Andrew Ridgeley leads George Michael tribute at the 2017 BRIT Awards

George Michael’s Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley led a moving tribute to the late popstar at the 2017 BRIT Awards.
Andrew was joined by Wham!’s backing group Pepsi & Shirlie on stage at London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday (22Feb17) as they gave emotional speeches remembering their friend and musical colleague.
“On Christmas Day 2016 the greatest singer-songwriter of his generation, an icon of his era and my beloved friend George Michael was lost ” he said. “A superrnova in a firmament of shining stars has been extinguished and it felt like the sky had fallen in.”
He continued to describe how they had started out making music as schoolboys in 1975 and “larked around”, becoming the “best of friends” before forming Wham! in 1979 and conquering the world.
Pepsi and Shirlie also shared their memories of how the boys had attempted to make their way in the music industry, armed with only demo tapes and future hits like Careless Whisper.
Pepsi said, “We always knew George was destined to be a star” adding his voice was “pitch perfect”.
The trio also paid tribute to the singer’s charitable side, which remained largely unknown during his lifetime but was revealed after his death by people who had been beneficiaries of his generosity.
Breaking down in tears Shirley, described George as being like a “brother ” to her and said, she would “always be proud of his achievements”.
Concluding the speeches, Andrew remarked on the “transcendental beauty” of his bandmate’s voice before introducing Coldplay’s Chris Martin to duet alongside footage of George, combining their voices for a rendition of his song A Different Corner.
George’s tragic death at the age of 53 rocked the British music world, coming less than a year after the death of another icon David Bowie.
Bowie was among the other music stars from around the world who passed away over the past year who were memorialised at the ceremony, including Leonard Cohen, Prince and Status Quo rocker Rick Parfitt.