About Me
Andy Summers (born Andrew James Somers 31 December 1942) is an English guitarist and composer best known for his work in The Police.Summers 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 were popular acts on the London club scene. Summers was a member for a couple of months (May-July 1968) of the Canterbury scene jazz fusion band Soft Machine, although he did not record with the group. He also recorded with Eric Burdon and The Animals (Love Is), and spent much of the mid-seventies doing session work for Neil Sedaka, Joan Armatrading, Kevin Ayers, Kevin Coyne, Tim Rose, and Jon Lord, and others. At one point, Summers was considered as a replacement for Mick Taylor, as lead guitarist for The Rolling Stones; the group eventually chose Ron Wood instead. He was also a member of the pre-Police band Strontium 90 along with Sting, Stewart Copeland and Mike Howlett which was a group formed by Howlett as a part of a reunion concert with his former band Gong where each band member presented a group of their own. Howlett is also credied with getting Summers, Sting and Copeland together to play music together for the first time in a group setting.Summers achieved international prominence as the guitarist for The Police, most notably on popular hits such as "Message in a Bottle", "Don't Stand So Close to Me", and "Every Breath You Take". Summers also wrote songs for the Police, such as "Omegaman" and "Mother", and his instrumental "Behind My Camel" won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental in 1980. Summers provides vocals for the song "Be My Girl - Sally" (from the album Outlandos D'Amour), taking the part of the narrator telling - in a broad Yorkshire accent - about his adventures with Sally, the inflatable doll. He is also the vocalist for the songs "Mother", "Friends", and "Someone To Talk To". "Mother" appeared on the Synchronicity album. "Friends", and "Someone To Talk To" never appeared on a Police studio album, but are part of the box set Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings.At the 2007 Grammy Awards, Summers, Stewart Copeland and Sting performed together again as The Police. This marked the band's first public performance since 1986 other than their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One day later, the band announced that in celebration of The Police's 30th anniversary, they would be embarking on a worldwide reunion tour beginning on May 28, 2007. By the final leg of the tour, Summers will be 65 years of age.
