The musical duo band Wham! is made up of Andrew Ridgeley as one half. In the band, he shared the stage with George Michael. However, for a variety of reasons, Andrew ended his relationship with the band. The information about Andrew Ridgeley, his split from the band, and everything else is provided in this article. To learn more about him, please be patient and stay with us.
Who is Andrew Ridgeley?
Andrew Ridgeley is one of the most prominent personalities in pop music history. In addition to being a guitarist and an environmentalist, he has dabbled in Formula Three motor racing.
Andrew was born on the 26th of January, 1963. As of 2023, Andrew is 60 years old. Andrew’s domicile is Windlesham, Surrey. He is the son of Alberto Mario Zacharia and Jennifer John. Andrew has a mixed ethnicity as his mother was Scottish and Andrew’s father was of Italian and Egyptian descent.
Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael
While attending Bushey Meads School in Hertfordshire, England, Andrew met George Michael. The two quickly bonded over their shared love of music and joined several bands before creating Wham! Their debut single, “Young Guns,” reached number 3 on the UK charts in a single bound in 1982.
Following that, ‘Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)’ (1982) peaked at number 8, ‘Club Tropicana’ (1983) remained at number 4, and ‘Bad Boys’ (1983) rocketed to number 2. When Wham! released the album “Fantastic” in 1983, it immediately debuted at number one. The two reluctantly allowed Innervision Records to release the song “Club Fantastic Megamix” (1983), which peaked at number 15, before leaving the label and signing with CBS and Epic.
Five number-one records simultaneously were by their side. However the Band-Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas” overshadowed “Last Christmas / Everything She Wants” to some extent, (they sat contentedly at number 2, with George Michael also sharing in the triumph as a member of Band-Aid).
‘Making it Big’ by Wham! (1984) rocketed to number one while number two was occupied by ‘The Final’ (1986).
Wham! Break up
In almost every nation in the globe, including the United States, Andrew, and Wham! were at the top of the charts by 1986. However, the phenomenon had to stop when George Michael left to pursue a solo career after already having two number-one singles, one of which, ‘Careless Whisper’ (1984), had been co-written with Andrew.
Wham!, one of the first boy bands to have success on a global scale, broke up amicably. Over ten years later, their album “The Best of Wham!” entered the UK charts at number 4. They all have “Gold” and “Platinum” certifications for their albums and singles.
What happened to Andrew Ridgeley? The Formula Three Motor Racing.
The Race claims that after Wham! disbanded in 1986, Ridgeley relocated to Monaco and dabbled in Formula Three motor racing. He was adamant about following his passion and thought that a future in professional racing was ahead of him.
Ridgeley had participated in a few Renault 5 UK races in 1985 before the musical duet broke up, and it was then that he understood it was what he wanted to do after his and Michael’s farewell show.
Ridgeley contacted renowned racing manager David Price, who drafted a contract for the former pop singer to sign after passing all licensing requirements. In the summer of 1986, not long after Wham! dissolved, he began racing.
Sadly, it didn’t take long for someone to discover that Ridgeley might not be cut out for Formula Three racing. He had a lot of accidents, which necessitated the repair of several auto parts. Ridgeley took part in several competitions even though it was expensive for him to do so.
Where is Andrew Ridgelley now?
Ridgeley was into a six-car melee in September at an Albi circuit. He wasn’t physically hurt, but several of the others involved in the crash were sent to the hospital.
Ridgeley left Formula Three motor racing soon after the event, lived briefly in the United States, and then returned to England in the 1990s.
The rising Solo Stars
Later, Andrew published a solo album called “Son of Albert” and a few hits, with George Michael singing on the song “Red Dress.” He resides in Cornwall with his wife, singer Keren Woodward of Bananarama, and enjoys surfing, golfing, and being engaged in the “Surfers Against Sewage” campaign.
The Holiday (2006), Charlie’s Angels (2000), Zoolander (2001), and Sixteen Candles (1984), are just a few of the films in which Wham! music has been heard.
While with Wham!, Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael certified record sales of over 25 million!
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Andrew Ridgeley – FAQs
What happened to Andrew Ridgeley from Wham?
Andrew Ridgeley joined Formula Three motor racing after breaking up with the band. He also released some solos and singles after the disbanding of Wham! George also parted ways and worked on his solos.
Who is Andrew Ridgeley?
Andrew Ridgeley is an English Singer, Producer, and songwriter. He was well-known for his band Wham! His friendship with George had gained lots of love from their fans.
