Wham! were an English musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band.
Wham! have sold more than 25 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to 1986.
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, 25 June 1963) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Michael rose to superstardom during the 1980s and 1990s with his style of post-disco dance-pop. He has also been characterized as a blue-eyed soul singer, although his material draws more from middle-of-the-road pop than soul music.
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As one of the world’s best-selling music artists, Michael has sold more than 100 million records worldwide as of 2010. His 1987 debut solo album, Faith, has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and made several records and achievements in the United States. Michael has garnered seven number one singles in the UK and eight number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Michael the 40th most successful artist on the Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists list.
Since retiring from active music-making, Ridgeley has remained active in music-writing under various pseudonyms.[15] Since 1982, he has reportedly amassed £10 million from sales and royalties of records. Although the single “Careless Whisper” was issued as a George Michael solo piece, it was credited as being co-written by Ridgeley. It has sold six million copies worldwide and, to date, is the 34th best-selling single of all time in the United Kingdom, having sold over 1.3 million copies. Ridgeley still benefits financially from receiving thousands of pounds per annum from his share of “Careless Whisper” royalties alone.
George Michael alludes to Ridgeley in his songs “Freedom ’90” (“Heaven knows we sure had some fun boy, What a kick just a buddy and me”) and “Round Here” (“Andy says it’s time to show them all – round here. Please Sir, we two have other plans… “). In the 2007 American film Music and Lyrics, Hugh Grant plays “Alex Fletcher” of ’80s band Pop!, a thinly-disguised Ridgeley.
Ridgeley now lives near Wadebridge, Cornwall, United Kingdom, in a restored 15th century farm property with his partner Keren Woodward, a member of the band Bananarama.
