep all the pressure off his lungs and to help them to function - so far without any sign of improvement.

UPDATE: Not all sources are in agreement on the state of Michael's health. The Daily Mail quotes doctors from the Medical University of Vienna saying Michael's "condition has stabilised and he is responding to treatment."

Here's hoping. But even if the doctors' optimistic assessments are true, the 48-year-old singer will be unable to complete his Symphonica tour, of which 14 dates remain. The doctors offer no estimates of the length of Michael's recovery, but insist that for however long it lasts, "complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory."

George Michael Apologizes, Reveals Split with Longtime Partner Kenny Goss: VIDEO

At the opening night of his Symphonica Tour in Prague, George Michael revealed that substance abuse issues had led to his split from longtime partner Kenny Goss, and that he had been keeping quiet about it for a number of years. Goss and Michael had been together since 1996.

I tracked down the clip of Michael's comments.

Listen to Michael tell the audience in Prague and perform the song, AFTER THE JUMP...

Said Michael:

"I'm so sorry for any pain that I've caused him or that he's caused back. So sorry that things have worked out the way they have. But in truth, Kenny and I have not been together for about two and a half years. All I can say is that I love him very much but sometimes people really should know when their demons are more interested in each other than they are. This man has brought me a lot of joy and a lot of pain as is the case in so many relationships, but I just wanted to focus time to be honest about that...My love life is a little more turbulent that I have let on..."

Michael then introduced a new song that he wrote about Kenny called "Where I Hope You Are."

Listen to Michael tell the audience in Prague and perform the song, AFTER THE JUMP...

George Michael Announces Orchestral Tour, Says That He Has Let Young Gay People Down

A cleaned-up George Michael held a press conference this morning to announce "Symphonica -- The Orchestral Tour" in which he'll play 47 dates with a full orchestra beginning at the State Opera House in Prague on August 22.

Michael also told reporters that he would be recording a "dance-themed" album featuring other gay artists, the AP reports:

"In terms of staying on the straight and narrow, then there's nothing better than work that you love...So I thought I should tour sooner rather than later, to keep that impetus, to keep driving me to take care of myself and to appreciate what I have. [Michael said that when he made mistakes, he was] letting young gay people down [due to the] homophobia that was thrown at me [and wanted to] defend gay children from some of that language...There are things about this next album where I am going to try and make up for some of the damage that I have inadvertently caused."

Watch some (and listen to all) of his press conference, AFTER THE JUMP...