This is a repost from January 8, 2007. Yesterday while listening to Pandora Radio in my car, I heard Careless Whisper. This brief article came to mind.
The band Wham! was formed in 1981 by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. I have always felt sympathy for Ridgely who basically received no credit for his part in making George Michael a superstar. At the time Wham! split in 1986, Ridgeley was basically seen as useless. He disappeared into obscurity.
However, a closer look shows that without Ridgeley, Michael might not have received the fame he went on to enjoy. First of all, it was Ridgeley who convinced Michael to change their image to the fashionable pop superstar glam look and sound. But in the kicker of all kickers, Ridgeley co-wrote the groups best song, “Careless Whisper”, but for some weird reason, the song was released as a George Michael solo, which just wasn’t the case. Michael never recorded a better or more played song, even with the future “Faith” and “Freedom90.”
Thank God for the people in the background who make things possible for us, and who seldom receive any credit for the moments of glory we all enjoy.
I wonder how often Michael thinks of Ridgeley.
