Andy Summers

Andy Summers was born Andrew James Somers on December 31, 1942 in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. He is a British musician and composer best known for his work in The Police. Summers's primary instrument is the Fender Telecaster. His playing is informed by years of jazz and classical music studies, as well as his work in new age, rock, and other musical genres.

Recording career

Though born in Lancashire, Summers grew up in Bournemouth, Dorset, where he started playing jazz guitar as a teenager in local clubs.

He began his recording career in the 1960s as the guitarist for Zoot Money's Big Roll Band and its subsequent psychedelic-era incarnation, Dantalian's Chariot, both popular acts on the London club scene. He also recorded with Eric Burdon and the New Animals, and spent much of the 1970s doing prolific session work for Neil Sedaka, Joan Armatrading, Kevin Ayers, Kevin Coyne, Tim Rose, and Jon Lord, to name a few.

Summers achieved international prominence as the guitarist for The Police, perhaps the most popular rock music group of the early to mid-1980s. Summers's guitar playing defined much of the Police sound, most notably on popular hits such as "Message in a Bottle," "Don't Stand So Close to Me," and "Every Breath You Take." However, Summers' own songs for the Police, such as "Omegaman" and "Mother", often received less acclaim (although his instrumental "Behind My Camel" won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental in 1980). It is Summer's voice which can be heard in the song "Be My Girl - Sally" (from the album "Outlandos D'Amour"), taking the part of the narrator telling - in a broad Lancashire accent - about his adventures with Sally, the inflatable doll.

Summers's diverse musical credits include motion picture film scores, his most famous assignments being Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Weekend at Bernie's. He also dabbled in late night television as the band leader and composer for actor/comic Dennis Miller's first talk show. Summers guest-starred in an episode of TV's The Hitchhiker and had a bit part in the comedy Another You, starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.

As an individual artist, Summers has released numerous recordings with his own collections of musicians, including John Etheridge, Vinnie Colaiuta, Robert Fripp, Herbie Hancock, Brian Auger, Eliane Elias, Tony Levin, Ginger Baker, Deborah Harry, Q-Tip, and Sting, among others. Summers also taped a two-part guitar instructional video for Hot Licks.

In March 2003, Summers, Sting, and drummer Stewart Copeland reunited for the induction of The Police into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Later that year, Summers released his tenth solo album, Earth + Sky, which consisted of contemporary instrumental music. His most recent release is an album called The X Tracks, which is something of a retrospective of his musical efforts between 1997 and 2002. Recently, Summers has been performing at jazz clubs and other venues a few times each year.

In addition to being a musician, Summers is a published writer and photographer. His recent book with Ralph Gibson, Impressions of the Guitar, published by Chronicle Books, contains various passages about different types of music, guitars, and personal stories.

Education

Before joining The Police Summers took a break from pursuing his musical career full time and attended California State University, Northridge where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Music.

Personal

Andy married first wife Robin Lane in 1968 and the couple divorced in 1970. In 1973, he married Kate, a psychology graduate, and they had a daughter, Layla Z. Summers (born in 1978). Kate and Andy divorced in 1981 but remarried in 1985 (Andy blamed their divorce on the stress of being away from home on extensive tours with the Police). In 1987, twin sons Anton X. Summers and Maurice Y. Summers were born. The kids were all given a letter (i.e., X, Y, and Z) for a middle "name," these letters don't stand for anything. Kate and Andy are married to this day.

Andy has recently written a personal biography entitled "One Train Later," which is due out for sell on Ocotber 3, 2006.

Discography

Studio

I Advance Masked - 1982 (with Robert Fripp)
Bewitched - 1984 (with Robert Fripp)
XYZ - 1987
Mysterious Barricades - 1988
The Golden Wire - 1989
Charming Snakes - 1990
World Gone Strange - 1991
Invisible Threads - 1993 (with John Etheridge)
Synaesthesia - 1996
The Last Dance of Mr. X - 1997
Strings of Desire - 1998 (with Victor Biglione)
Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk - 1999
Peggy's Blue Skylight - 2000
Earth + Sky - 2004
Splendid Brasil - 2005 (with Victor Biglione)

Compilation

A Windham Hill Retrospective - 1998
The X Tracks: The Best of Andy Summers - 2005

External links

Official website

1942 births | Living people | Jazz guitarists | Guitarists | English guitarists