Andrew Ridgeley has written a tell-all memoir, Wham! George & Me. In it, he chronicles his friendship with George Michael, the iconic singer who died on Christmas Day 2016. But how old is Andrew Ridgeley and how has he changed?
How old is Andrew Ridgeley?
Andrew Ridgeley is 56-years-old, and was born just six months before his Wham! bandmate George Michael.
The pair grew up just north of London in Watford and attended school together, Bushey Meads School.
A young Ridgeley and Michael started up a ska group, Executive, before they formed Wham!
After recording a homemade demo in Ridgeley’s living room, the pair signed with Innervision Records, before moving to Epic Records after their first album and some legal disputes with Innervision.
However, it seems as though Ridgeley changed a lot during this period, as he became known as “Animal Andy” in the press for his wild antics.
Famously, he was regularly featured in the paper, photographed looking worse for wear, and notably reported to have been asked to leave a post-Live Aid party for being too wild.
The band broke up in 1986 and performed a final concert together where they announced their split, leaving fans devastated.
After that, Ridgeley released a solo album, Son of Albert, in 1990, which did not receive a favourable reception, leading him to move away from the music business.
He has maintained that he and Michael remained friends until his death, and has revealed his new book is was to “shift the perspective” away from the sadness of his bandmate’s death to their days performing together.
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show tonight (October 4), Ridgeley said: “It seemed there was negativity after his death that threatened to overshadow his legacy, so I wanted to shift the perspective back on to the glory days and what was vibrant and exuberant about George’s life.
“Personally, it’s our friendship – it will endure, it is eternal.
“For everyone else, he was an exceptional vocalist and songwriter. He was brilliant.”
Of course, Wham! was a short-lived project, despite the fact that Michael’s career went on far longer.
Asked if he felt short-changed that Wham only lasted a few years, he says, “No. It all happened so quickly, and the success took us by surprise, but it had a finite
lifespan.”
Ridgeley has also said he was not envious of his fellow band member’s success, as he achieved his own ambition, even just for a little while.
He added: “I was never jealous of my best friend, but I was envious of his talent.
“I had achieved my ambition of being in a band and playing live and I wanted him to go on and realise his talent as much as he did.”
The Graham Norton Show continues on BBC One on October 4 from 10:35pm