Andy Summers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andy Summers
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Summers performing in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Andrew James Summers |
| Born | 31 December 1942 Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England |
| Origin | Bournemouth, Hampshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
| Years active | 1959–present |
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Andrew James Summers (born 31 December 1942) is a famous English guitarist. He is best known for being a member of the rock band the Police. In 2003, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his bandmates.
Andy Summers has done many things in his career. He has recorded music on his own. He has also worked with other musicians. He has written music for movies and even written books. His photos have been shown in art galleries.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Andrew James Summers was born in Poulton-le-Fylde, England. This was on December 31, 1942.
When he was a child, his family moved to Bournemouth. He took piano lessons for several years. At age 10, he started playing the guitar.
As a teenager, he saw a concert in London. It featured jazz legends Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie. This show greatly inspired him. By age 16, he was playing guitar in local clubs. At 19, he moved to London. There, he formed a band called Zoot Money's Big Roll Band. He loved jazz guitar and was influenced by many great jazz musicians.
Musical Journey Before The Police
Andy Summers started his professional music career in the mid-1960s. He played guitar for Zoot Money's Big Roll Band. This band later changed its style. It became a psychedelic rock group called Dantalian's Chariot.
In 1966, Summers met Jimi Hendrix when Hendrix first came to the UK. After Dantalian's Chariot, Summers joined Soft Machine. He toured the United States with them. For a short time in 1968, he was part of the Animals. He recorded one album with them called Love Is. This album has a long guitar solo by Summers.
He then spent five years in Los Angeles. He studied classical guitar and music at a university. In 1972, he moved back to London. He played and toured with many artists. These included Joan Armatrading and Neil Sedaka.
In 1977, Andy Summers was asked to join a band called Strontium 90. But soon after, he met Sting and Stewart Copeland. They were looking for a guitarist. Summers told them they had something special. He said they needed him in their band.
Joining The Police and Global Success
Andy Summers became famous worldwide as the guitarist for The Police. He joined the band in 1977. He took the place of their first guitarist, Henry Padovani. The Police became very popular. They had many hit songs. These include "Message in a Bottle" and "Every Breath You Take".
While in the band, Summers won two Grammy Awards. He won for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. This was for "Reggatta de Blanc" in 1981. He won again for "Behind My Camel" in 1982.
Sting was the main singer. But Summers also sang lead vocals sometimes. He sang on songs like "Mother" and "Friends." He also wrote some notable songs for the band. In early 1984, The Police decided to stop playing together. They had sold about 80 million records.
Summers created the famous guitar part for "Every Breath You Take." This song was number one for eight weeks. He played it on his 1961 Fender Stratocaster guitar. The band's unique guitar sound often used a "chorus effect." Summers explained that he wanted a different sound for every song. He used special pedals to create these sounds. This made the guitar sound interesting during their shows.
Life After The Police
After The Police, Andy Summers started his solo career. He recorded music and went on tours. He also wrote music for movies. These included Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Weekend at Bernie's. He also showed his photography in art galleries.
He recorded albums with other guitarists. These included Robert Fripp. His first solo album, XYZ, came out in 1987. It was his only solo album with singing. In 1987, Sting asked Summers to play on his album. Summers later played bass for Sting's album. Summers also returned to a rock sound in the mid-1990s. Then he recorded several jazz albums.
The Police Reunion Tour
In 2007, The Police played "Roxanne" at the Grammy Awards. After that, they announced a reunion tour. The Police Reunion Tour started in May 2007. It continued until August 2008. It became one of the highest-earning tours ever.
New Bands and Projects
In 2013, Summers formed a band called Circa Zero. He worked with Rob Giles. Their first album, Circus Hero, was released in 2014.
In 2017, Summers announced another new band. It was a Police tribute band called Call the Police. He formed it with two Brazilian musicians.
Awards and Achievements
Andy Summers has received many awards and honors:
- Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental, "Reggatta de Blanc", 1981
- Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental, "Behind My Camel", 1982
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Police, 2003
- Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (a French honor), with The Police, 2007
- Honorary doctorate from Bournemouth University, 2008
- Voted number one pop guitarist for five years by Guitar Player magazine.
- His book One Train Later (2006) was named music book of the year by Mojo. It was also made into a documentary film.
Personal Life
Andy Summers was married to singer Robin Lane for a short time. He married his second wife, Kate, in 1973. They had a daughter named Layla in 1978. They divorced in 1981 but remarried in 1985. In 1987, they had twin sons. As of 2022, Summers lives in California with his wife and family.
Equipment
Andy Summers mainly used a special 1963 Fender Telecaster Custom guitar. It had some important changes. He also used various effects pedals. These helped him create his unique guitar sounds. He used an Echoplex for delay effects. He also used a custom-built pedalboard with other effects.
Music Albums
Here are some of the albums Andy Summers has released:
Solo Albums
- XYZ (1987)
- Mysterious Barricades (1988)
- The Golden Wire (1989)
- Charming Snakes (1990)
- World Gone Strange (1991)
- Synaesthesia (1995)
- The Last Dance of Mr. X (1997)
- Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk (1999)
- Peggy's Blue Skylight (2000)
- Earth + Sky (2003)
- Metal Dog (2015)
- Triboluminescence (2017)
- Harmonics of the Night (2021)
- Vertiginous Canyons (2024)
Collaborations with Other Artists
- I Advance Masked with Robert Fripp (1982)
- Bewitched with Robert Fripp (1984)
- Invisible Threads with John Etheridge (1993)
- Strings of Desire with Victor Biglione (1998)
- First You Build a Cloud with Ben Verdery (2007)
- Circus Hero with Rob Giles as Circa Zero (2014)
Movie Soundtracks
- The Wild Life (1984)
- 2010 (1984)
- Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
- Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
Albums as a Band Member
With The Police
- Outlandos d'Amour (1978)
- Reggatta de Blanc (1979)
- Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)
- Ghost in the Machine (1981)
- Synchronicity (1983)
With Eric Burdon and the Animals
- Love Is (1968)
With Kevin Coyne
- Matching Head and Feet (1975)
With Strontium 90
- Police Academy (1997)
With Zoot Money's Big Roll Band
- It Should Have Been Me (1965)
- Zoot! (1966)
Guest Appearances on Albums
- Joan Armatrading, Back to the Night (1975)
- Jon Lord, Sarabande, (1976)
- Neil Sedaka, Live at the Royal Festival Hall (1974)
- Sting, ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987)
Books Written by Andy Summers
- Throb (1983)
- Light Strings (2005)
- One Train Later (2006)
- I'll Be Watching You (2007)
- Desirer Walks the Streets (2008)
- The Bones of Chuang Tzu (2018)
- A Certain Strangeness (2019)
- Fretted and Moaning (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Andy Summers para niños
