Fans everywhere are currently mourning the death of George Michael on Christmas Day 2016. The solo artist and one-time member of the duo Wham! passed away on Dec. 25 due to heart failure, the musician's manager confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. George Michael's former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley tweeted a small tribute to the singer on Sunday night, addressing the late singer by his nickname "Yog." "Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog," Ridgeley tweeted. "Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved." So, what is Andrew Ridgeley up to now in his time since working with Michael?
According to Twitter, Ridgeley is an avid cyclist who posts photos from many of his rides and races, some of which support the Dallaglio Foundation in the U.K. The former musician has raised money for and participated in the organization's Cycle Slam events in 2016 and 2014, according to Virgin Moneygiving. In a 2015 interview with The Mirror, Ridgeley said he hoped to appear on the BBC1's dance competition show Strictly Come Dancing. "I haven’t been asked this time around but I have been approached in the past so who knows?" he told the publication. "I doubt it will be this year now but we’ll see about the future."
Ridgeley also told The Mirror that he and wife Keren Woodward of the '80s band Bananarama briefly split, but have since reunited. According to The Daily Mail, Ridgeley and Woodward began dating in 1990, and he quit music in 1994, after an unsuccessful attempt at a solo career. Along with Woodward's son Thomas from a previously relationship, they moved from London to a 15th century converted barn in the town of Wadebridge in North Cornwall, where they still live now, reported The Daily Mail.
Woodward still performs with Bananarama, but she told The Daily Mail in 2009 that Ridgeley prefers the quiet life — and he has still stayed close friends with George Michael throughout the years. "He surfs, he plays golf. Our life in Cornwall is really quiet," Woodward said. "We go to the pub and no one bothers us. Even when George comes to visit, he isn’t hassled."
For years, rumors swirled about Ridgeley and Michael reuniting for a Wham! reunion concert. The duo founded the band in 1981 and reunited in 2012 for a an after-party performance at the London Olympics opening ceremony, according to The Daily Mail. In 2014, The Mirror reported that when Michael was asked by Q Magazine about his biggest regrets, he responded, "Splitting Wham!" and the artist was hoping to reunite with Ridgeley for a reunion concert at Glastonbury Festival.
But in 2015, Ridgeley told The Mirror: "I don’t speak about George because he is a very private person. There are rumors though."
It's great to see that through the years, Ridgeley and Michael stayed close friends and stood by each other.
