Full disclosure, I was more than a Wham! fan as a kid. I was Andrew Ridgeley obsessed. (he was the other guy in
Pepsi, Andrew, Shirlie
Wham!) And while many of you weren’t even born in 1986, I was front and center watching George and Andrew jitterbug on stage in Philadelphia.
So I was especially touched to see Andrew deliver a weepy tribute to his partner and friend, George, at the Brit Awards Wednesday night in London. On stage with Wham! back up singers Pepsi and Shirlie.
Sharing a series of anecdotes from their early years growing up in north London, he said: ‘We were two boys who shared a love of life-affirming music and a sense that we understood it. Careless Whisper was the song that got us signed, showed his extraordinary talent and the song which launched his solo career. He understood love, loss and grief and in his music, he helped to heal the wounds life left on us.’
Shirlie also shared her memories of joining the pair, saying: ‘The three of us hung out together, listening to music and making up dance routines. These innocent moments became the seed from his amazing and enthralling showmanship was conceived.”
Bandmates, George, Shirlie, Pepsi and Andrew in the 1980’s.