Andrew Powell (born 19 February 1950) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is a founding member of the British band Wishbone Ash, whose use of twin lead guitars was influential.

Early life and career

Powell was born in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

and grew up in the

new town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

of Hemel Hempstead, some north-west of London. He first played guitar at the age of 11, inspired by rock and beat bands such as The Shadows. Powell, unable to muster funds to buy a brand-new guitar, made a

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, and his prototype ...

-style guitar himself, and began to play in London-based bands such as The Dekois and The Sugar Band.

Wishbone Ash

In 1969, Powell answered a ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

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in which Martin Turner and Steve Upton advertised for a guitar player. Being unable to choose between Powell and another applicant ( Ted Turner), Wishbone Ash was formed with two lead guitarists.

Other appearances

Powell has recorded numerous

sessions Sessions may refer to: * Sessions (surname), a surname * Sessions (clothing company), an American apparel company * Sessions Clock Company, an American clock manufacturer in the early 20th century Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Sessions' ...

for other artists, including

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

, Kashif,

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

, Stewart Copeland and Renaissance. In 1988, Powell contributed to Miles Copeland III's ''Night of the Guitar'' project alongside Ted Turner, touring extensively with artists such as Randy California, Jan Akkerman, Steve Howe,

Steve Hunter Stephen John Hunter (born June 14, 1948) is an American guitarist, primarily a session player. He has worked with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper, acquiring the moniker "The Deacon". Hunter first played with Mitch Ryder's Detroit, beginning a long as ...

, Robby Krieger, Leslie West and Alvin Lee.

Personal life

Powell left England around 1980 as a " tax exile", and since then has mainly lived in Redding, Connecticut, with his wife Pauline. They have 3 grown children. In 2016 he released his autobiography, entitled ''Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior''.Dave Thompson
"Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior" (review)
'' Goldmine'', February 1, 2016 .

References

External links

Wishbone Ash website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Andy 1950 births Living people Lead guitarists English male singer-songwriters English rock guitarists Wishbone Ash members Singers from London People from Hemel Hempstead English male guitarists