Wham! was one of the biggest musical acts of the ’80s. We thought we knew them, but we didn’t.
Now, Andrew Ridgely is telling the story about his best mate George Michael, the music they made, the fun they had, and the mayhem that came with being a top-selling band.
In 1982, the best of friends and still teenagers – George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley as WHAM! set out to conquer the world. By June of 1986, they played their very last gig at Wembley Stadium having done exactly that. Now for the very first time, told in their own words, the amazing story of how in four years they dominated the charts around the world with timeless and classic pop songs. Hit after hit – Club Tropicana, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Freedom, I’m Your Man, and of course Last Christmas. Their time in the spotlight was white-hot, becoming the very first Western pop act to play in China. It was a time that both encapsulated and epitomized not just their youth, but also those of the many millions of fans that adored them. With unprecedented access to both George and Andrew’s personal archive including remarkable and never-before-seen footage, alongside rare, candid and previously unheard interviews, WHAM! charts their incredible journey from school friends to superstars.
As a fan of Wham! since they were Bad Boys, I cannot wait to learn their story. And watch them go from unknowns to the two of the most known men of an era.
It seems like it was just yesterday we found out who was going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but it turns out it was a year ago. And what a year it was. Duran Duran was finally inducted, and Dolly Parton and Dionne Warwick tried to bow out of their nominations.
Hopefully, this year will go easier for the Cleveland museum. So who did they nominate? They are Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper. George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, The Spinners, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes, and Warren Zevon.
I have my favorites, like the girl who just wants to have fun, the man who gives me the faith, the faith, the faith, and the band I get down on my knees for. However, there are several worthy candidates like Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, and Iron Maiden.
Now you know who has my vote, who has yours? You have until April 28th to vote here.
The 8 future Hall of Famers will be announced in May. Good luck to them all.
George Michael’s song Last Christmas is being turned into a movie, but I don’t see it from the trailer. Do you?
Maybe the plot will help convince us, “Kate (Emilia Clarke) harumphs around London, a bundle of bad decisions accompanied by the jangle of bells on her shoes, another irritating consequence from her job as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. Tom (Henry Golding) seems too good to be true when he walks into her life and starts to see through so many of Kate’s barriers. As London transforms into the most wonderful time of the year, nothing should work for these two. But sometimes, you gotta let the snow fall where it may, you gotta listen to your heart.”
I don’t think it is as much about listening to your heart as him listening to his lover’s heart that is in her body. You know because last Christmas he gave her a heart…
It is not that I don’t want to see the film that comes out on November 18th. I just wish they did not tie it in with the classic holiday tune. Just say it a seasonal movie about heart.
Before George Michael was the main focus, he was just a random dancer in the background of Spandau Ballet’s documentary Soul Boys of the Western World. You could tell that back in 1981 that 17 year old was going to be the star he became.
What’s interesting is that George Michael’s Wham bandmate Shirlie Holliman married the lead singer of Spandau Ballet, Martin Kemp, so it is all connected!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_hde7tRHVQ
Tonight was The Brits and they honored a great Brit who passed away on Christmas Day. Our world were rocked when we heard that George Michael died but not as much as it was for the band members from Wham. Andrew Ridgeley, Shirlie Holliman and Pepsi spoke about the friend, bandmate and brother during the music awards show and we got to know more about the singer whose voice we knew so well.
When they were done eulogizing him so beautifully, Chris Martin sang A Different Corner. The takeaway is that he is no George Michael, so stop watching after the three of them tosses to him. The rest of it though, gave us fans some closure. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to someone whose music influenced our lives. That and it was fantastic to see the surviving members of Wham!
