Wham!

Artist Image: Wham!
Attribution
Image Credit: Louise Palanker (https://www.flickr.com/photos/louisepalanker/27193728338/), CC BY-SA 2.0

Biography

Wham! was a pop band formed in 1981 from Bushey, England. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with another band. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley met at Bushey Meads School in Watford, England. At first, they performed in a short-lived rock and roll band called The Executive. They then changed their name and signed with Innervision Records. Soon after a legal victory over Innervision, the duo was signed to CBS, Columbia Records in the United States and Canada and Epic Records for the rest of the world. Michael took on the majority of roles and responsibilities within the band— composer, singer, producer, and occasional instrumentalist— but the contribution of Ridgeley as the group’s image specialist and spokesman was crucial to the band’s initial success. Ridgeley convinced a reluctant George that Wham! needed to change their image and sound frequently, from the leather-clad moody singers of “Bad Boys” and “Young Guns (Go For It!)” to the more fashionable pop superstars of “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” Still teenagers, they promoted themselves as hedonistic youngsters, proud to live a carefree life without work or commitment. This was reflected in their earliest singles. Such works as “Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)” have been seen as sarcasm advocating the other point of view. The first record to be released by the band was “Wham Rap!”. It was a double-A side with a Social Mix and Anti-social Mix. The record was banned for general release in the UK due to the profanity in the Anti-social Mix.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1981
Number of Albums 7
Record Label Epic
Website
Wikipedia Wham! on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What genre of music influenced Wham?

funk and soul

...million certified records worldwide from 1982 to 1986. Influenced by funk and soul music and presenting themselves as disaffected youth, Wham! 's 1983...
Who were the two members of the Wham duo?

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley

...her uses, see Wham (disambiguation). The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley . They became one of the most commercially successful pop ...
What was the name of Wham!'s 1983 debut album?

Fantastic

... presenting themselves as disaffected youth, Wham! 's 1983 debut album Fantastic addressed the United Kingdom's unemployment problem and teen angst ov...
What was Wham's second studio album called?

Make It Big

...ment problem and teen angst over adulthood. Their second studio album Make It Big in 1984 was a worldwide pop smash hit, charting at number one in bot...
When was Make It Big released?

1984

... and teen angst over adulthood. Their second studio album Make It Big in 1984 was a worldwide pop smash hit, charting at number one in both the UK and...
Who topped the US Billboard Hot 100?

Wake Me Up Before You GoGo, Everything She Wants and Careless Whisperall

... of the US, the singles from the album Wake Me Up Before You GoGo, Everything She Wants and Careless Whisperall topped the US Billboard Hot 100. The e...
What label did Mark Dean sign the Wham! demos to?

Innervision

...ith their demos and agreed to sign them to his recently formed label, Innervision . They next fell into the hands of music publishers Dick Leahy and Br...
Dick Leahy and Bryan Morrison were publishers of what type of music?

music

...his recently formed label, Innervision. They next fell into the hands of music publishers Dick Leahy and Bryan Morrison, the former was to play a cruc...
Who was one half of Pepsi And Shirlie?

Shirlie Holliman

...pearances at local clubs with backing singers Amanda Washbourn and Shirlie Holliman (who went on to become one half of Pepsi And Shirlie), they comple...
What was the name of the single released by the boys?

Wham! Rap

...come one half of Pepsi And Shirlie), they completed their debut single Wham! Rap which had originally been intended as a disco parody. What emerged wa...
What was the name of the duo's third hit?

Bad Boys

...1982 and a remixed Wham Rap belatedly repeated that feat. A third hit, Bad Boys indicated that the duos macho, young rebel image was wearing thin, and...
What did Michael promise in the future?

a change of direction

... macho, young rebel image was wearing thin, and Michael promised a change of direction in the future. In the meantime, they required an additional ten...
How many managers did Bad Boys hire?

two

...ditional tentacle to hasten their mining of gold vinyl and, after consulting MorrisonLeahy, recruited two managers, Jazz Summers and Simon NapierBell....
What was the name of the shortlived ska band they performed in?

The Executive

...ordshire. The two at first performed in a shortlived ska band called The Executive , alongside three of their former school friends David (Austin) Mort...
What was one of the first singles by a British group to include rapping?

Wham Rap!

..., briefly earned Wham! The début record to be released by the band was Wham Rap! It was one of the first singles by a British group to include rapping...
What label did the duo sign to in the US and Canada?

Columbia Records

...after a legal victory over Innervision, the duo was signed to CBS, Columbia Records in the United States and Canada and Epic Records for the rest of t...
Who convinced George that Wham! were teenagers?

Ridgeley

...ge specialist and spokesman was crucial to the band's initial success. Ridgeley convinced a reluctant George that Wham! Still teenagers, they promoted...
What did the band promote themselves as?

hedonistic youngsters

...t George that Wham! Still teenagers, they promoted themselves as hedonistic youngsters , proud to live a carefree life without work or commitment. This...
What was the name of the first album released by the band?

Wham Rap!.

...eir earliest singles. The first record to be released by the band was Wham Rap!. The record was banned for general release in the UK due to the profan...
When did George Michael form the band Wham!?

As a teenager

... As a teenager , George Michael formed the band Wham! In 1984, the duo had their first worldwide hit with Wake Me Up Before You GoGo. Two years later, M...
What was George Michael's first worldwide hit?

Wake Me Up Before You GoGo

...and Wham! In 1984, the duo had their first worldwide hit with Wake Me Up Before You GoGo . Two years later, Michael went solo, releasing a hit debut al...
When did Michael announce that he was gay?

1998

...ut album Faith, which has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. In 1998 , Michael announced that he was gay after being arrested for lewd conduct...
What was Michael arrested for in a public restroom in 1998?

lewd conduct

... In 1998, Michael announced that he was gay after being arrested for lewd conduct in a public restroom. He continued to tour and donated much of his t...
What was the name of the shortlived ska band that Michael and Ridgeley started?

the Executive

...gh school, Michael and Ridgeley started a shortlived ska band called the Executive . That band only played a few gigs before it fell apart, but Michael...
Who wrote the songs?

George Michael

...heart, however, was a string of catchy singalong singles written by George Michael (born Georgios Kyrriacos Panayiotou in London to a Greek restaurant...
Where did George Michael grow up?

London

...ingles written by George Michael (born Georgios Kyrriacos Panayiotou in London to a Greek restauranting family). 's other half, Andrew Ridgeley, at sc...
What label did George Michael sign a recording contract with?

Sony label Epic

... performed together). In order to move to a recording contract with Sony label Epic , Wham! Almost immediately, George Michael started thinking of a so...
What was the name of George Michael's first solo album?

Careless Whisper

...ly, George Michael started thinking of a solo career, and released Careless Whisper , issued in the U.S. as George Michael of Wham! The duo embarked on...
When did the group end?

1985

...enjoyed considerable success in America. 's end came rather suddenly, in 1985 , reputedly when the group's manager, Simon NapierBell (later to manage T...
When did Ridgeley celebrate his 59th birthday?

2022

...He celebrated his 59th birthday in 2022 . His parents are Jennifer John (née Dunlop) and Alberto Mario Zacharia (who later changed his surname to Ridge...
Who are Ridgeley's parents?

Jennifer John (née Dunlop) and Alberto Mario Zacharia

...rated his 59th birthday in 2022. His parents are Jennifer John (née Dunlop) and Alberto Mario Zacharia (who later changed his surname to Ridgeley). An...
What was the surname of his father?

Alberto Mario Zacharia

...irthday in 2022. His parents are Jennifer John (née Dunlop) and Alberto Mario Zacharia (who later changed his surname to Ridgeley). Andrew Ridgeley wi...
How long was Ridgeley in a relationship with Keren Woodward?

25 years

...ged his surname to Ridgeley). Andrew Ridgeley wife: Is he married? For 25 years , he was in a relationship with Bananarama star Keren Woodward, and the...
Who volunteered to look after George Michael?

Andrew Ridgeley

...Alberto Mario Zacharia (who later changed his surname to Ridgeley). Andrew Ridgeley wife: Is he married? For 25 years, he was in a relationship with B...
What record label did Andrew Ridgeley sign with?

Innervision Records

...ook 10 minutes to record in Andrew's living room) and signed with Innervision Records . Andrew Ridgeley songs: Did he release any solo music? CBS Recor...
How long did it take to make the homemade tape?

10 minutes

...hey approached various record labels with a homemade tape (which took 10 minutes to record in Andrew's living room) and signed with Innervision Record...
What was the name of the solo LP released by Andrew in 1990?

Son of Albert

...'s contract that included solo albums from George and Andrew, and so released a guitar and drumheavy solo LP from Andrew titled Son of Albert in 1990....
Who released Son of Albert?

CBS Records

...vision Records. Andrew Ridgeley songs: Did he release any solo music? CBS Records had taken up the option on Wham! 's contract that included solo albu...
When did Young Guns (Go for It) come to prominence?

1982

... from Bushy Meads, in Hertfordshire, England. They came to prominence in 1982 with their top five hit 'Young Guns (Go for It)' and followed this recor...
How many No. 1 hits did Wham score in America?

three

...rt time) because their name conflicted with another US band. Wham scored three No. 1 hits in America: 'Wake Me Up Before You GoGo', 'Careless Whisper'...
How old were George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley when they wrote the song?

17

...4) was written by both George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were just 17 and (George) initially came up with the saxophone riff on the back of a N...