Ian Scott Anderson formerly Ian Scott Anderson, Laird of Strathaird (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician best known for being the chief vocalist,

flautist The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

, and acoustic guitarist of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist who also plays

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

, keyboard, bass guitar,

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', , from Greek , from Turkish ) is a musical instrument popular in West Asia (Syria, Iraq), Europe and Balkans (Greece, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey). It is a member of the long-necked lute fam ...

balalaika The balalaika (, ) is a Russian string instrument, stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck, and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the third string is a perf ...

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

and a variety of

whistle A whistle is a musical instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It is a type of Fipple, fipple flute, and may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a s ...

s. His solo work began with ''

Walk into Light ''Walk into Light'' is the debut solo album released by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, released in 1983. (The album '' A'' was originally intended to be released as an Ian Anderson album, but instead was released as a Jethro Tull album.) ...

'' in 1983; since then he has released another five albums, including the sequel to the 1972 Jethro Tull album ''

Thick as a Brick ''Thick as a Brick'' is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 3 March 1972. The album contains one continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is intended as a parody of the concept a ...

'', titled '' TaaB 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?'' (2012).

Early life

Ian Anderson was born in

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; , ) is a city, parish, and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. Dunfermline was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries. The earliest ...

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

, Scotland, the youngest of three brothers, to an English mother and a Scottish father. Anderson said, "I am a Brit. I'm a Brit. I see myself as a product of that union." His father, James Anderson, ran the RSA Boiler Fluid Company in East Port, Dunfermline. Anderson's family moved to

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

when he was three. He was influenced by his father's

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

records and the emergence of rock music, but was disenchanted with the "showbiz" style of early American

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

stars like

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

. Anderson's family moved in 1959 to

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

, England, where he was educated at

Blackpool Grammar School Blackpool Aspire Academy is a secondary school located in the Layton area of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. The school was formed in 2014 by merging Collegiate High School with Bispham High School Arts College. It was temporarily located o ...

. In a 2011 interview, Anderson said he was asked to leave grammar school for refusing to submit to corporal punishment (permitted at that time). He studied fine art at Blackpool College of Art from 1964 to 1966 while living in

Lytham St Annes Lytham St Annes () is a seaside town in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is on the The Fylde, Fylde coast, directly south of Blackpool on the Ribble Estuary. The population of the built-up area at the 2021 United Kingdom census, ...

Career

Early career

While a teenager, Anderson took a job as a sales assistant at

Lewis's Lewis's is an online retailer and homeware brand. It was also a chain of British department stores that operated from 1856 to 2010. The owners of Lewis's went into administration several times, including in 1991. The first store, which ope ...

department store in Blackpool, then as a vendor on a news stand. In 1963, at 15 or 16 years of age, Anderson formed The Blades from among school friends: Michael Stephens (guitar),

John Evan John Evan (born John Spencer Evans; born 28 March 1948, in Derby, Derbyshire) is a British musician and composer. He is best known as the keyboardist for Jethro Tull from April 1970 to June 1980. Early life Evans' father was headmaster at a ...

(keyboards),

Jeffrey Hammond Jeffrey Hammond (born 30 July 1946), often known by his former stage name Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, is an English artist and former musician best known for being the bassist of progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1971 to 1975. With Jethro T ...

(bass) and

Barriemore Barlow Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow (born 10 September 1949, Birmingham) is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980. Christened Barrie, 'Barriemore' was an affectation ...

(drums). This was a

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

band, with Anderson on vocals, guitar and harmonica; he had yet to take up the flute. They played their first show at the Holy Family Church Hall in North Shore. In late 1967, Anderson was still holding down a day job, cleaning the Ritz Cinema in

Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...

, including the toilets, in the mornings, "which took me half the day" he said in a later interview. He took an old, chipped

urinal A urinal (, ) is a sanitary plumbing fixture similar to a toilet, but for urination only. Urinals are often provided in men's public restrooms in Western countries (less so in Muslim countries). They are usually used in a standing position. ...

from the cinema storeroom and had it for a time after leaving the job. It was not, however, the urinal which "was bolted to the side of John Evan's Hammond organ on stage" and figured in early 1970s Tull performances. At this time, Anderson abandoned his ambition to play electric guitar; this was allegedly because he felt he would never be "as good as

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

". As he himself tells it in the introduction to the video '' Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970'', he traded his electric guitar in for a flute which, after some weeks of practice, he found he could play fairly well in a rock and blues style. According to the sleeve notes for the first Tull album, ''

This Was ''This Was'' is the debut studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released in October 1968. Recorded at a cost of £1200, it is the only Jethro Tull album with guitarist Mick Abrahams, who was a major influence for the sound and mu ...

'' (1968), he had been playing the flute only a few months when the album was recorded. His guitar practice did not go to waste either, as he continued to play acoustic guitar, using it as a melodic and rhythmic instrument. As his career progressed, he added soprano saxophone, mandolin, keyboards and other instruments to his arsenal. Jethro Tull Ian

His tendency to stand on one leg while playing the flute came about by accident, as he had been inclined to stand on one leg while playing the harmonica, holding the microphone stand for balance. Anderson became known for his famous one-legged flute stance, and was once referred to as a "deranged flamingo". This stance is on many album covers of Jethro Tull. During a long stint at the

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue in London, England, that opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was a small and relatively cheap club, in the heart of London's West End of London, West End. It was the location of the first ...

, a journalist described him, wrongly, as standing on one leg to play the flute, when in fact he was originally playing the harmonica on one leg. He decided to live up to the reputation, albeit with some difficulty. His early attempts are visible in ''

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus ''The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus'' is a British concert film hosted by and featuring the Rolling Stones, filmed on 11–12 December 1968. It was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who proposed the idea of a "rock and roll circus" to Jag ...

'' (1968) film appearance of Jethro Tull. This was referenced in the facetious liner notes for ''

'' in a quote about "the one-legged pop flautist, Ian Anderson".

Later career

Anderson already wished to start a solo career in 1980, when Jethro Tull was going to take a break after

John Glascock John Glascock (2 May 1951 – 17 November 1979) was a British musician. He was the bassist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Carmen from 1972 to 1975; and the bass guitarist for progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1976 until h ...

's death. He wrote the album '' A'' as a solo record, but had Jethro Tull's

Martin Barre Martin Lancelot Barre (; born 17 November 1946) is an English guitarist best known for his longtime role as lead guitarist of British rock band Jethro Tull, with whom he recorded and toured from 1968 until the band's initial dissolution in 201 ...

participating, and

Dave Pegg Dave Pegg (born 2 November 1947) is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, primarily a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of folk ...

on bass. Record company pressure forced the record to be released under the Jethro Tull name. His first official solo album was ''

'', in 1983, in which

Peter-John Vettese Peter-John Vettese (born 15 August 1956), also known as Peter Vettese, is a Scottish keyboardist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. Vettese was the keyboardist for progressive rock band Jethro Tull for most of the 1980s. Early life Pet ...

played an important role in the electronic direction of the music. In the 1990s, he began working with simple bamboo flutes. He uses techniques such as over-blowing and hole-shading to produce note-slurring and other expressive techniques. Anderson said that around this time his daughter began taking flute lessons and noticed his fingering was incorrect, prompting him to relearn his extensive catalog with the right fingering. In 1995, Anderson released his second solo album, '' Divinities: Twelve Dances with God'', an instrumental work composed of twelve flute-heavy pieces pursuing varied themes with an underlying motif. The album was recorded with Jethro Tull keyboard player

Andrew Giddings Andrew Giddings (born 10 July 1963) is an English musician. He primarily plays keyboard instruments and is best known as a former member of British rock group Jethro Tull, for whom he was the longest serving keyboardist. Early life Giddings ...

and orchestral musicians. Anderson released two further song-based solo albums, ''

The Secret Language of Birds ''The Secret Language of Birds'' is the third studio album by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, released in 2000. It is named after the dawn chorus, the natural sound of birds heard at dawn, most noticeably in the spring. Track listing #"T ...

'' in 2000 and '' Rupi's Dance'' in 2003. In 2003, Anderson recorded a composition called "Griminelli's Lament", in honour of his friend, the Italian flutist . Jethro Tull 5

In 2011, with the end of Jethro Tull touring, and the question of his friend

Derek Shulman Derek Victor Shulman (born 11 February 1947) is a Scottish musician and singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record executive. From 1970 to 1980, he was lead vocalist for the band Gentle Giant. Career Simon Dupree and Gentle Giant Born in the ...

(whatever happened to Gerald Bostock?), Anderson began to produce a sequel to ''

'' (1972), titled ''

Thick as a Brick 2 ''Thick as a Brick 2'', abbreviated ''TAAB 2'' and subtitled ''Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?'', is the fifth studio album by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, released in 2012 as a sequel album to ''Thick as a Brick'', Jethro Tull's 19 ...

'' or ''TAAB2'', was released on 3 April 2012. It is billed as being performed by Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson instead of being a Jethro Tull album proper. Anderson toured performing both albums in their entirety. A trailer for ''TAAB2'' was posted on YouTube. Anderson released a new album, '' Homo Erraticus'', in May 2014. He described it as a

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

concept album blending rock, folk, and metal music. Peaking at No. 14 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

it is his most successful ever solo album. In September 2017, Anderson announced plans for a tour to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of ''This Was'', and a new studio album in 2019. The band line-up includes Anderson, Hammond, John O'Hara, David Goodier (all musicians of Anderson's solo band since 2012), and, since 2019, Joe Parrish, with Barre and Florian Opahle absent from the lineup. On 2 January 2018, Ian Anderson published a New Year post on jethrotull.com, including a picture of Anderson with the caption "IA in the studio working on a new album for release March 2019. Shhhh; keep it a secret..." On 1 June 2018, Parlophone Records released a new (50-track) career collection celebrating the Jethro Tull's 50th anniversary featuring all 21 Tull albums, named '' 50 for 50''. In the notes of the ''50 for 50'' booklet it stated that the new album scheduled for 2019 (and later pushed back to 2020, then 2022) would be a solo record by Ian Anderson and not a new album by Jethro Tull. However, that turned out not to be true; the band released ''

The Zealot Gene ''The Zealot Gene'' is the 22nd studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 28 January 2022 by Inside Out Music. Nearly five years in production, it is their first studio album since '' The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' (2003), ...

'', the first Jethro Tull studio album in 19 years (and the first with all new, original material in 23 years), on 28 January 2022.

Recognition

In 1973, Anderson appeared, along with several other artists, on the cover of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', for an article about new directions in early 1970s music. In recognition of his lifelong contribution to popular music, Anderson received two honours in 2006: the

Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...

for International Achievement and an

honorary Doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

of Literature at

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University () is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by roya ...

, on 11 July 2006. Anderson was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in the

2008 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008. The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and ...

for services to music. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters) from

Abertay University Abertay University () is a public university in the city of Dundee, Scotland. In 1872, Sir David Baxter, 1st Baronet of Kilmaron, left a bequest for the establishment of a mechanics' institute in Dundee and the Dundee Institute of Technology w ...

in July 2011. At the 2013 Progressive Music Awards, Anderson was presented with the "Prog God" award.

Musical collaborations and other work

Anderson produced

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, ...

's 1974 album ''

Now We Are Six ''Now We Are Six'' is a 1927 book of children's poetry by A. A. Milne, with illustrations by E. H. Shepard. It is the second collection of children's poems following Milne's ''When We Were Very Young'', which was first published in 1924. The co ...

'', as well as appearing on and producing Steeleye Span member

Maddy Prior Madeleine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk rock singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. She was born in Blackpool and moved to St Albans in her teens. Her father, Allan Prior, was co-creator of the p ...

's first solo album ''

Woman in the Wings A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional uteruses ...

'' (1978), for which Jethro Tull made most instrumental contributions. Anderson appeared as a guest on the song "All Along You Knew" from ''

The Big Prize ''The Big Prize'' is the second album by Honeymoon Suite, released in 1986. It featured four hit singles, including the band's biggest hit in the U.S., " Feel It Again," and "Bad Attitude," which was notably featured in a sequence in the final ep ...

'' (1985), the second album by Canadian rock band

Honeymoon Suite Honeymoon Suite is a Canadians, Canadian rock band formed in 1981 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The band's name was a nod to the fact that Niagara Falls is the unofficial honeymoon capital of the world. History 1981–1985 The band was origina ...

. This followed Jethro Tull's 1984 tour, on which Honeymoon Suite was one of the opening acts. Also in 1984, Anderson, along with

and

recorded album ''

A Classic Case ''A Classic Case'' (1985) is an album by Jethro Tull, playing with the London Symphony Orchestra, released in 1985. The music was arranged and conducted by Dee Palmer, who had collaborated with the band from 1968 and had been a full band mem ...

'' with the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

, performing a selection of music from Jethro Tull. He was also a DJ on radio station

Planet Rock Planet Rock may refer to: * "Planet Rock" (song), a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force ** '' Planet Rock: The Album'', a 1986 album containing the song * Planet Rock (radio station) Planet Rock is a British digital radio sta ...

, presenting his own two-hour show ''Under the Influence''. He also appeared on stage with

Joe Bonamassa Joseph Leonard Bonamassa ( ; born May 8, 1977) is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his inde ...

playing Jethro Tull song "A New Day Yesterday" at the

Hammersmith Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...

in May 2010. Anderson plays flute on the

Men Without Hats Men Without Hats are a Canadians, Canadian New wave music, new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of s ...

song "On Tuesday" from their album ''

Pop Goes the World ''Pop Goes the World'' is the third studio album by Canadian New wave music, new wave and synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released on June 29, 1987, by Mercury Records. It features the single "Pop Goes the World (song), Pop Goes the World", whic ...

'' (1987), and on the

Blackmore's Night Blackmore's Night is a British-American neo-medieval folk rock band formed in 1997, consisting mainly of Ritchie Blackmore (acoustic guitar, hurdy gurdy, mandola, mandolin, nyckelharpa, and electric guitar) and Candice Night (lead vocals, lyr ...

song "Play, Minstrel, Play" from their debut album ''

Shadow of the Moon ''Shadow of the Moon'' is the debut studio album by the folk rock band Blackmore's Night, released June 2, 1997. The album stayed on the German charts for 17 weeks, and received gold certification in Japan for 100,000 albums shipped to stores. ...

'' (1997). Anderson plays flute on the 1998 Roy Harper album '' The Dream Society''. Anderson has acknowledged Harper as having a strong influence upon him. Ian Anderson blacksheep 2016 3921

Anderson performs as a special guest on two Uriah Heep live albums: '' Acoustically Driven'' (2001) and ''Electrically Driven'' (2001), on both performing the same two songs of Uriah Heep repertoire: "Circus" and "Blind Eye". Anderson plays flute on the track "Portmeirion" on

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English British folk rock, folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson (musician), Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Marti ...

's 2001 album ''

XXXV 35 or XXXV may refer to: * 35 (number) * 35 BC * AD 35 * 1935 * 2035 Science * Bromine, a halogen in the periodic table * 35 Leukothea, an asteroid in the asteroid belt Music * ''XXXV'' (album), a 2002 album by Fairport Convention * ''35xxxv'', ...

''. Anderson has performed with

at their annual

Cropredy Festival Fairport's Cropredy Convention (formerly Cropredy Festival) is an annual festival of folk and rock music, headed by British folk-rock band Fairport Convention and held on the edge of the village of Cropredy in Oxfordshire, England. The festiv ...

on several occasions since the mid-1980s, when their bass player

was also a member of Jethro Tull. Anderson played flute and sang lead vocals on a version of "The Thin Ice" for the 2005 album '' Back Against the Wall'', an all-star tribute album covering

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

's ''

The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/ EMI and Columbia/ CBS Records. It is a rock opera which explores Pink, a jaded rock star, as he constructs a psychologic ...

'' in its entirety. In April 2011, Anderson performed a flute duet with astronaut

Cady Coleman Catherine Grace "Cady" Coleman (born December 14, 1960) is an American chemist, engineer, former United States Air Force colonel, and retired NASA astronaut. She is a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions, and departed the International Space St ...

, during her mission aboard the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the first crewed spaceflight by

Yuri Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful Human spaceflight, crewed sp ...

. Anderson played the flute on the track "Cannonball" by The Darkness on their 2012 album, ''

Hot Cakes ''Hot Cakes'' is the third studio album by British rock band the Darkness, released on 20 August 2012 on Canary Dwarf Records. Produced by Nick Brine and band members Justin and Dan Hawkins, the album is the band's first since their 2011 r ...

''. He played the flute on the track "Cry to the World" by

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

on their 2013 album, '' Grandine il vento''. He also played the flute on "The Ocean at the End", the title track from The Tea Party's 2014 album. Anderson contributed flute on the song "Black Cherry Pie", the third single from

JEFF the Brotherhood JEFF the Brotherhood is an American two-piece rock band consisting of brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. Their style has been described by music writers as containing elements of psychedelic rock, garage rock, pun ...

's 2015 album, '' Wasted on the Dream''. On 24 March 2017, the studio album ''

Jethro Tull – The String Quartets ''Jethro Tull – The String Quartets'' is a studio album featuring Ian Anderson, John O'Hara and the Carducci String Quartet, arranged by O'Hara. It was released on 24 March 2017. CD track listing #"In the Past (Living in the Past)" – 4:10 #" ...

'' by Anderson was released, featuring the

Carducci String Quartet The Carducci String Quartet is a string quartet based in the United Kingdom. It consists of Matthew Denton (violin), Michelle Fleming (violin), Eoin Schmidt-Martin, (viola), and Emma Denton (cello). The ensemble first played in 1997. It covers a br ...

, conducted by John O'Hara. The official video for

Marc Almond Peter Mark Almond (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop/ new wave duo Soft Cell. He has a distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has had a diverse career as a ...

's song 'Lord of Misrule', taken from his 2020 album ''Chaos and a Dancing Star'' was released on YouTube on 29 November 2019, featuring Ian Anderson playing flute throughout. In 2024, Anderson appeared on Swedish progressive rock and metal band

Opeth Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. The band incorporates folk music, folk, blues, classical music, classical, and jazz elements into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from deat ...

's album ''

The Last Will and Testament ''The Last Will and Testament'' is the fourteenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The album was originally set to be released on 11 October 2024 through Reigning Phoenix Music, but was pushed back to 22 November 2024 due t ...

''. Anderson played flute on tracks "§4", "§7", and "A Story Never Told". Anderson also provided spoken word passages on tracks "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7".

Family and personal life

Anderson is the youngest of three brothers. The oldest of the three, Robin, became administrator of

Scottish Ballet Scottish Ballet is the national ballet company of Scotland and one of the five leading ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet. Founded in 1 ...

in 1973. From 1970 to 1974, Anderson was married to

Jennie Franks Jennie Franks is an English playwright and filmmaker. She was the first wife of Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, and wrote some of the lyrics for the Jethro Tull song " Aqualung" (1971). Career Franks co-wrote and directed an educationa ...

, a photographer who is credited with some of the lyrics to the first couple of verses of the song " Aqualung". Anderson married Shona Learoyd in 1976, described by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine as a "beautiful convent-educated daughter of a wealthy wool manufacturer". She had studied ballet for 10 years; however, when Anderson met her, she was working as a press officer at Jethro Tull's then-record label,

Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records () is a British independent record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ell ...

. She later became involved with the band's on-stage special effects. The couple have lived in a 16th-century redbrick farmhouse on the Pophleys Estate in

Radnage Radnage is a village and civil parish in the Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills about two miles north east of Stokenchurch and six miles WNW of High Wycombe. The parish is set in folds of the Chi ...

, England, in Kilmarie House on their Strathaird Estate on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of ...

in Scotland, as well as a short time in

Montreux Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, Swiss municipality and List of towns in Switzerland, town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district), Riviera-Pays ...

, Switzerland. They currently live in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

, England, and have another house in Switzerland, near Montreux. They have two children: James Duncan Anderson, also a musician; and Gael, who works in the film industry and is married to actor

Andrew Lincoln Andrew James Clutterbuck (born 14 September 1973), known professionally as Andrew Lincoln, is an English actor. His first major role was as the character Egg in the BBC drama '' This Life'' (1996–1997). Lincoln later portrayed Simon Casey i ...

, star of the US TV drama series '' The Walking Dead''. Anderson is a survivor of

deep vein thrombosis Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of venous thrombosis involving the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, most commonly in the legs or pelvis. A minority of DVTs occur in the arms. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, redness, and enl ...

, and has done several

public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. Oftentimes these messages feature unsettling imagery, ideas or behaviors that are des ...

s to raise awareness of the disease. Anderson lists his interests as protecting wild cats, especially those that have been rescued from harsh captivity; cameras, chiefly

Leica Leica may refer to: Companies * Ernst Leitz GmbH, later divided into: ** Leica Biosystems GmbH, a cancer diagnostics company ** Leica Camera AG, a German camera and optics manufacturer ** Leica Geosystems AG, a Swiss manufacturer of surveying and ...

s; and

Indian cuisine Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally av ...

. Anderson has described his religious beliefs as being "somewhere between

deist Deism ( or ; derived from the Latin term '' deus'', meaning "god") is the philosophical position and rationalistic theology that generally rejects revelation as a source of divine knowledge and asserts that empirical reason and observation ...

and

pantheist Pantheism can refer to a number of philosophical and religious beliefs, such as the belief that the universe is God, or panentheism, the belief in a non-corporeal divine intelligence or God out of which the universe arisesAnn Thomson; Bodies ...

". He opposes "prejudice, xenophobia and hard right conservatism", while also criticising " wokeness", calling it a "trendy and overworked" viewpoint that "can all-too-easily stifle the process of the direct exchange of views". He is an avid environmentalist and has long believed in human-induced

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

, and regularly grows hardwood trees on his farm to help reduce his carbon footprint. During a video interview for '' The Big Interview with Dan Rather'' in May 2020, Anderson said he was suffering from the incurable

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...

(COPD) after being diagnosed a number of years previously. Although Anderson had been a cigarette and pipe smoker until he quit the habit in the 1990s, he believed that a likely cause of this condition was the use of on-stage

smoke machine A fog machine, fog generator, or smoke machine is a device that emits a dense vapor that appears similar to fog or smoke. This artificial fog is most commonly used in professional entertainment applications, but smaller, more affordable fog mach ...

s in live performances throughout his long career. Anderson continued medication to treat the condition, avoided areas of high pollution to prevent exacerbation of the disease, and practised breathing exercises to keep his lungs fit, stating that COPD had otherwise not yet affected his day-to-day routine.

Other business activities

Anderson has owned several salmon farms in the UK and Chile. His Strathaird concern, based on his estate on the

, operated until the late 1990s, when parts of it were sold off. Anderson is a director of four companies: Jethro Tull Production Limited, Calliandra Productions Limited, Ian Anderson Limited, and the Ian Anderson Group of Companies Limited.

Solo discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Collaboration

*''

'' (

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations Music publishing companies * Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 ** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that was pur ...

, 2017) with the ''

'' As guest * Roy Harper: ''Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivion'' (

Harvest Records Harvest Records is a British-American record label belonging to Capitol Music Group, originally created by EMI in 1969. History Harvest Records was created by EMI in 1969 to market progressive rock music, and to compete with Philips' Vertigo ...

, 1974); Anderson plays flute on "Home" *

: ''

'' (

Warner Music Canada Warner Music Canada is the Canadian division of Warner Music Group. The label previously operated as WEA Music of Canada, Ltd. (French: ''WEA Musique du Canada, Ltée''), often shortened to WEA Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of WEA Internationa ...

, 1986); Anderson plays flute on "All Along You Knew" *

: ''

'' (

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...

, 1987); Anderson plays flute on the track "On Tuesday" * The Six and Violence: ''Lettuce Prey'' (Fist Records, 1990); Anderson plays on "Bursting Bladder" and "Theological Guns" *

: ''

'' (

Edel Edel is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Abraham Edel (1908–2007), North American philosopher and ethicist * Alfred William Edel (c. 1930–2005), American television news presenter * Apoula Edel ...

, 1997); Anderson plays flute on "Play Minstrel Play" * Roy Harper: ''The Dream Society'' (

Science Friction Records Roy Harper (born 12 June 1941) is an English folk rock singer, songwriter, poet Jones, Allan.Roy Harper: “I was an absolute rebel… I once painted the local town hall with swastikas and hammers and sickles”. '' Uncut'', 30 September 2013. ...

, 1998); Anderson plays flute on "These Fifty Years" * Uriah Heep: '' Acoustically Driven'' (

Classic Rock Productions A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...

, 2001); Anderson plays flute on "Circus" and "Blind Eye" *

James Taylor Quartet The James Taylor Quartet (or JTQ) are a British four-piece jazz funk band formed in 1985 by Hammond organ player James Taylor following the break-up of his former band the Prisoners, and in the wake of Stiff Records' bankruptcy. The band c ...

: ''Room at the Top'' (

Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and is, as of 2013, a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management solely for reissues. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest ...

, 2002); Anderson plays flute on "Free" *

Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese explorer best known for having planned and led the Magellan expedition, 1519–22 Spanish expedition to the East Indies. During this expedition, he also discovered t ...

: '' Hundred Year Flood'' (

Magna Carta Records Magna Carta Records is an independent record label located in East Rochester, New York. Magna Carta was formed in 1989 and is owned by Peter Morticelli and his partner Mike Varney. The label, named for the 1215 English document advancing democra ...

, 2002); Anderson plays flute on "Family Jewels" * Silverwood Quartet: ''The Classic Rock Album'' (2005); Anderson plays flute on "Bourrée" *

Billy Sherwood William Wyman Sherwood (born March 14, 1965) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, record producer and mixing engineer. He is best known for his tenures in the English progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes as guitarist and ke ...

: '' Back Against the Wall'' (

Cleopatra Records Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label that has the sub-labels Hypnotic Records, Goldenlane, Stardust, Purple Pyramid, Deadline and X-Ray Records. History Founded in January 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in go ...

, 2005); Anderson plays flute and sings lead vocals on "The Thin Ice" and plays flute on "Is There Anybody Out There?" * Toto: '' Falling in Between'' (2006); Anderson plays flute on "Hooked" *

Various Artists A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

: ''Asia and Progressive Rock Friends'' (2008); Anderson sings and plays flute on "The Thin Ice" * Eric Brooke: ''The Road to Here'' (2011); Anderson plays flute on "O.K.(Live) " * Saori Jo: ''Home 2.17 AM'' (2012); Anderson plays flute on "Fairy World" * Unnur Birna: ''Sunshine'' (2013); Anderson plays flute on "Sunshine" * Anna Phoebe: ''Between the Shadow and the Soul'' (2014); Anderson plays flute on "A Moment's Deception" *

Boris Grebenshchikov Boris Borisovich Grebenshchikov (; born ) is a prominent member of the generation which is widely considered to be the "founding fathers" of Russian rock music. He is the founder and lead singer of the band Aquarium which has been active since ...

: ''Salt'' (2014); Anderson plays flute on "Любовь во время войны" *

: ''Symphony of Light'' (2014); Anderson plays flute on "Cry to the World" *

Tiles Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or ot ...

:
Pretending 2 Run
' (Laser's Edge, 2016); Anderson plays flute on "Midwinter" * Helen Andrews: ''Circling Highs, Unravelling Lows'' (2016); Anderson plays flute on "Behind the Glass" *

John Cooper Clarke John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet and comedian who styled himself as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums and performed on stage with punk and post-punk ...

Hugh Cornwell Hugh Alan Cornwell (born 28 August 1949) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and writer, best known for being the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for the punk rock and new wave band the Stranglers The Stranglers are an English ro ...

: '' This Time It's Personal'' (2016); Anderson plays flute on "MacArthur Park" *

Tim Bowness Tim Bowness (born 29 November 1963) is an English singer and songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson. Music career In addition to recording albu ...

: ''Lost in the Ghost Light'' (2017); Anderson plays flute on "Distant Summers" * Tinkara: ''Cuori di ossigeno'' (2017); Anderson plays flute on "Maldamore" *

: ''Est'd 1969'' (2019); Anderson plays flute on "Old Matron" * Heather Findlay: ''Wild White Horses'' (2019); Anderson plays flute on "Winner" * Mandoki Soulmates: ''Living in the Gap + Hungarian Pictures'' (2020); Anderson sings and plays flute on "Let the Music Show You the Way" * Louise Patricia Crane: ''

Deep Blue Deep Blue may refer to: People, figures, and characters * Deep Blue (musician), electronic and drum and bass musician * Deep Blue (DC Comics), a superhero in the post-Crisis DC Universe * Deep Blue (''Tokyo Mew Mew''), a character from ''Tokyo ...

'' (Peculiar Doll Records, 2020); Anderson plays flute on "Snake Oil" and "Ophelia" *

Steve Bailey Steve Bailey is an American bassist. He is the chair of the bass department at Berklee College of Music. Career Bailey began playing bass guitar at age 12 and started playing fretless bass after he ran over his fretted Stuart Spector with his ...

: ''Carolina'' (2020); Anderson plays flute on "Bourrée" *

Robby Steinhardt Robert Eugene Steinhardt (May 25, 1950 – July 17, 2021) was an American musician best known for his work with rock band Kansas, for which he was co-lead singer, violinist and MC along with keyboardist Steve Walsh, from 1973 to 1982 and from ...

: ''Not In Kansas Anymore / A Prog Opera'' (2021); Anderson plays flute and

pennywhistle The tin whistle, also known as the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, a class of instrument which also includes the recorder and Native American flute. A tin whistle player is called a whistl ...

on "Pizzacato (A Slice For Baby Boy Flynn)" *

: ''

'' (2024); Anderson plays flute on "§4", "§7" and "A Story Never Told". Anderson also provides spoken words on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7".

References

External links

*
Jethro Tull - The Official Website of the Legendary Classic Rock Band
*
Ian Anderson's biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at

AllMusic.com AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the data ...

Ian Anderson's discography, album releases & credits
at

Discogs.com Discogs ( ; short for "discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''The N ...

Ian Anderson's solo albums to be listened
as stream at Play.Spotify.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Ian 1947 births Living people 20th-century British folk musicians 21st-century British folk musicians 20th-century British male singers 21st-century British male singers 20th-century British singer-songwriters 21st-century British singer-songwriters 20th-century British flautists 21st-century British flautists Angel Records artists Anglo-Scots British baritones British deists British folk rock musicians British male flautists British male guitarists British male singer-songwriters British multi-instrumentalists British record producers British rock flautists British rock guitarists British rock singers British Roman Catholics Chrysalis Records artists EMI Records artists Island Records artists Ivor Novello Award winners Jethro Tull (band) members Members of the Order of the British Empire Musicians from Blackpool Musicians from Edinburgh Pantheists People associated with Heriot-Watt University People associated with the University of Abertay Dundee People educated at Blackpool Grammar School People from Dunfermline Progressive rock guitarists Progressive rock musicians