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Biography
Andrew Giddings (born 10 July 1963) is an English keyboardist and was a member of Jethro Tull from 1991 to 2007.
Early life
Andrew Giddings was born in Pembury, Kent, his Mother having played the piano throughout her pregnancy with him during the summer of 1963. She had to stop playing when she could no longer get close enough to the piano. In an effort to cheer Andrew up following the death of a pet rabbit, she enrolled him in piano lessons at the age of about six.
Musical career
Andrew hated piano lessons but within two or three years his teacher had encouraged him into giving public performances, which he found terrifying. He quit formal lessons at the age of thirteen, in favour of learning to play pop music by ear. His first group performance was with two of his schoolmates playing on a borrowed drum kit and bass guitar while Andrew played on an electric organ that he paid the previous owner for by painting their garage door. At the age of fifteen, Andrew got his first taste of being paid for playing music with a local dance band, which enabled him to develop his keyboard skills. After leaving school with no qualifications at all, Andrew found employment in a musical instrument store.
Andrew became part of popular Kent band Profusion supporting Shalamar, Kool & The Gang and Fat Larry's Band around the UK, and later formed his own band X-statique along with some poached Profusion members. A brief solo period backing artists from the past and playing keyboards with Blues Bothers tribute band The Brothers Grimm preceded tours and recording with Eric Burdon of The Animals. Andrew remained part of Burdon's band for approximately five years before more extensive touring, recording and television appearances with a string of artists including Leo Sayer, Sniff 'n' the Tears, Vyktoria Keating, Willy Porter, The NEC Orchestra of Boston and Jon Anderson of YES.
Jethro Tull
Giddings joined Jethro Tull in 1991, succeeding Martin Allcock. He plays on the albums Catfish Rising, The Beacons Bottom Tapes, Roots to Branches, Jethro Tull In Concert, J-Tull Dot Com, Living with the Past, The Jethro Tull Christmas Album and Aqualung Live. He quit the band in 2007 and was succeeded by John O'Hara. Giddings was the longest serving keyboardist for the group, with sixteen years service.
Post Tull
He currently provides his keyboard and orchestration services via e-sessions and writes and records music for film, television and fun at his digital studio in the Oxfordshire countryside. He can say "nice pair" in six languages, including Sign.
A collection of Gidding's original music entitled Picture This is available on CD via his official web site.