Who is George Michael’s friend Andrew Ridgeley and where is he now?
ANDREW RIDGELEY was one-half of the iconic 80s pop duo Wham! alongside the late George Michael.
The former schoolmates had smash hits and adoring fans all over the world — and they're still topping the charts 40 years later.
Who is Andrew Ridgeley?
Musician Andrew Ridgeley was born in Windlesham, Surrey, on January 26, 1963.
Ridgely grew up in Bushey, Hertfordshire, attending Bushey Meads school where he met future bandmate and close friend George Michael.
George was born in London his family moved to Hertfordshire when he was in his early teens.
The pair performed together for years in other bands before forming Wham!
How did Wham! form and how successful were they?
Andrew and George were members of a short-lived ska band called The Executive, before forming Wham! in 1981.
Wham! signed with Innervision Records after sending a homemade demo which they recorded in ten minutes in Andrew's bedroom.
The duo hit the big time and went on to sell a staggering 25 million records across three albums, and had huge hits in the UK and US with beloved songs including Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, I'm Your Man and the iconic seasonal classic, Last Christmas.
Wham! made history by becoming the first Western pop group to tour China, with ten dates as part of their 1985 world tour.
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George's solo career took off following the release of hit single Careless Whisper and as a result, Wham! announced they were breaking up in 1986.
The duo said goodbye to their fans with a blockbuster 8-hour show at Wembley Stadium and George later described the breakup as "the most amicable split in pop history".
Where is Andrew Ridgeley now?
Andrew left the music industry for a time after Wham! split, and he even moved to Monaco to try out Formula Three motor racing driver.
He then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
Andrew moved back to the UK in 1990 and released his only solo album, Son Of Albert.
Ridgeley has amassed a fortune of more than £10 million in royalties from his Wham! career, a significant portion coming from a co-writing credit on George Michael's solo track Careless Whisper.
It is believed that Andrew still works in the music industry by songwriting under a pseudonym.
He has been invited to be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing several times.
Is Andrew Ridgeley married?
Andrew was famously in a relationship with fellow 80s popstar Keren Woodward, who was in the girl band Bananarama, for over 25 years — the pair never married and split in 2017.
The former couple got together in 1990 and lived in Wadebridge in Cornwall, with with her son, Thomas, from a previous relationship with the model David-Scott Evans.
In 2022 it was reported that Andrew had found love again with former model Amanda Cronin, though they then split in 2023.
What did Andrew Ridgeley say about George Michael's death?
After George’s shocking death on Christmas Day, 2016, Andrew tweeted heartbroken tributes to his friend and former bandmate.
He said: “Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog.
“Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved. A xx”
Andrew and Wham! backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie also gave a moving tribute to the star at the 2017 Brit Awards.
Ridgeley said: "On Christmas Day 2016, the greatest singer-songwriter of his generation, an icon of his era, George Michael, was lost.
"A supernova in the shining stars had been extinguished and it felt like the sky had fallen in.”
And backstage at the Brits, Andrew told the that the delay of George’s funeral had been difficult.
He said: "We've not had closure. It's difficult for me. It's difficult for everyone. It's a limbo period and we need to be able to move on."
Plans for a funeral were delayed by the need for further toxicology tests but eventually, the ceremony took place on March 29, 2017.
In July 2023, marking the band's 400th anniversary, Netflix released a documentary about Wham!
In the run up to its release, Ridgeley revealed that the last time he was with George was over a game of Scrabble.
He told : "He'd beaten me the week before, and I was exacting my revenge.
"It took us right back to just...the essence of our schoolboy friendship and one-upmanship. It was a game that stimulated him, and me also."
Did Andrew Ridgeley attend George Michael's funeral?
Three months after his tragic death on Christmas Day, George was laid to rest in North London, with Andrew among the guests at the funeral.
The intimate service, attended by family and close friends, was held in the tiny, 30-seat chapel at Highgate West Cemetery.
Family members in attendance at the funeral included George's father and his two older sisters, Yioda and Melanie.
Among the other guests were George's former Wham! bandmates Helen "Pepsi" DeMacque and Shirlie Holliman, Spandau Ballet's star Martin Kemp, and George's boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz.