George Michael thanks hospital for life

London - Singer George Michael says he's recovered from a life-threatening bout with pneumonia.

He said on Friday outside his London home that it was "touch and go" for a while and thanked the staff at an Austrian hospital for keeping him alive in the intensive care unit.

Michael looked weak and sounded short of breath in his brief meeting with reporters. He also looked as if he had lost weight.

He had been in the hospital since late in November. The singer says he woke up 10 days ago but did not provide further details.

Michael said he had "played down" his illness to avoid upsetting his fans. The illness forced Michael to cancel an extensive tour.