Andrew Ridgeley

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Andrew Ridgeley

Andrew Ridgeley in c. 1984-1985

Background information

Birth name Andrew John Ridgeley

Born 26 January 1963 (age 57)

Windlesham, Surrey, England

 Pop
Genres
 rock

Occupation(s)  Singer

 songwriter

 record producer

Instruments  Vocals

 guitar

Years active 1981–1991; 2018–present

 Labels  Epic

 Innervision

Associated acts  Wham!

 George Michael

Andrew John Ridgeley (born 26 January 1963)[1] is an English singer, songwriter, and
record producer, best known for his work in the 1980s as one half of the musical
duo Wham!.

Contents

 1Early life
 2Career
o 2.1Wham!
o 2.2Post-Wham!
 3Charitable work
 4Personal life
 5Autobiography
 6Discography
o 6.1Albums
o 6.2Singles
 7References
 8External links

Early life[edit]
Ridgeley was born in Windlesham,[1] Surrey, England, to parents Jennifer John (née
Dunlop) and Alberto Mario Zacharia (who later changed his surname to Ridgeley); his
mother is Scottish and his father is of Italian/Egyptian descent. [1] Ridgeley grew up
in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and attended Bushey Meads School.[1] His mother was a
schoolteacher at Bushey Heath Primary School while his father worked
for Canon.[1] When George Michael enrolled at school, Ridgeley volunteered to take him
under his wing.[1]

Career[edit]
After years of playing in various music groups, most notably The Executive,[2] Michael
and Ridgeley formed the duo Wham!. Michael was lead vocalist and primary songwriter
and played keyboards, while Ridgeley played guitar and performed backup
vocals.[3] They approached various record labels with a homemade tape – which took 10
minutes to record in Ridgeley's living room – and signed with Innervision
Records.[4] After one album the duo signed with CBS.
Wham![edit]
Main article: Wham!
Wham! enjoyed worldwide success from 1981 to 1986, selling more than 35 million
records worldwide;[5] they made their US debut on Dick Clark's American
Bandstand, becoming the only 1980s British act to have three No. 1 singles in both the
UK and US charts.[6]
In 1984, Ridgeley had rhinoplasty to reduce the size of his nose. After photos were
published in British newspapers showing Ridgeley's bandaged face, Wham!'s
manager, Simon Napier-Bell, fabricated a story that the bandages were the result of
Ridgeley having been hit on the nose in a nightclub. After days of tabloid headlines, the
true reason was revealed.[7] A year later, Ridgeley said he regretted the surgery, thinking
that his nose was now too small.[8]
In 1984, Wham! had two UK No. 1 singles and were competing that year with pop
rivals Duran Duran to be Britain's biggest pop act. Napier-Bell devised a publicity
scheme that he believed would turn them into major international stars: in April 1985, he
took Wham! to China for a 10-day visit. They gained huge worldwide media attention
when Wham! became the first Western pop group to play in China, in front of 15,000
people at the Worker's Gymnasium in Beijing. The visit was recorded for a documentary
film titled Wham! in China: Foreign Skies.[9][10] In 1985, Ridgeley performed at the Live
Aid charity concert next to backing singers like Kiki Dee while Michael performed
with Elton John.
By 1985, Ridgeley had developed a reputation as a party animal who regularly got
drunk at nightclubs; the British tabloids referred to him as "Animal Andy"; [8] he was
kicked out of the official party at the end of the Live Aid concert 1985 for his wild
behavior.[8]
In 1986, "The Edge of Heaven" became Wham!'s fourth and final UK No. 1 single. With
Michael keen to move into a more adult market, the duo broke up after a farewell
concert entitled "The Final" in front of 72,000 people at Wembley Stadium on Saturday
28 June 1986.
Post-Wham![edit]
On 27 January 1991, Ridgeley joined Michael on stage for a few songs at the encore of
his Rock in Rio event at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.[11]
Since 1991, Ridgeley has generally shunned the limelight, [12] but he did agree to give an
interview on camera for the first time since the split in a 2005 documentary, A Different
Story, about the life of George Michael.[13] Ridgeley also appeared as a studio guest on
the first series of the BBC 2 programme Fantasy Football League in 1994.[14]
In 2005, Ridgeley and Michael made plans to reunite as Wham! for Live 8, but Ridgeley
reportedly pulled out at the last minute; in 2012, Michael dismissed rumours that they
were set for a reunion to mark the 30th anniversary of their first record. Michael said
that there was no truth in speculation the group would reform for a one-off concert.[12]
Upon hearing of Michael's death on 25 December 2016, Ridgeley paid his respects on
Twitter, saying, "Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog." [15]
Since 1982, Ridgeley has reportedly amassed £10 million from sales and royalties of
records.[citation needed] Much of his income comes from the 1984 single "Careless Whisper",
which was one of the few Wham! songs that Ridgeley had a part in writing; the two had
written the song together several years earlier, when both were 17. (Ironically, despite
Ridgeley's involvement in writing the song, the single was issued as a Michael solo
piece.)[16] "Careless Whisper" has sold six million copies worldwide[17] and, as of 2012,
was the 34th best-selling single of all time in the United Kingdom, having sold over 1.3
million copies.[18] Ridgeley still receives thousands of pounds a year from his share of
"Careless Whisper" royalties alone.[19]
Shortly after the breakup, Ridgeley moved to Monaco and tried his hand at Formula
Three motor racing. Meeting with little success, he moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a
career in acting. He returned to Britain permanently in 1990.
CBS Records (later Sony Music), having taken up the option on Wham!'s contract that
specified solo albums from Michael and Ridgeley, released a guitar and drum driven
solo recording from Ridgeley, Son of Albert, in 1990. His brother Paul, an occasional
percussionist for Bananarama, played drums on the album. Singles included "Shake"
and "Red Dress".
"Shake", which was the first single from his solo album, reached No. 16 on the
Australian charts[20] and No. 58 in the UK Singles Chart.[21] "Shake" was the 81st highest-
selling single of 1990 in Australia.[22] "Red Dress" charted in Australia but peaked outside
the top 100.[20]
CBS passed up the option of a second album after unsuccessful sales of Son of Albert,
which was panned by critics and failed to make the top 75 in the UK Albums Chart. Son
of Albert was one of the worst received albums of 1990, achieving only half a star in a
savage Rolling Stone magazine review.[19] Ridgeley later said: "It was disappointing and
depressing to receive quite such a beating over that album."[19]

Charitable work[edit]
Andrew Ridgley has several times participated in the Dallaglio Cycle Slam, a charity
bike ride for the Dallaglio Rugby Works, established in 2009 by England rugby
legend Lawrence Dallaglio, which helps young people tackle life in a positive way with
the help of Rugby.[23][24]

Personal life[edit]
Ridgeley lives near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, in a restored 15th-century farm
property that he shared with his partner since 1990, Keren Woodward,[25][26] a member of
the group Bananarama. The couple split in August 2017, [27] but rekindled their
relationship in late 2019.

Autobiography[edit]
On 8 October 2019 Penguin Random House published Ridgeley's "Wham!: George
Michael and Me." [28]

Discography[edit]
Albums[edit]
 Son of Albert (1990) – AUS #63,[20] NED #66,[29] US #130[30]
Singles[edit]
Peak positions

Year Single Album

UK AUS NED US
[21] [20] [29] [31]

"Shake" 58 16 48 77
1990 Son of Albert
"Red Dress" – 110 – —

"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f "1963 – Andrew Ridgeley Born". Rttnews.com.
Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24
December 2012.
2. ^ "Andrew Ridgeley on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 31
December 2016. No 'Harry Tadayon' in The Executive GM, AJR,
David Austin, Andrew Leaver & Paul Ridgeley Jamie Gould & Tony
Bywaters joined us at 1 point 2
3. ^ George Michael, Nigel Goodall (1999) George Michael: in his own
words Omnibus Press, 1999 (Google Books)
4. ^ Lucas, Gavin (10 January 2012). "Dream In Colour: The Art of
Stylorouge". Creative Review.
5. ^ "George Michael – The History". GeorgeMichael.com. Archived
from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
6. ^ "WHAM!". Official Charts. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
7. ^ Andrew Hart (1991). Understanding the Media: A Practical Guide.
Routledge. p. 187. Retrieved 24 December 2012 – via Internet
Archive. ridgeley nose.
8. ^ Jump up to:a b c Gold, Todd (23 September 1985). "Double
Wham!my: George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley Are Making It
Big". People.
9. ^ "How Wham! brought the West to China". BBC News. 24 March
2005. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
10. ^ "Great gig, shame about the show trial". The Telegraph. 31 March
2001. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
11. ^ "Tours Menu". Tours.yogsbackyard.co.uk. Archived from the
original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
12. ^ Jump up to:a b "Wham! reunion rumours quashed by George
Michael". ITV. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
 13. ^ "George Michael steps back into spotlight". BBC News. 6 December
2005. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
14. ^ "BBC One – Fantasy Football League, Series 1, Episode 6". BBC.
19 February 1994. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
15. ^ Andrew Ridgeley [@ajridgeley] (26 December 2016). "Heartbroken
at the loss of my beloved friend Yog. Me, his loved ones, his friends,
the world of music, the world at…"(Tweet) – via Twitter.
16. ^ "Radio 2 – Sold on Song – TOP 100 – Careless Whisper". BBC.
Retrieved 24 December 2012.
17. ^ "George Michael". Songwriting Magazine. 20 August 2012. Archived
from the originalon 21 April 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
18. ^ "Best Selling Singles of All Time". everyHit.com. Retrieved 24
December 2012.
19. ^ Jump up to:a b c The complete guide to the music of George Michael
& Wham! L Ellis. 1998 – Music Sales Group
20. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
 Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Andrew Ridgeley in
Australian Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
 Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts
1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
 "Red Dress": "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 13
September 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
21. ^ Jump up to:a b "Official Charts > Andrew Ridgeley". The Official UK
Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
22. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart 1990 (61–100) (from
The ARIA Report No. 50)". Imgur.com (original document published
by ARIA). Retrieved 10 October 2016.
23. ^ "LE COL PARTNER WITH DALLAGLIO CYCLE SLAM 2018
lecol.cc". Retrieved 20 December 2018.
24. ^ "DALLAGLIO CYCLE SLAM 2018". Retrieved 20 December 2018.
25. ^ "Wham!'s Andrew Ridgeley and girlfriend Keren Woodward secretly
separated after 25 years – then reconciled hellomagazie.com".
Retrieved 27 December 2016.
26. ^ "Net celebrity... Keren Woordward". Daily Mail. 28 September 2009.
Retrieved 23 April2012. (broken link)
27. ^ "Andrew Ridgeley and Keren Woodward have split up". RTÉ. 5
November 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
28. ^ "In Book, Andrew Ridgeley Pays Tribute To George Michael And A
More Innocent Pop Era". NPR.org.
29. ^ Jump up to:a b "dutchcharts.nl > Andrew Ridgeley in Dutch
Charts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
30. ^ "Billboard > Artists / Andrew Ridgeley > Chart History > Billboard
200". Billboard. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
31. ^ "Andrew Ridgeley – US Hot 100 Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved 9
April 2014.

External links[edit]
 Andrew Ridgeley on Twitter
 Andrew Ridgeley on IMDb

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Categories:
 1963 births
 Living people
 English expatriates in Monaco
 English expatriates in the United States
 English male guitarists
 English male singers
 English people of Egyptian descent
 English people of Italian descent
 English people of Scottish descent
 English rock guitarists
 English songwriters
 Epic Records artists
 Lead guitarists
 Musicians from Hertfordshire
 People educated at Bushey Meads School
 People from Bushey
 People from Surrey Heath (district)
 Wham! members
 English autobiographers
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