By Amelia Wynne For Mailonline
Published: 08:01 EDT, 24 December 2021 | Updated: 08:55 EDT, 24 December 2021
The company set up to handle earnings from Wham! has seen its income triple to £6million this year - five years on from band member George Michael's death.
Wham Music Ltd has just posted impressive figures of £6,093,972 almost three times the previous year's figure of £2,976,480.
Wham Music Ltd was set up May 1982 when George - who died age 53 - and his co singer Andrew Ridgeley began to find fame.
Wow: The company set up to handle earnings from Wham has seen its income triple to £6million this year - five years on from band member George Michael's death
George was one of the original directors until his death on December 25 2016.
Currently his father Kyriacos Panayiotou, 85, is company secretary and manager/solicitor John Reid along with fellow solicitor Christopher Organ are listed as the two directors.
In the accounts made up to March 31 2021, the company still had over £4million (£4,191,006) in the bank after costs were deducted compared to £961,362 the previous year.
Stars: Wham Music Ltd was set up May 1982 when George - who died age 53 - and his co singer Andrew Ridgeley began to find fame (pictured together)
The company paid out £354,922 in Corporation Tax.
Last Christmas - the duo's most famous song - reached number one for the first time in 36 years in 2020 keeping the money rolling in.
The duo sold close to 20 million albums during their five years together.
The band split in 1986 but their songs are still played all over the world earning millions in royalties.
Money: Wham Music Ltd has just posted impressive figures of £6,093,972 almost three times the previous year's figure of £2,976,480
It comes after earlier this week Martin Kemp revealed that George wasn't a fan of Do They Know It's Christmas, because he thought the lyrics were 'too down.'
The charity single featured George alongside a host of famous singers and was written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in reaction to reports of the famine in Ethiopia, raising £8million for charity within the first year of its release.
Martin made the revelation as he is set to share memories of his late friend in an upcoming radio special called 'George Michael: 5 Years On' airing on Christmas Day.
Speaking on Greatest Hits Radio, Martin, 60, shared his memory of recording the star-studded Christmas song Do They Know It's Christmas.
He recalled: 'I remember clearly talking to George at Band Aid before we went in and recorded the vocals. He wasn't very happy with the words. I think he was in Wham! mode at that time, and his head was full of happy pop songs.
'He didn't like the words that Bob and Midge had written for the song. He thought they were too down.
'It was only later after we recorded it and listened to it that he really appreciated that. Listen, it takes a big man to accept it sometimes.'
Iconic: Last Christmas - the duo's most famous song - reached number one for the first time in 36 years in 2020 keeping the money rolling in
Speaking in the specially recorded radio programme, Martin also shared details of George's incredible generosity and fondness of the festive season.
He said: 'George absolutely loved Christmas. Christmas in the Kemp household didn't start until December 14th when two giant hampers would be delivered through our door from Harrods.
'Two massive baskets full of wine and cheese and food and meats and everything you needed to have a great Christmas. This didn't happen just once or twice. This happened for 30 years. It's very weird today that we don't get those hampers.
'When he first became this global superstar, and all of a sudden had all of this money, he wanted to share it with his friends.
'I remember one birthday that he had, he took everybody on a DC-10 (plane). All of his friends, to Richard Branson's Necker Island. And we spent a week there, twenty of us. Scuba diving together and building sandcastles together. I will never forget it.
'But he was like that, he was so generous. Not just with his money but also his time. He would listen to you if you had problems. He was just such a lovely man.'
Listen to 'George Michael: 5 Years On' hosted by Martin Kemp on Greatest Hits Radio on Christmas Day between 5-7pm.
You can listen to Greatest Hits Radio on FM, DAB digital radio, on your smart speaker, mobile device or online at greatesthitsradio.co.uk
No way! It comes after earlier this week Martin Kemp revealed that George wasn't a fan of Do They Know It's Christmas , because he thought the lyrics were 'too down' (Pictured in 1984)
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