Andrew Ridgeley (born Andrew John Ridgeley, 26 January 1963, in Windlesham, Surrey), is an English pop singer, guitarist and environmentalist. He came to public attention as a member (with George Michael) of the 1980s pop music duo Wham!

Life and career

Ridgeley grew up in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and attended Bushey Meads School, where his mother (his father's name is Albert) worked and where he met George Michael. Their common musical interests led them to form Wham!. After approaching various record labels with a homemade tape (which took ten minutes to record in Ridgeley's living room), they found a record label willing to sign them, Innervision.

Wham! went on to enjoy huge worldwide success between 1982 and 1986, making their U.S. debut appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

Following Wham!'s break-up in late-1986, Ridgeley moved to Monaco and tried his hand at Formula Three motor racing. Meeting with little success, Ridgeley moved to Los Angeles, (for the hopeful singer/actor crossover), but returned to England permanently in 1990.

CBS Records (later Sony Music), having taken up the option on Wham!'s contract that specified solo albums from Michael and Ridgeley, released a guitar and drum driven solo effort from Ridgeley, Son of Albert, in 1990. (His brother Paul played drums). Singles included "Shake" and "Red Dress". CBS Records passed up the option of a second album.

After retiring from active music-making, though active in music-writing under various pseudonyms, Ridgeley became a prominent environmentalist in the cause of water quality at English surfing beaches and riverways.

He had begun surfing in the early 1990s. While surfing with his brother off the coast of England, both men contracted a waterborne illness from the raw sewage being discharged from a nearby pipe. After recovering from his illness, Ridgeley gave an interview to The Times. He went on to become an environmental activist in the cause of water quality, working with the UK charity, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).

Ridgeley is a partner in an English business that makes surfing equipment. He frequently lends both his name and donates money to help pass laws against the discharge of raw sewage in UK offshore waters. Ridgeley's and SAS's efforts enjoyed success in recent years, having influence upon numerous safe sewage laws that have virtually eliminated E. coli illness and deaths in the UK.

He now lives in Cornwall, United Kingdom, in a restored 15th-century property with his wife Keren Woodward (of the pop group Bananarama).

Trivia

• Indie pop group Black Box Recorder wrote a song in tribute, entitled "Andrew Ridgeley" on their 2003 album Passionoia.
• Ridgeley is a supporter of Queen's Park Rangers F.C. and can be seen wearing their kit in the music video for the Wham! single "Freedom".
• Ridgeley is the alleged inspiration for Hugh Grant's character in the film Music & Lyrics.
• He was given the nickname "Osama bin Laden" by his golfing friends.[1]
• Ridgeley bought a disused copper milling plant in Minnetonka, MN and is currently in the process of renovating it.

Notes

External links

• Andrew Ridgeley at the Internet Movie Database
• Surfers Against Sewage
• Article on how Ridgeley lives his life in 2007, also hints at a re-union with Michael at an announced concert