Netflix released one of their latest music documentaries which focuses on iconic 80s pop duo Wham! this week (July 5).
The 90-minute-long film titled WHAM!, tells the story of the group which formed in 1981 after George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley first met at Bushey Meads School in Hertfordshire.
Over the years, they sold more than 30 million records around the globe from songs such as Club Tropicana, I’m Your Man and many more, until George decided to depart on an adventure as a solo artist.
He wanted to create music targeted at a “more sophisticated adult market” rather than a teen audience, reports Radio Times.
George Michael singing Last Christmas is the only acceptable use of a Christmas song in July.
— Netflix (@netflix) July 5, 2023
WHAM! – a new documentary – is now on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/Yo3qL8XJ5c
Although there have been numerous documentaries made about George’s personal life, WHAM! director Chris Smith explained to Radio Times how this Netflix film is different from others.
He revealed: "I didn't look at the later documentaries that exist. We were focused on the period from 1980 to 1986 when Wham! existed. So for us, it was like looking at the material and trying to find a way to tell it that felt reflective of the experience that they shared.
"I think at the beginning going into it you never know how these things are going to unfold or how many people you're going to talk to, but pretty quickly we realised that there was an opportunity to tell the story through the friendship of these two kids, and that kind of became the focus."
The director added: "Yeah. This movie is about Wham! And it's about that time period. So it wasn't about everything that happened after. It was really just about that. I mean there can be many other films on their lives going forward, but this was the one that we were focused on."
What did Andrew Ridgeley do after Wham!?
When the hitmakers of legendary festive anthem Last Christmas split up, Andrew released a solo album in 1990 which “flatlined”, reports The New York Times.
He then went on to become a Formula 3 driver for a short while, but other than that he has kept his life private and stayed out of the limelight.
Andrew's love life previously made headlines, including his 25-year relationship with Keren Woodward, a member of fellow 80s pop group, Bananarama.
Over the last five years, he has been working on Wham! related projects including his 2019 memoir titled Wham! George Michael & Me.
It was also the year Andrew appeared in a cameo for the romantic comedy Last Christmas.
What is Andrew Ridgeley's net worth?
The 60-year-old’s current net worth is around $25 million (£20 million), according to The Richest.
How did George Michael die?
George sadly died in the early hours of Christmas Day in 2016 at his home in Goring-on-Thames.
He died at the age of 53.
A post-mortem said the cause of death was due to natural causes as the result of a “dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver.”
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