Following the release of Netflix documentary Wham! about popular British pop duo Wham!, many fans are questioning where Andrew Ridgeley now is.
Ridgeley met schoolmate George Michael while at school and together formed one of the most iconic British acts ever: Wham!. A young Michael describes their first meeting: “We met when I was 11 and Andrew was 12”, according to archive footage in Wham! trailer. Years later, an older Ridgeley recalls: “there was only ever one thing I ever wanted – playing music with George”. Ridgeley stated, referring back to herself “Andrew changed my life exactly in ways it needed changing if I were ever going to become pop star”. “Careless Whisper” singer admittedly:
Related Stories (Below)
George Michael Died on Christmas: What Was His Cause Of Demise
Ginseng and Caffeine Toning Body Gel for Weight Control.
Cult Favorite Skin-Tightening Body Product Now Comes in Weightless Gel Formula
Since Wham!’s split, Andrew Ridgeley has mostly kept out of the spotlight and hidden from public view. So where exactly has Andrew been hiding all this time? Read further to find out.
Where is Andrew Ridgeley now?
Andrew Ridgeley can now be seen appearing in WHAM!, available exclusively through Netflix. Within recent years he has participated in multiple Wham!-related projects such as his memoir Wham! : George Michael and Me and Last Christmas (based off Michael’s discography ).
Since Wham! disbanded, George Michael has kept a low profile. While enjoying country life with former Bananarama partner Keren Woodward from Bananarama, “there won’t be any turning back; instead I look forward to celebrating some of Wham!’s milestones this year in one form or another and helping promote its legacy,” according to an interview in The Los Angeles Times. Michael notes “Yog [George Michael’s nickname] would want Wham! to stay at the forefront of people’s memories; that’s something big part of what I plan to be doing in years ahead – just when he thought he could relax into retirement with no responsibility to work again!”
Shirlie Kemp of Wham! fame shared with New York Times why Ridgeley remains out of public view: Wham! was “everything he wanted”. No other artist “was on par intellectually and with sense of humor as Andrew. That relationship between George and Andrew was the best I had seen any artist have.” After Wham!’s demise, Ridgeley competed briefly in Formula 3 racing before releasing an album Son Of Albert which failed to chart in UK charts.
Ridgely noted to the newspaper, “it never quite registered that we’d accomplished as much success as those artists that we revered so greatly when growing up,” including Elton John who played at Wembley Stadium – yet somehow you never truly feel equal in your mind.” According to him, all he ever wanted from age 14 onward was being part of a band performing songs and writing new ones while never caring much for fame or celebrity; these factors never provided motivation either way for either him nor Ridgely.
Ridgeley explained to Yahoo! about their joint decision to pursue new paths and move onto different projects; “He and I both knew, even at that early point, that his future lay outside Wham!,” Ridgeley noted. Wham!’s songwriting restrictions had become too restrictive as George Michael developed as an artist – they simply could no longer write songs just for Wham! as Wham! had become symbolic of our youthful friendship at that point but both parties were maturing into adults over time.
As Wham! began to unfold quickly, its career became clear to us that its lifespan would soon come to a close. Wham! represented so much about who we were at the time – our early adult years that were being captured within its confines – so it soon became evident that its reign would come to an end.”
After Wham!’s disbandment, Ridgeley and Martin formed an unspoken agreement: we would never reform it because its time had come and gone.” Their friendship had always been part of what made Wham! so special; writing songs was only half the battle!
George Michael passed away peacefully at home over Christmas period on December 25, 2016, his representative Michael Lipmann confirmed to BBC at that time and expressed great sorrow over his passing. On Christmas morning they received word that Michael could be found sleeping peacefully “in bed”.
People recently spoke with Ridgeley ahead of the premiere of Wham! documentary and his last moments playing Scrabble with Michael. According to him, his best friend “was an avid Scrabble player and we would regularly have games together.
“He had defeated me the week prior, so I exacted my revenge.” This exchange brought them both back to their schoolboy friendship and one-upmanship dynamics; stimulating both parties involved with this game of one upmanship.
Ridgeley described George Michael’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction as an honor and believes he would feel similarly. According to CNN, Michael would likely share their pride of his recognition among peers: he knew its meaning well enough and is fully deserving of such recognition from them all. In 2023 he will join them, Ridgeley believes they owe it them both great thanks for being part of history’s best.
“He is truly one of the greats,” Ridgeley noted, noting in her tribute at the BRITs that they held “an exceptional position as icons of modern music”. In Ridgeley’s words: “His legend endures today as many do not compare.” Ridgeley added: “In his prime he stood alone among singer/songwriters and there weren’t too many who could come close. There’s only so many that could rival him!”
