ANDREW RIDGELEY

'Heaven knows we sure had some fun boy
 What a kick just a buddy and me
 We had every good-time band on the run boy
 We were living in a fantasy'

George Michael Freedom'90

Name: Andrew John Ridgeley Born: 26 January 1963 Parents: Albert Ridgeley (Egyptian/Italian) Jennifer Ridgeley (English) Alledged Nicknames: Ab, Nodge, Frab, Normal, Pongo, Steamer, Gimpey, The Wally, Rocky, Randy Andy and The Vomit Fountain. Andrew met George at Bushey Meads school when George was a new comer and they became best friends. At school Andrew was the exact opposite to George. He was handsome, athletic and popular although he wasn't very academic and by his own confession "did just enough to not get sent up in front of the headmaster. After taking his O'Levels Andrew moved on to Cassio College and his friendship with George weakened but for a Ska outfit band called 'The Executive' their friendship would have surely ended. 'The Executive' didn't last long as all of the rest of the band left apart from George and himself who then of course went on to form WHAM! with Andrew's girlfriend at the time Shirlie Holliman who he met the day before his 18th birthday in a pub called the 'Three Crowns'. He lived in her Auntie's flat with her in Peckham and this is where Andrew contributed the most he had ever done for WHAM! by co-writing with George Wham Rap!, Club Tropicana and Careless Whisper. Although Wham! was seen to have a musical imbalance it was Andrew's ambition, goodlooks, guitar playing and desire to be a star that were some of the reasons for the band success. By the time Andrew was twenty-one he was a millionaire and had had his Roman Nose surgically re-alligned. Regarded as a talentless playboy by the media Andrew bore the brunt of the tabloids accusations towards the band over his contribution to WHAM! and his antics with women and in nightclubs where he was enjoying every minute of his fame and fortune. Andrew had agreed with George that WHAM! was to be a vehicle that would be Andrew's chance to be famous and give George the chance to persue a solo career in music and so when this did finally happen in 1986 at the height of WHAM's success he was forced into tax exile and went to live in Monte Carlo and persue a career in Formula Three motor racing but didn't have the concentration to safely pilot a car around bends at 150 mph. In 1990 he moved back to England and signed a record deal with Colombia and released an album called 'Son of Albert'and a single from it called 'Shake' but sadly both were unsuccessful and the goodlooking, guitar-playing other half of WHAM! had his contract terminated.

Red Dress Shake Price Of Love Flame Hangin' Mexico Big Machine Kiss Me Baby Jane

Andrew then opened a bar in Ricksmanworth called Bar 92. He now lives in Wadebridge, Cornwall, England with his girlfrind (Keren Woodward of Bananarama) and her son and has died his hair blond and looks well for a man of 35 who used to excite teenagers by shoving a shuttlecock down his shorts. I don't known what his business interests are known but the release of 'The Best Of Wham!' must surely have helped a man who helped to make WHAM! THE best eighties band in the morld and has been out of the public eye for the best part of eight years. He now, apparantly, enjoys surfing.