Andy McKee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andy McKee
Background information
Born	(1979-04-04) April 4, 1979 (age 46) Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
Genres	Folk, fingerstyle, percussive fingerstyle
Occupation(s)	Guitarist
Instruments	Guitar, baritone guitar, harp guitar
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Razor & Tie, CandyRat, Mythmaker Records

Andy McKee was born on April 4, 1979, in Topeka, Kansas. He is an American fingerstyle guitar player. He has released many albums and EPs. Andy McKee is famous for his amazing guitar skills. Many of his videos on YouTube have gone viral. They have been watched hundreds of millions of times!

Andy McKee's Musical Journey

Andy McKee started playing guitar at age 13. His dad bought him a nylon string guitar. At first, he wasn't very excited about lessons. So, Andy decided to teach himself how to play.

He began by learning "shred guitar" music. This included songs by bands like Metallica. His cousin, who played electric guitar, inspired him a lot. For his 16th birthday, his cousin took him to see a guitarist named Preston Reed. This show changed everything for Andy.

Andy later bought a video from Preston Reed. He learned many acoustic guitar tricks from it. That same year, he left high school with his mom's permission. He got his GED so he could focus more on guitar. He then started listening to acoustic guitarists like Michael Hedges and Don Ross. He kept learning on his own.

Early Albums: Nocturne and Dreamcatcher

In 2001, Andy McKee released his first album, Nocturne. He also won third place in a big guitar competition that year. In 2003, he toured in Taiwan. He also won first place in another competition in New Jersey. He used a special harp guitar for this. This instrument can be heard on some of his later songs. Only 1,000 copies of Nocturne were made.

His second album, Dreamcatcher, came out in 2004. It included his versions of "Africa" by Toto. It also had a song called "The Friend I Never Met." This song was a tribute to Michael Hedges. Andy won a chance to play with bassist Michael Manring because of his song "Dreamcatcher." They have toured together many times since then. This album was re-released later because of his YouTube fame.

Becoming Famous with Art of Motion

Andy McKee's third album, Art of Motion, was released in 2005. Many of the songs that made him famous on YouTube are on this album. When Andy became very popular on YouTube in 2006 and 2007, Art of Motion was his main album available. This helped it get a lot of attention.

More Music: The Gates of Gnomeria and Collaborations

After touring a lot in 2007, Andy recorded his fourth album, The Gates of Gnomeria. This album had new songs and some old ones from Nocturne. He spent most of 2008 touring around the world. He played with other artists from his record label.

In 2008, Andy worked with Don Ross on an album called The Thing That Came From Somewhere. He also released a DVD with another guitarist, Antoine Dufour.

Digital Releases and Joyland

In 2009, Andy released an EP called Common Ground. It had new versions of songs from Dreamcatcher. It also included a cover song by Japanese guitarist Masaaki Kishibe. This album was only released digitally.

Andys album Joyland came out in 2010. The title song was inspired by an old amusement park in Topeka, Kansas. On this album, Andy added other instruments to some songs. It also featured a new harp guitar song. He covered songs like "Layover" by Michael Hedges and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears. The album also came with a DVD. It had a documentary and music videos.

Recent EPs and Live Album

Andy toured a lot after Joyland. He played with many other guitarists. On April 8, 2014, he released Mythmaker. This EP had four new songs. It included his first solo piano song called "June." It also featured electric guitar on a song called "Lumine."

In 2016, Andy released his first live album, Live Book. He recorded it during shows in Georgia and Alabama in late 2015.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Andy started doing weekly online concerts. He also offered online guitar lessons. In June 2021, he played his first live show since the pandemic began. He announced a new EP of cover songs called Symbol. It was released on September 17, 2021. The first song from it was "Ragamuffin" by Michael Hedges.

Andy's Career Highlights

Andy McKee at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Ontario

Andy McKee became one of his record label's top-selling artists. This happened after a video of his song "Drifting" went viral on YouTube. For a while, three of his videos were the most-watched on YouTube! Because of this, he appeared on TV shows. He also played guitar on Josh Groban's Christmas album, Noël, in 2007. That album became the best-selling CD of 2007 in the U.S.

In 2010, Andy played on Lee Ritenour's album 6 String Theory. Other famous guitarists like Slash were also on it.

In 2012, Andy McKee even played with Prince on his tour in Australia. He joined Prince's band for several songs. He also started the Melbourne concert with some of his own songs.

Since 2016, Andy has been leading guitar workshops. These are called "Andy McKee's Musicarium." They are multi-day events where people can learn from him.

Andy's Gear and Inspirations

Andy McKee uses special guitars and equipment. He plays Greenfield G4 and G2 Guitars. He also uses a Greenfield HG1.2 Harp Guitar. For electric guitars, he uses Ernie Ball Music Man models. He uses Ernie Ball guitar strings and Shubb Capos. He also has a Lance McCollum Baritone Guitar and a Ron Spillers Harp Guitar.

Andy McKee at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Ontario

Andy McKee has many musical influences. These include guitarists like Eric Johnson and Tommy Emmanuel. He also likes bands like Dream Theater and Metallica.

When he was younger, Andy loved metal music. He even played a Metallica song in his high school talent show. But after seeing Preston Reed, he started to love acoustic music more. He was inspired by artists like Don Ross and Michael Hedges. Both types of music still influence him today. He often uses special guitar tunings and capos in his playing style.

Discography