Recently, I came across a fascinating BBC Two programme about Wham! — the hugely successful pop duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Their string of memorable hits included **Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go**, **Freedom** and, of course, **Last Christmas**, all released in 1984. Wham! may have broken up in 1986, but one remarkable episode in their short career still stands out: their groundbreaking visit to China in 1985.
That year, Wham! became the first major Western pop act to perform in communist China. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley travelled to Beijing and Guangzhou for concerts that were about far more than music. China was only beginning to open itself to the wider world, and for many of those in the audience it was their first experience of seeing Western pop music performed live.
Watching the programme was particularly fascinating for me because I visited Beijing myself in 1999, fourteen years after Wham!’s historic tour.
CLICK HERE for a link to the BBC recording of the tour. You can also watch it on Amazon Prime.
Continue reading “When the pop band Wham! went to China — and the Beijing I remember “
