George Michael’s death: What became Andrew Ridgeley, the other half of Wham! ?

International 26 December, 2016

If George Michael spent his life in the light, it was not the case with Andrew Ridgeley, his sidekick duo Wham!. While the interpreter I want your sex continued to occupy, solo, the top of the charts, the former guitarist put in 1991, an end to his musical career.
1975, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou is 12, he meets Andrew Ridgeley at the Bushey Meads School in Hertfordshire. The two children barely teenagers do not yet know they will be a few years later as heroes of the English pop, just like Duran Duran and Culture Club , who disputed the first place on the charts at the same time. From 1982 to 1986, Wham! Sells more than 25 million albums. The two friends walk their ultrabright smile and impeccable brushing around the world. Then comes the time to say goodbye.
While George Michael hit at hit parade with his first solo album Faith which contains a medley of tubes such as I Want Your Sex , Father Figure and the title track, Andrew Ridgeley looks at his old crony access the firmament, without finding another conversion Than that of … racing driver in Monaco. A passion that should have remained at the leisure stage, the young man having destroyed a number of cars without ever landing a promising sponsor to offer him the contract he hoped for.
Then destination the United States to resume the thread of his career of singer. Andrew Ridgeley recorded his disc Son of Albert with his brother Paul, occasional drummer Bananarama . But on release, the album is demolished by criticism. The hours of glory are past and far away is now the time when with George Michael, he took the record companies with a demo tape of 10 minutes recorded in his parents’ lounge. The desire is no longer there, so after his American wanderings Andrew Ridgeley decides to retire musical in 1991 and to return to England.
Andrew Ridgeley will remain a man of the shadow. Credited by mistake or for real, to write the Tubissime Careless Whisper by George Michael , he will succeed still in touch for years of beautiful royalties. In addition the rights of tubes of Wham! Assured him a fortune valued at 13 million euros. He now lives in Cornwall, in a restored farmhouse from the 15 th century, together, ironically, Keren Woodward, a member of the group Bananarama . A snub to the history of Wham! since the group’s record label had long before George Michael makes his coming out , invented from scratch a romance between the star and Keren Woodward.
For years, many have been fans of Wham! To hope for a reformation of the duo. And it almost happened in 2005 but Andrew Ridgeley will finally give up the project at the very last moment. However the group would, according to the Daily Mail , anyway reformed in 2012 during a performance done on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. Also in 2014, The Mirror reported that one of the biggest regrets of George Michael was to end Wham!. The artist who was hoping to reconvene with Andrew Ridgeley for a concert at the Glastonbury Festival.
The latter who kept George Michael for a great friendship, was quick to share his sadness at the death of this one , referring to Twitter, ” broken heart ” after the death of ” his friend well loved “.