George Michael didn’t want Wham! to overshadow solo career

George Michael was worried about Wham! “overshadowing” his solo career, according to Andrew Ridgeley.

The school mates former the pop duo in the 1980s and scored a string of huge hits including ‘Club Tropicana’ and ‘Careless Whisper’ before George walked away in 1986 to become a solo singing star – and now Andrew has revealed they had an unspoken agreement not to promote Wham! in case it hindered his pal’s plans to become one of the world’s biggest musicians.

Andrew told The Independent newspaper: “There was nothing to say [about Wham!]. It was an unspoken understanding between us that there would be no active development of the Wham! legacy, because Yog [George] wouldn’t want anything overshadowing the GM career.”

The band broke up following a farewell gig at London’s Wembley Stadium in June 1986 with George going on to become a solo superstar and Andrew fading into the background after mostly shunning the limelight since the early 1990s.

However, Andrew has insisted he wasn’t bitter about the end of Wham! He told the publication: “[The last concert] wasn’t tinged with any kind of sorrow or sadness or sense of loss. We hoped for a record deal. You had a record deal, you wanted a hit single. Hit single, you want a number one.

“I had no trepidation about what my life would be from that point. Because to be in a band with Yog [George] was the only ambition that I ever held with any great resolution; the prime feeling was just one of a job well done.”