Andrew Ridgeley is well aware of just how teeny the shorts he and George Michael wore in the 1984 music video for Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
“[I’m] not amazed [at how short they were but] slightly, how shall I say? Regretful,” he exclusively joked to Pvnew at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Brooklyn, NY, Friday night.
“No, it was all a bit of fun,” he clarified, noting that the big tennis stars of the day – like Björn Borg and John McEnroe –also wore their shorts on the skimpy side.
He also told us he wasn’t worried about anything R-rated accidentally poking out.
“They were well packaged,” he quipped.
Ridgeley, 60, was on hand to help induct his late musical partner into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The two singers – who met at school and bonded over their shared love of music – founded Wham! when they were teenagers. The musical duo went on to have massive success worldwide and a string of hits including “Bad Boys,” “I’m Your Man” and “Young Guns” before disbanding in 1986.
As previously reported, Michael sadly died on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53 from liver disease and heart failure. He had struggled with drugs for many years.
Ridgeley shared that Friday’s event was “sweeter [more] than it is bitter, to be honest,” noting what an honor it is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Looking at the positives rather than the element of sadness that attaches oneself,” he explained. “One should be focused on good things!”
The “Wham! George & Me“ author continued on, reliving some of his favorite memories from his time with his late pal.
“I think it was the live shows that’s what I always enjoyed most,” he recalled. “Our home demo that got us a record deal, that always lives strong in the imagination, the memory of it, that was a great moment. those early days are really precious.”
When asked for any negatives, Ridgeley confessed he couldn’t think of any.
“Nothing bad, really. Wham! was largely a wonderful experience from start to finish, we didn’t really have any lows,” he shared.
“We were fortunate in that respect, we even chose to bring Wham to a close of our own volition so even that was a positive thing.”
Carrie Underwood, Miguel and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine performed three of Michael’s hits at the ceremony, which also honored Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson and Missy Elliott.
