Wham! was a famous English musical duo in the 1980s, which was well remembered for being the first Western band to perform in a 'closed off' China in 1985, according to BBC News.

Almost 30 years ago, after the Cultural Revolution, China opened its doors to the outside world.

Simon Napier-Bell, the manager of the band, elucidated on how China can be open to potential foreign investors if George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley are allowed to perform at a concert.

Like Us on Facebook

The Chinese government permitted the musical duo to perform after two weeks.

The Wham! concert took place in Beijing and Guangzhou on April 25, 1985.

Wham! became the first Western band to perform in the country, beating out interested performers such as Queen and The Rolling Stones.

This sparked a surprise among the local citizens, who have witnessed a different type of music and culture being performed from the west.

"I thought their music would sound different because they looked so different from anything else I had seen before," said Li Shizhong, a Chinese citizen from Beijing.

Kan Li Jun, the host who formally introduced Wham! in the anticipating audience, recalled her feeling of astonishment almost 30 years ago, expressing that no one in the country has seen anything different like that concert.

"The singers were all moving a lot and it was very loud. We were used to people who stood still when they performed." said Li Jun.

The band became a stepping stone to singer George Micheal's musical career and also for Andrew Ridgeley, who is now a songwriter.

George Michael became a successful musical artist in the ensuing years, with several collaborations with artists such as Mary J. Blige. He hinted his interest in a Wham! reunion concert recently.

TagsWHAM!, first western band