Andrew Ridgeley
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
Top
Andrew Ridgeley
- Genres: Rock
Biography
Born in Surrey, England in 1963, Andrew Ridgeley is known as the silent musician of Wham!, the '80s rock group with George Michael which produced such hits as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Careless Whisper." Although he occasionally helped write music, sang, and played instruments, his chief role in the group was that of George Michael's best friend. Since the breakup of Wham! In 1986, Andrew Ridgeley has spent his time producing and album and pursuing his own personal interests. He produced several solo songs including "Shake," "Red Dress" and "Mexico." Ridgeley's musical influences include the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Everly Brothers and David Bowie.George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley shared the same dream of becoming musical stars. The two met in their childhood and formed a band which was originally called the Executives and eventually was changed to Wham! UK. After the duo went touring internationally, they dropped the UK in the title. The group eventually became the first '80s rock band to have an album with three number one hits. The album, Make It Big, sold more than one million copies. In 1984, Wham! became the first non-Asian pop band to play in China. Much to the chagrin of millions of fans worldwide, the two disbanded in 1986 to pursue solo careers.
George Michael became a popular international solo artist, while Andrew Ridgeley went to Monaco to become an auto racer. His days as an auto racer did not last long, as he crashed several cars and had difficulty getting sponsors. He then went back to singing and also signed with Columbia Records in 1990. The partnership produced only one album, Son of Albert, logically named after Ridgeley's father. His musical style was quite different on this album than it was when he was with Michael. His first single, "Shake," had only moderate success and reached number 13 on the Australian charts. "Red Dress," another single from the album, did not make the charts at all, even though Michael sang some of the backup vocals. The album's sales were unsuccessful, and when it reached only #70 on U.S. charts, Columbia canceled Ridgeley's contract.
Despite the downfall of Ridgeley's singing career at Columbia Records in 1990, he still used his musical talents elsewhere. He played guitar at Michael's live performance of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" and was seen with Princess Diana and David Bowie at an AIDS benefit in 1993. He married Keren Woodward, a member of the band Bananarama; they have one son. Ridgeley has no intention of returning to the music industry and spends his time surfing, motor racing and owning a restaurant, Bar 92. ~ Kim Summers, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Andrew Ridgeley
 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2008) |
| Andrew Ridgeley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Andrew John Ridgeley |
| Born | 26 January 1963 Windlesham, Surrey, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1981–1990 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | Wham! |
Andrew John Ridgeley (born 26 January 1963) is an English former pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and environmentalist. He was a member (with George Michael) of the 1980s pop music duo Wham!.
|
Contents
|
Early life
Ridgeley was born in Windlesham, Surrey to Jennifer and Albert Ridgeley. His mother is British and his father is Egyptian-Italian. Ridgeley grew up in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and attended Bushey Meads School. His mother was a schoolteacher at Bushey Heath Primary School and his father worked for Canon.[citation needed] When George Michael was enrolled at the school, Ridgeley volunteered to take him under his wing.[citation needed] After years of playing in various music groups, Michael and Ridgeley formed Wham! They then approached various record labels with a homemade tape (which took ten minutes to record in Ridgeley's living room), and signed with Innervision Records. According to I'm Coming to Take You to Lunch, a book written by Wham's manager, Simon Napier-Bell, the band left Innervision after the first album and signed to CBS.
Wham! and after
Main article: Wham!
Wham! went on to enjoy worldwide success between 1982 and 1986. They made their U.S. debut appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand but broke up in late 1986, whereupon Ridgeley moved to Monaco, and tried his hand at Formula Three motor racing. Meeting with little success, Ridgeley 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". CBS passed up the option of a second album. Reportedly after retiring from active music-making, Ridgeley still remained active in music-writing under various pseudonyms.[citation needed]
He is mentioned in former Wham!mate George Michael's Freedom '90 ("Heaven knows we sure had some fun boy, What a kick just a buddy and me"). Hugh Grant plays "Alex Fletcher" of '80s icon Pop!, a thinly-disguised Andrew Ridgeley, in Music and Lyrics (2007).
Surfing
Ridgeley began surfing in the early 1990s. While surfing with his brother off the coast of Britain, both men contracted a waterborne illness from the raw sewage being discharged from a nearby pipe. After recovering from his illness, Ridgeley gave an interview to The Times. He went on to become a prominent environmentalist in the cause of water quality at British surfing beaches and riverways, working with the UK charity, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).[1]
Personal life
Ridgeley now lives near Wadebridge, Cornwall, United Kingdom, in a restored 15th century farm property with his girlfriend Keren Woodward[2] of the pop group Bananarama. The majority of his spare time is taken up by golf and he is a keen member of a local club where he plays off a handicap of 10;[citation needed]. He is also a keen Queens Park Rangers fan.[citation needed]
Discography
Albums
- Son of Albert (1990)
Singles
- "Shake" (1990)
- "Red Dress" (1990)
References
- ^ SAS.org.uk
- ^ Liz Thomas (2009-09-28). "Wham! star Andrew Ridgeley succumbs to the ageing process | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1216592/Wham-star-Andrew-Ridgeley-succumbs-ageing-process.html. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
External links
- Andrew Ridgeley at the Internet Movie Database
- Article on how Ridgeley lives his life in 2007, also hints at a reunion with Michael at an announced concert
- Andrew Ridgeley at DidTheyDie
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
Read more
Mentioned in
Wham! in China: Foreign Skies
(1986 Music Film)
Wham!
(Rock Band, '80s)
George Michael
(Classical Musician)
Fantastic!
(1983 Album by Wham!)
Make It Big
(1984 Album by Wham!)
» More