These pics were taken in mid-September at a restaurant in England, and it's apparent the singer had gained a tremendous amount of weight.

He was rarely seen out in the months before his death.

As we reported, Michael died in his sleep on Christmas Day from heart failure. He had a tradition of attending Midnight Mass at a church near his home, but he was a no-show Sunday.

Michael was working on a Showtime movie about his life, which is due out in March.