'Wham! concerts changed lives in China'
A new documentary explores the 1985 historic tour of the pop duo Wham! in China, marking the first time a Western pop act performed in the country. The film highlights how the concerts influenced Chinese audiences and inspired a generation of local artists.
Why it matters
The tour serves as a significant cultural milestone in the opening of China to Western influence during the 1980s.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Danny Fullbrook Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire Getty Images Wham! stars George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley visited the Great Wall of China as part of their ground-breaking tour In April 1985, Wham! landed in Beijing to begin a historic tour, becoming the first Western pop act to perform in communist China.
As George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley walked through the airport in oversized 1980s' sunglasses, they were met not by screaming fans but by curious Chinese journalists, one of whom asked what their names were.
"There weren't as many people as greeted The Beatles," says Ridgeley, 63, when comparing the reception to the Fab Four's famous arrival in America in 1964.
"It was a much more muted affair. There was no knowledge of us there at the time."
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