Wham! (often written WHAM!) were a British duo formed in 1981 by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham!-UK because of a naming conflict with another band. Michael and Ridgeley met at Bushey Meads School in Bushey near Watford, England, UK. At first, they performed in a short-lived ska band called The Executive. When this group split, Michael and Ridgeley formed a duo called Wham! and went on to sign with Innervision Records.