Wham!

Wham!
Company type	Duo
Industry	Music
Founded	1981 in Bushey, England
Founder	George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley
Headquarters	Bushey, England
Products	Pop music recordings and performances

Wham! was an English pop duo originating from Bushey in 1981, composed of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They emerged as one of the 1980s' most prominent pop acts, achieving sales exceeding 30 million certified records globally between 1982 and 1986. Linked to the MTV-fueled Second British Invasion in the United States, their chart-topping singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 included "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Careless Whisper," and "Everything She Wants." Their 1984 festive track "Last Christmas" has become a perennial holiday favorite, with all earnings directed to charitable causes.

Drawing inspiration from funk and soul genres, Wham!'s 1983 debut album, Fantastic, tackled themes such as youth unemployment in the UK and adolescent struggles. Their following album in 1984, Make It Big, achieved worldwide pop acclaim, securing number one positions in both the UK and US charts. In a historic move in 1985, Wham! embarked on a groundbreaking ten-day tour in China—the first Western pop band to do so—enhancing cultural exchange and diplomatic relations.

The duo parted ways in 1986 as Michael aimed to target a more adult demographic beyond their initial teenage fanbase. Prior to their split, they released a farewell single titled "The Edge of Heaven," compiled a greatest-hits collection named The Final, and held a concluding concert also called The Final.

Formation

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley first crossed paths in 1975 at Bushey Meads School near Watford, Hertfordshire. Their early collaboration included performing in a brief-lived ska group called the Executive alongside former classmates such as David Mortimer (later known professionally as David Austin). Talent scout Michael Burdett from Sparta Florida Music Group heard their rehearsal recordings but decided not to sign them. Nevertheless, Burdett arranged studio time near St Albans for them to produce their initial demo, which featured "Rude Boy"—the first song co-written by Michael and Ridgeley—and a ska adaptation of "Für Elise."

Following the dissolution of the Executive, Michael and Ridgeley established Wham!. According to Ridgeley, the name embodied their spirited energy and camaraderie: "Wham! was snappy, immediate, fun and boisterous." The British design agency Stylorouge contributed by adding the exclamation mark to their name.

Ridgeley was proactive in seeking recording prospects, often handing demo tapes to Mark Dean of Innervision Records at a neighborhood pub. In February 1982, Dean extended a recording contract offer through his newly formed label Innervision: "I'd like you to have a crack at recording a single or two and we'll see what happens."

While initially collaborating on songs such as "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" and "Club Tropicana," they later recognized Michael as the primary songwriter who assumed creative leadership during the production of their debut album, Fantastic. As teenagers, they cultivated an image of carefree indulgence, which was mirrored in early singles blending satire with social critique—briefly earning them recognition as a dance protest band. Their first single "Wham Rap!" released in June 1982 reached No. 105 on the charts. In September 1982, "Young Guns (Go for It)" came out; although it initially failed to enter the UK Top 40, its unexpected feature on BBC's Top of the Pops significantly increased its visibility.

Growth in success and legal challenges with Innervision

Wham!'s initial management was handled by Bryan Morrison. Their first television appearance performing "Young Guns (Go for It)" on Top of the Pops quickly drew widespread attention. The unique style of Michael and Ridgley contributed to the track climbing to No. 3 on the UK singles chart by December. Dee C. Lee, who originally provided backing vocals, departed to join Paul Weller's the Style Council, and Helen 'Pepsi' DeMacque took her place; later, Holliman and DeMacque formed the duo Pepsi & Shirlie. Wham! continued releasing singles such as "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)", "Bad Boys", and "Club Tropicana". By the end of 1983, they were recognized as one of Britain's leading pop groups, with their debut album, Fantastic, spending two weeks at the top of the UK album charts, though its impact in the US was limited.

Ridgley soon uncovered contractual legal problems with their original deal under Innervision. During this dispute, Innervision issued a medley called "Club Fantastic Megamix", which Wham! openly opposed. The conflict was eventually resolved through an out-of-court agreement.

Transition to Epic Records and ongoing achievements

After settling the dispute, Innervision's distributor, CBS Records, took over Wham!'s contract, assigning them to Columbia in the United States and Epic internationally. In 1984, Wham! refreshed their image and released "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", which became their first chart-topping single in both the UK and US, supported by an iconic video featuring Pepsi and Shirlie sporting Katharine Hamnett slogan T-shirts.

The following release, "Careless Whisper", featured Michael solo in its video and was marketed either as "Wham! featuring George Michael" or as a solo project. This ballad represented a deliberate departure from Wham!'s earlier style, achieving No. 1 status and selling over 1.3 million copies in the UK. This success marked the beginning of a period where Michael’s solo capabilities were increasingly highlighted by their record labels.

The subsequent single, "Freedom", was promoted under the Wham! name and accompanied by footage from their China tour during its US release in July 1985. Their sophomore album, Make It Big, reached No. 1 on album charts and supported a large-scale arena tour launched in late 1984.

The double A-side single "Last Christmas" / "Everything She Wants" became the highest-selling UK single to peak at No. 2, having sold over 1.9 million copies by 2020. All royalties from this release were donated by Wham! to aid Ethiopian famine relief efforts, aligning with Band Aid’s charitable initiatives—whose own single prevented them from reaching No. 1. Remarkably, in 1984 Michael achieved UK No. 1 positions as a solo artist, as part of Wham!, and within Band Aid. On the US Billboard Year-End Hot 100, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" ranked third while "Careless Whisper" topped the chart for that year.

China visit (1985)

In March 1985, Wham! paused recording activities to embark on a world tour that included a groundbreaking ten-day trip to China—the first Western pop band to perform there. This visit was orchestrated as a strategic publicity move by manager Simon Napier-Bell alongside co-manager Jazz Summers. They held concerts at Beijing's Peoples' Gymnasium for an audience of 12,000 and later performed in Canton before 5,000 attendees; both shows were unpaid engagements. The trip attracted widespread international media attention. Napier-Bell later revealed that they used two contrasting promotional brochures aimed at Chinese officials: one depicting Wham!'s fans as middle-class youth and another showing Queen’s frontman Freddie Mercury in flamboyant poses; ultimately, China favored Wham!.

British filmmaker Lindsay Anderson documented this journey through the film If You Were There. However, Wham!'s management dismissed Anderson during post-production, resulting in a re-edited version released as Wham! in China: Foreign Skies. Andy Stephens, George Michael’s manager, subsequently criticized Anderson’s original cut as inferior and unsuitable for distribution. Nevertheless, critic John Harris later described it as "a rich, poetic, panoramic portrait" capturing China’s unfamiliarity for Western audiences.

Live Aid (1985)

On 13 July 1985, Michael appeared at Live Aid alongside Ridgeley, though not performing as Wham!. Michael delivered a rendition of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" together with Elton John, while Ridgeley contributed backing vocals alongside Kiki Dee. Later that year in November, Wham! released the single "I'm Your Man", which climbed to No. 1 on the UK charts.

During this timeframe, Ridgeley began a relationship with Keren Woodward of Bananarama and took up rally driving as a hobby. The festive track "Last Christmas" was reissued for the holiday season, reaching No. 6 in the UK charts. Michael also broadened his collaborative efforts by providing backing vocals for David Cassidy’s "The Last Kiss" and sharing lead vocals with Elton John on the singles "Nikita" (which peaked at UK No. 3) and "Wrap Her Up" (UK No. 12).

Break-up (1986)

Michael sought to develop music that appealed to a more mature audience, prompting him and Ridgeley to formally announce Wham!'s dissolution in spring 1986. Prior to disbanding, they released a farewell single titled "The Edge of Heaven", a greatest hits double album The Final, and staged a farewell concert at London's Wembley Stadium known as The Final. Michael referred to their split as "the most amicable in pop history."

The farewell single reached the top spot in June 1986. Their last US single was a cover of Was (Not Was)’s "Where Did Your Heart Go?". Although The Final was not issued in North America, Columbia Records released a condensed compilation called Music from the Edge of Heaven, featuring an alternative track list.

Wham!'s final live performance took place on 28 June 1986 at Wembley Stadium before an audience of 72,000 during an eight-hour show. Over their five-year career, the duo sold upwards of 28 million records and 15 million singles. The concert also marked the debut of Foreign Skies, their documentary chronicling the China tour.

Post-Wham! and Michael's death

In January 1991, Ridgeley joined Michael on stage at Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival. Sony Music later released two Wham! greatest hits collections: The Best of Wham!: If You Were There... in 1997 and The Singles: Echoes from the Edge of Heaven in 2023.

On 21 November 2009, a Wham!-themed evening was broadcast on the UK’s The X Factor. Michael subsequently performed a duet with finalist Joe McElderry during the show's finale.

In 2012, Michael dismissed speculation about a Wham! reunion to mark the group's 30th anniversary.

Michael passed away from heart and liver complications at his residence in Oxfordshire on Christmas Day 2016 at age 53. Ridgeley honored him on Twitter, referring to him as "my beloved friend Yog." In November 2023, Michael was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, with Ridgeley presenting at the ceremony.

Discography

Filmography

Wham! in China: Foreign Skies (1986)
Wham! (2023)
Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped (2024)

Tours and Performances

Club Fantastic Tour (1983)
The Big Tour (1984–1985)
Whamamerica! (1985)
The Final (1986)

External links