Wham! manager on George Michael's 'stage fright' and secret to huge success

WHAM!’s behind-the-scenes push toward stardom is highlighted in the new documentary WHAM! 10 Days in China, a 90-minute film showing previously unseen footage from the band’s 10-day trip behind the “iron curtain,” released in cinemas next month. In a rare interview, ex-manager Simon Napier-Bell, who managed WHAM! from 1983 to 1985, describes his plan to make George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley international stars. He recounts being prompted by the duo’s early Top of the Pops appearance, then telling them that being “number one” in a year was “completely impossible.” Napier-Bell, with partner Jazz Summers, aimed to secure the first Western pop group performance in China to generate global media attention. A week later, Simon said he was in China unprepared and without contacts, so he cold-called Chinese ministries using a British Embassy phone book over 18 months. He claims a minister agreed to lunch after a message he left, ultimately leading to a meeting involving energy-related discussion.