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Wham! George & Me
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For the first time, Andrew Ridgeley - one half of one of the most famous bands in the world - tells the inside story of Wham! and his life-long friendship with George Michael.
It is 1975, Watford, and two teenagers, George and Andrew, meet for the first time. Bonding over their love for singing, song writing and pop music, together they set out to follow an impossible
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Who didn't love Wham!? I loved listening to this book narrated by Andrew Ridgeley himself. The story of him and George growing up, their shared love of music and their quest to be famous. It was fabulous! So many memories. I cried when he talked about the passing of his best friend, I got Goosebumps when he talked about the Final.
Can't recommend this book more! ...more
Can't recommend this book more! ...more
Jan 14, 2021
Tina
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audible,
biographies-memoirs
I was such a big Wham! fan back in my teenage days. I especially loved George Michael! What an extraordinary talented man he was! I have been thinking of him and his song, "Praying for time" a lot these past few months. It really "calls" to me in this time of turmoil around the world.
I think Andrew Ridgeley was a true and devoted friend. I chose to listen to this one as I love memoir's narrated by the writer. Andrew tells the story of how they first met and grew to be friends and how Wham! was ...more
I think Andrew Ridgeley was a true and devoted friend. I chose to listen to this one as I love memoir's narrated by the writer. Andrew tells the story of how they first met and grew to be friends and how Wham! was ...more
Nov 13, 2019
MaryannC. Book Freak
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary,
memoirs
Being a huge Wham fan I was eager to read a first hand account of how two young men, best friends growing up in grade school went on to become the pop sensation that was a part of my early teen years and still is.
Thinking that their infectious " Wake me up before you go go" was a bit hokey in the beginning I came to realize like a million other teen fans that they were a hot duo who made me want to get up, dance and have fun.
Andrew Ridgeley fondly recalls George Michael as a shy, awkward, frizz ...more
Thinking that their infectious " Wake me up before you go go" was a bit hokey in the beginning I came to realize like a million other teen fans that they were a hot duo who made me want to get up, dance and have fun.
Andrew Ridgeley fondly recalls George Michael as a shy, awkward, frizz ...more
Oct 30, 2019
Geevee
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
music,
diaries-and-memoirs
Wham! George and me is a delight. Written in a way that is open, self-deprecating and above all generous to his great friend, Andrew Ridgeley charts the meeting of two boys at school through to two young men of the biggest pop duo for a short period in the mid1980s.
For me the real interest was the period where George and Andrew had become friends and were dreaming and gently stepping into music. This period is told with detail to see and understand how the two got along, planned and played thing ...more
For me the real interest was the period where George and Andrew had become friends and were dreaming and gently stepping into music. This period is told with detail to see and understand how the two got along, planned and played thing ...more
A great read...
After reading several biographies of George and reading "I'm Coming To Take You To Lunch" by Wham's manager Simon Napier-Bell it was blast to read the story from a different perspective, especially from the other main man who was there...
Concise and to the point. Couldn't put it down.
If you're big fan of Wham! and George Michael then this is a must read. Even if you're not, read it anyway. Enjoy it. I did! ...more
After reading several biographies of George and reading "I'm Coming To Take You To Lunch" by Wham's manager Simon Napier-Bell it was blast to read the story from a different perspective, especially from the other main man who was there...
Concise and to the point. Couldn't put it down.
If you're big fan of Wham! and George Michael then this is a must read. Even if you're not, read it anyway. Enjoy it. I did! ...more
If you love Wham, George, Andrew, all 3 or a mixture you will love every word of this memoir
Reading in a kinda diary form from start to finish it details everything from the moment they met until the moment Andrew spoke at the Brits after George’s death
Its rich in fact and I cant fault the information given as it builds an in depth picture into the whole Whamania years plus the before and after
The last part of the book is very moving re their Goodbye concert and then George’s death and the impac ...more
20191018 ◊ Good-natured, sweet, and vaguely shallow, kind of like Wham! itself. I did appreciate Ridgeley's sincere narration; his admiration of and deference to George Michael's superior talent was touching. Some bits were pretty defensive, which surprised me -- mostly because I wasn't paying enough attention to the press around the band at the time to hear how thoroughly he was trashed by the media. I enjoyed the view into George and Andrew's early friendship, but the story really thinned out
...more
This book was a beautifully written story of friendship. Andrew Ridgeley shares his life story from how his parents met, through his meeting George Michael and days in Wham to life after Wham and his ( and Shirlie’s and Pepsi’s ) tribute to George at the Brits. It’s such a great read that I couldn’t put it down and read it all in one setting. Thank you Andrew for writing this book and sharing your memories and pictures with everyone who reads this book.
I really wanted to love this. Wham! were my first concert, the first band I really followed and loved.
It is part "we were best friends, always and forever"and part, "I contributed more than people realize".
A lover letter to a deep friendship from young boys to popstars but I didn't learn anything new about either of them. If you want salacious you wont find it here!
Part of me wonders why bother and part of me wonders if George was still here would he refute how Andrew insists he contributed more ...more
It is part "we were best friends, always and forever"and part, "I contributed more than people realize".
A lover letter to a deep friendship from young boys to popstars but I didn't learn anything new about either of them. If you want salacious you wont find it here!
Part of me wonders why bother and part of me wonders if George was still here would he refute how Andrew insists he contributed more ...more
I loved wham from the age of 12, my fave was always George. And have followed George’s career since.
Have always loved his voice. One of my biggest regrets was never seeing wham or George live.
I was given tickets for wham the final, but couldn’t make due to a holiday booked.
This book is a must read, Andrew telling their story from the beginning and was from the heart. What a beautiful friendship they had! It’s was lovely to read, how they met and supported each other through thick and thin! Wh ...more
Have always loved his voice. One of my biggest regrets was never seeing wham or George live.
I was given tickets for wham the final, but couldn’t make due to a holiday booked.
This book is a must read, Andrew telling their story from the beginning and was from the heart. What a beautiful friendship they had! It’s was lovely to read, how they met and supported each other through thick and thin! Wh ...more
I contributed this review to Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
Do I want to read a memoir by George Michael's BFF & Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley?
In case you do not know me, I am obsessed with George Michael & Wham! Truly, I am still heartbroken over his passing. Any stories, music, I can get about George or Yog I am GAME. So, getting the first account from Andrew Ridgeley about his life with George is something that I savor. No doubt ...more
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
Do I want to read a memoir by George Michael's BFF & Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley?
In case you do not know me, I am obsessed with George Michael & Wham! Truly, I am still heartbroken over his passing. Any stories, music, I can get about George or Yog I am GAME. So, getting the first account from Andrew Ridgeley about his life with George is something that I savor. No doubt ...more
A disappointingly shallow recounting of their relationship from middle school onwards. 1) I think if you need to state "I was confident" every 8 to 10 pages for the first 250 pages of a book, then you were not, 2) Anyone who looked at George Michael could tell that he spent a lot of time on his hair. This fact also need not be reiterated every 30 or so pages. Emotional events about the direction of the group were skimmed over in a nonchalant way and then a dozen pages from the end, we leap from
...more
Super interesting, especially if you're fan. I'd call it, self-contained and to the point.
To all naysayers, I think it's pretty obvious from the book, if not for Andrew Ridgley, there would never be Wham!, and quite possibly, even probably, there wouldn't be George Michael. Andrew didn't say that himself, but simply go from event to event and it remains as one glaring, undeniable fact. Even if you're not prone to taking serendipity into life equations, Andrew and his friendship seem to have take ...more
To all naysayers, I think it's pretty obvious from the book, if not for Andrew Ridgley, there would never be Wham!, and quite possibly, even probably, there wouldn't be George Michael. Andrew didn't say that himself, but simply go from event to event and it remains as one glaring, undeniable fact. Even if you're not prone to taking serendipity into life equations, Andrew and his friendship seem to have take ...more
I was never a fan of their music, I dismissed them as a fad, and didn't pay much attention to them. Then why read this book? It was an interesting story about the author and his role and memories of chasing and ultimately living his dream. His angle and his perception on how everything went down. Very interesting.
...more
Admittedly, I'm the girl who would see the guy tagging along with George Michael on TV and videos, or in my teen magazines, and say, "Who's that guy that's always with George Michael?!"
In my mind Wham! was always George Michael and some dancers, including some vague other guy...
I kind of still feel that way after reading this book. While it's fun to hear about the beginnings of the band, their high school years together, their friendship, and stories spanning their career, I probably would not ...more
In my mind Wham! was always George Michael and some dancers, including some vague other guy...
I kind of still feel that way after reading this book. While it's fun to hear about the beginnings of the band, their high school years together, their friendship, and stories spanning their career, I probably would not ...more
Bursting with youthful exuberance and joyful energy, sparkling and effervescent, WHAM!, GEORGE MICHAEL AND ME is an absolute delight! I was never a rabid WHAM! fan - my mother was! - but some songs were irresistible, particularly Careless Whisper and the infectious and Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go). But there was always the question: "What did Andrew do, really?". It turns out that without Andrew Ridgeley, there would have been no WHAM!.
WHAM!, GEORGE MICHAEL AND ME is one of the best memoirs I ...more
WHAM!, GEORGE MICHAEL AND ME is one of the best memoirs I ...more
Dec 28, 2019
Lola
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
memoirs-autobiographies-bios
I really wanted to love this book. As much as I love George Michael. However, as other reviewers have pointed out, this book did Andrew Ridgeley no favors. I agree with reviewers who noted that this book felt insistent, as if Ridgeley has a chip on his shoulder and needs others to understand that his input in Wham! was much greater than people thought, and that he (and no one else) was GM's best friend.
On the plus side, the book is well-written and a quick read. The pictures are numerous and gr ...more
On the plus side, the book is well-written and a quick read. The pictures are numerous and gr ...more
A quick read (Wham! wasn't around too long in the scheme of things) about the power of a beautiful friendship between Ridgeley and George Michael. I really enjoyed the funny captions for Ridgeley's photos, many of which I had never seen before. I also enjoyed reliving the 80's, even wondering if Ridgeley had a crush on the Durans. It seems like he mentions them a lot! Great book, though. Have your tissues ready.
...more
Like most teenagers in the 1980,s I remember listening to Wham. THINKING GEORGE HAD AMAZING HAIR AND ANDREW WAS CUTE AND THAT IT WAS TOO BAD IF MY PARENTS HATED THEIR MUSIC'
This was a very poignant story, you could feel the love and admiration that Andrew felt for George, this book was an intimate glimpse into their friendship and time in the spotlight. ...more
This was a very poignant story, you could feel the love and admiration that Andrew felt for George, this book was an intimate glimpse into their friendship and time in the spotlight. ...more
An entertaining and easily read tale of how Andrew and his best friend ‘Yog’ became one of the biggest bands of the mid 1980’s. Some great stories and a fantastic amount of photos make this a book I’d strongly recommend for anyone who was once a Wham fan.
A chance to hear from the other half of Wham? Yes please! Andrew Ridgeley takes us from his early childhood, his school years where he met the boy who was to become George Michael (that he affectionately called Yog), right through to the height of Wham's fame and beyond.
I absolutely loved reading this - it was a nostalgic trip through my preteen years with the music and the fashions. Ridgeley was always a shadowy sort of figure for me because of my all-encompassing George Michael crush so it wa ...more
I absolutely loved reading this - it was a nostalgic trip through my preteen years with the music and the fashions. Ridgeley was always a shadowy sort of figure for me because of my all-encompassing George Michael crush so it wa ...more
Dec 09, 2019
Daniel Sevitt
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
auto-biography
Whizzed through this on a plane journey. It’s lightweight in the extreme and reads like a padded long-form interview from a Sunday tabloid. It’s knowingly fluffy which is a perfect metaphor for Wham! And, like Wham!, the book is entertaining, competent, crystal clear about its purpose and it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.
Ridgeley is well aware of his role as one of the luckiest men in pop. He seems to have made his peace with it as long ago as Wham!’s second album and it means his book is unburd ...more
Ridgeley is well aware of his role as one of the luckiest men in pop. He seems to have made his peace with it as long ago as Wham!’s second album and it means his book is unburd ...more
I loved this. An interesting insight into the Wham! years of which I remember fondly and I was a big fan.
Absolutely loved this book, really well written with some lovely photos and stories.
A fitting tribute to Wham! and George.
A fitting tribute to Wham! and George.
This book is such a lovely read.
Absolute kudos to Andrew Ridgeley for writing a book full of warmth, love, humour, respect, appreciation and admiration of his best friend, George Michael.
Absolute kudos to Andrew Ridgeley for writing a book full of warmth, love, humour, respect, appreciation and admiration of his best friend, George Michael.
Dec 05, 2019
Elizabeth☮
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
recent-reads,
non-fiction
I saw an interview with Andrew Ridgeley in which he discussed this memoir and “Last Christmas” (which I have seen and loved). I am a fan of Wham! I have their first album tucked away in my stash of vinyl from my ever distant youth. I saw them live in eighth grade. I can recall the fervor they caused in their red satin hats and matching lounge jackets. I love “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1” and I was stopped in my tracks when George Michael died on Christmas Day.
Why am I telling you all of thi ...more
Why am I telling you all of thi ...more
Nov 07, 2019
La Vida Rose
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
rock-biographies,
musicians-do-it-better
This is a book about the purest of friendships that began in childhood and lasted until the untimely death of George Michael in 2016. But I think for Andrew Ridgeley, his brotherhood with George will live on. This memoir was essentially a tribute to him and their friendship and also details the story of the meteoric rise of their 80s pop duo, Wham! I am a HUGE fan of both Wham! and George Michael, so I was eager to hear Andrew Ridgeley's story of how things really were in those days. I was also
...more
I'm a little embarrassed that I was surprised that this was a well told, well written book. I came of age during the Wham! period and never took them seriously; they were joked about a lot. I can remember people saying "What is Andrew Ridgeley's purpose anyway?" But, they were part of the voice of the time, fun and no worries.
When I was in college, I saw George Michael in concert and was amazed at what a great performer he was, and by then, I had seen a lot of good ones. His passing was so unexp ...more
When I was in college, I saw George Michael in concert and was amazed at what a great performer he was, and by then, I had seen a lot of good ones. His passing was so unexp ...more
3.5 stars
Back in the day, I was a big Wham! fan. Within the realm of my rabid teenage devotion, they came second only to Duran Duran. Their infectious pop music was a balm to the angsty teen years and my crush on George Michael was strong. So learning that surviving Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley had written a book about his years with George had me gladly taking a trip down memory lane.
Ridgeley’s memoir focused heavily on the early years of his friendship with George – pre-Wham!, pre-success. Fr ...more
Back in the day, I was a big Wham! fan. Within the realm of my rabid teenage devotion, they came second only to Duran Duran. Their infectious pop music was a balm to the angsty teen years and my crush on George Michael was strong. So learning that surviving Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley had written a book about his years with George had me gladly taking a trip down memory lane.
Ridgeley’s memoir focused heavily on the early years of his friendship with George – pre-Wham!, pre-success. Fr ...more
I simply loved this book. I am a year older than Andrew and George, but I loved them from the first time I heard them.
Most of this story I didn’t know because I never focused on the real lives of Wham only on their music.
According to Andrew, George really needed someone to help him see his potential and support him in his journey, musically and spiritually. By this, I mean his angst over his sexuality and his desire to keep it private. Unfortunately, the world was much less forgiving in the 198 ...more
Most of this story I didn’t know because I never focused on the real lives of Wham only on their music.
According to Andrew, George really needed someone to help him see his potential and support him in his journey, musically and spiritually. By this, I mean his angst over his sexuality and his desire to keep it private. Unfortunately, the world was much less forgiving in the 198 ...more
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