Whamamerica! Explained

Whamamerica! (also promoted as the Make It Big Tour '85) was a concert tour by English pop duo Wham!.^[3] 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.^[4] The tour spanned nineteen days between August and September 1985, comprising nine shows across the United States and Canada.^[5]

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.^[6] They had played to over 302,568 fans.^{[2] [1]}

Opening acts

• Katrina and the Waves (Los Angeles, Houston, Oakland, Miami and Philadelphia)^[1]
• The Pointer Sisters (Toronto, Oakland, Miami)^[2]
• Chaka Khan (Los Angeles, Philadelphia)^{[2] [1]}

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! scope="col" style="width:10em;"

City	Country	Venue	Attendance	Gross
North America
18 August 1985	Houston	United States	Six Flags AstroWorld
19 August 1985
23 August 1985	Hoffman Estates		Poplar Creek Music Theater			[7]
25 August 1985
28 August 1985	Toronto	Canada	CNE	50,098 / sellout	$1,042,059 (CA$1,302,548)	[8]
30 August 1985	Los Angeles	United States	Hollywood Park			[9] [10]
1 September 1985	Oakland		Oakland Coliseum	46,737 / sellout	$817,897
4 September 1985	Houston		Southern Star Amphitheater
6 September 1985	Miami		Miami Baseball Stadium	36,390 / sellout	$545,855	[11]
8 September 1985	Philadelphia		Veterans Stadium	43,000 / 50,000	$698,000
10 September 1985	Pontiac		Pontiac Silverdome

Personnel

• George Michael – lead vocals
• Andrew Ridgeley – guitar

Notes and References

1. 28 September 1985 . Wham! On the Edge of Heaven . . 119 . 17 . 3 July 2024.
2. Grein . Paul . 28 September 1985 . Video Called Crucial to Wham!'s Stadium Success . . 86 . 30 December 2022.
3. Web site: Wham by Years . Rockin Houston . 30 December 2022.
4. Web site: American album certifications – Wham – Make It Big . . 30 December 2022.
5. Book: Ridgeley, Andrew. Wham! George & Me. 2019. Penguin UK . 978-0-241-38583-8 . 19 February 2024.
6. Book: Steele, Robert . Careless Whispers: The Life & Career of George Michael: Revised & Updated . 123 . . 2017 . 978-1-78323-968-9 . 15 March 2018.
7. News: Van Matre . Lynn . 25 August 1985 . Wham!'s Brand Of Blue-eyed Soul Makes It Big With Young Chicago Fans . . 30 December 2022.
8. Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses. Billboard. 14 September 1985. 54. 30 December 2022.
9. News: Lewis . Randy . 2 September 1985 . Pop Review: Wham!—Specks in a Spectacle . . 30 December 2022.
10. 23 November 1985 . They're your men... . . 127 . 9 . 3 July 2024.
11. Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses. Billboard. 28 September 1985. 52. 30 December 2022.