Wham!'s Andrew Ridgeley Talks Final Meeting with George Michael

Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! has opened up about the last time he saw his bandmate George Michael before the latter's unexpected death in 2016.

In an interview with People ahead of the premiere of the Netflix documentary WHAM!, the 60-year-old singer said he last saw Michael "a few months prior to his passing."

The two met, as they often did, "over the Scrabble board," Ridgeley shared. "[Michael] was a big fan and we'd have regular games of Scrabble."

"He'd beaten me the week before, and I was exacting my revenge," he added. "It took us right back to...the essence of our schoolboy friendship and one-upmanship. It was a game that stimulated him, and me also."

On December 25, 2016, Michael was found dead of heart and liver disease in his home in Goring-on-Thames, England. The "Careless Whisper" singer was 53 years old.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Michael would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during the 2023 ceremony, scheduled for November 3 in New York.

In their announcement, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame described the star as "a brilliant performer, activist, philanthropist, and champion for artist authenticity." They also highlight the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, which "alludes to Michael's struggle as a closeted gay man during the height of the AIDS epidemic."

On his late bandmate's induction, Ridgeley told People, "[Michael] would be very rightly proud, and he deserves his place there."

"You know, he is a genuine legend and an icon of contemporary music," he continued. "I said so in my tribute to him at the BRITs, that he was a supernova in a firmament of shining lights and stars, and he was probably the finest singing voice and songwriter of his generation. There ain't too many that held a candle to him."