Entertainment- The new Netflix documentary "Wham!" explores the British duo's rise to fame in the '80s.
- George Michael, who went on to become a solo star, quickly became the group's lead songwriter and producer.
In Netflix's new documentary "Wham!", Andrew Ridgeley admitted there was "friction" when George Michael took the creative reins in the band.
Using archival footage and audio from both men, the film shows how Wham! became a global sensation in just four years, scoring multiple No. 1 albums in the UK and global hits like "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."
Ridgeley and Michael were teenagers and best friends when they formed Wham! in 1981, but it quickly became clear that Michael had a strong artistic vision. He was always the lead singer, and while recording their debut album "Fantastic," he became the group's main songwriter and producer as well.
"George's songwriting was developing at an amazing, inconceivable sort of pace. My songwriting just wasn't developing in anything like the same way his was," Ridgeley recalled in the doc. "It created a little bit of friction."
"The goals that we kind of set ourselves could only be attained, really, with the sort of quality songwriting that he was able to produce," Ridgeley continued.
Michael added: "We talked about the fact that, if we wanted to be massive, we shouldn't share the writing."
Ridgeley described this transition as "uncomfortable" and "difficult," because they first gained success as a band by cowriting their music.
However, the documentary paints Ridgeley as the driving force of Wham! and a source of personal inspiration for Michael.
Although Michael said in the doc that he grew up feeling "scared" and "vulnerable," Ridgeley described himself as "self-assured." Michael also credited his friend for providing the support he needed to become a superstar.
"Andrew was this kind of idol that I had," Michael said. "He was the first person that I'd ever hung around with that was much stronger than me. Almost everything came from Andrew. Andrew changed my life in exactly the way someone needed to change my life if I was gonna be a pop star."
After it became clear that Michael would have a successful solo career, Ridgeley was unfailingly gracious in interviews and complimentary of Michael's talent, saying that he planned to "retire with grace."
The duo decided to go their separate ways in 1986, staging one final concert as Wham! at Wembley Stadium in London.
"We had achieved everything as that superstar band. And we were growing up," Ridgeley recounted. "It got to a point where I didn't want any more of it."
Michael also cited hiding his sexuality as a reason for the split, saying he felt "trapped" by the persona he'd created as a Wham! heartthrob.
"The turning point with Wham! was me as I suddenly thought, 'Oh my god, I'm a massive star, and I'm gay,'" he explained. "And the depression was about that. It was about the way I'd boxed myself in."
Michael added: "I think Andrew was ready to finish because, much as he understood his importance, he was tired of being, you know, taken potshots at as the lucky guy that's kind of coasted along with George Michael. He was so much more than that."
After Wham! called it quits, Ridgeley took a step back from the spotlight. Michael released five solo albums before he died unexpectedly in 2016 of heart failure.