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Whamamerica!

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Whamamerica!
Tour by Wham!
Tour programme cover
Location
  • United States
  • Canada
Associated albumMake It Big
Start dateAugust 23, 1985 (1985-08-23)
End dateSeptember 10, 1985 (1985-09-10)
No. of shows9
Supporting acts
Attendance200,000[1] – 302,568[2]
Box officeUS $8.6 million[2] ($24.36 in 2023 dollars)[3]
Wham! concert chronology

Whamamerica! (also promoted as Make It Big Tour ‘85) was a concert tour by English musical duo Wham!.[4] The tour was launched following the success of their 1984 certified multi-platinum studio album Make It Big, which sold four million copies in the United States by the end of the year.[5] The tour spanned nineteen days between August and September 1985, comprising nine shows across the United States and Canada.[6]

Overview

The Whamamerica! tour began in late August 1985. It travelled around the United States, opening at Poplar Creek Music Theater in Illinois in the Midwest, then heading across the border to Canada and all the way down the West Coast to northern and Southern California, south to Texas and then back east to Philadelphia and Detroit. Michael’s look had changed with his hair cut to a shorter length and the colour being close to his natural darker shade. He also had a new designer stubble and larger earrings, a yellow fringed jacket and leather gloves. Their last ever live US performance was at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit.[7] They had played to over 302,568 fans.[2][1]

Opening acts

Set list

Philadelphia

  1. "Everything She Wants"
  2. "Credit Card Baby"
  3. "Blue (Armed with Love)"
  4. "If You Were There"
  5. "The Edge of Heaven"
  6. "Like a Baby"
  7. "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)"
  8. "Heartbeat"
  9. "Where Did Your Heart Go?"
  10. "Love Machine"
  11. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
  12. "Freedom"
  13. "Careless Whisper"
  14. "Good Times"
  15. "Everything She Wants"

Tour dates

Date City Country Venue Attendance
/ capacity
Gross Ref(s)
North America[9][10]
Sun 18 August 1985 Houston United States Six Flags AstroWorld
Mon 19 August 1985
Fri 23 August 1985 Hoffman Estates Poplar Creek Music Theater [11]
Sun 25 August 1985
Wed 28 August 1985 Toronto Canada CNE 50,098 / sellout $1,042,059 (CA$1,302,548) [12]
Fri 30 August 1985 Los Angeles United States Hollywood Park [13][14]
Sun 1 September 1985 Oakland Alameda County Stadium 46,737 / sellout $817,897 [12]
Wed 4 September 1985 Houston Southern Star Amphitheater [15]
Fri 6 September 1985 Miami Miami Baseball Stadium 36,390 / sellout $545,855 [16]
Sun 8 September 1985 Philadelphia Veterans Stadium 43,000 / 50,000 $698,000 [16]
Tue 10 September 1985 Pontiac Pontiac Silverdome

Personnel

References

  1. ^ a b "Wham! On the Edge of Heaven". No 1 Magazine. 28 September 1985. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Billboard". Billboard. 28 September 1985. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  3. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "Wham by Years Houston, Texas 1985". Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  5. ^ "American album certifications Wham – Make It Big"". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  6. ^ Wham! On the Edge of Heaven - No 1 Magazine article, September 28th 1985
  7. ^ Careless Whispers: The Life & Career of George Michael: Revised & Updated By Robert Steele
  8. ^ a b Wham! On the Edge of Heaven - Number one music magazine - September 28th 1985
  9. ^ Tour dates as printed in the official Whamamerica ‘85 tour programme. Whamamerica! 1985 - Official programme dates.
  10. ^ Whamamerica! - Tour Dates
  11. ^ Van Matre, Lynn (25 August 1985). "Wham!'s Brand Of Blue-eyed Soul Makes It Big With Young Chicago fans". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. September 14, 1985. p. 54. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Pop Review Wham! specks In A Spectacle". LA Times. September 2, 1985. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  14. ^ They're your men..No 1, - November 23rd 1985
  15. ^ Wham by Years - 1985
  16. ^ a b "Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. September 28, 1985. p. 52. Retrieved 30 December 2022.