Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist,

flautist The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to flute and acoustic guitar, plays keyboards, electric guitar, bass guitar,

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

balalaika The balalaika (russian: link=no, балала́йка, ) is a Russian 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 thir ...

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

, harmonica and a variety of

whistle A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a lar ...

s. His solo work began with the 1983 album '' Walk into Light''; since then he has released another five works, including the sequel to the 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 a continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is intended as a parody of the concept ...

'' (1972) in 2012, titled ''

Thick as a Brick 2 ''Thick as a Brick 2'', abbreviated ''TAAB 2'' (pronounced by Anderson) and subtitled ''Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?'', is the fifth studio album by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, released in 2012 as a follow-up of ''Thick as a Bri ...

''.

Early life

Ian Anderson was born in Dunfermline, Fife, 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 ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

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

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, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

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, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

stars like

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. His family moved in 1959 to Blackpool, England, where he was educated at Blackpool Grammar School. 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.

Career

Early career

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

Lewis's Lewis's was a chain of British department stores that operated from 1856 to 2010. The owners of Lewis's have gone into administration many times over the years, including 1991. The first store, which opened in Liverpool city centre, became ...

department store in Blackpool, then as a vendor on a news stand. In 1963, he 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 for having played keyboards for Jethro Tull from April 1970 to June 1980. Evans' father was headmaster at a De ...

(keyboards),

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

(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 In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

and blues 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, namely cleaning the Ritz Cinema in

Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable a ...

, 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 for urination only. Urinals are often provided in public toilets for male users in Western countries (less so in Muslim countries). They are usually used in a standing position. Urinals can be ...

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. Jethro Tull Ian

At this time Anderson abandoned his ambition to play electric guitar, allegedly because he felt he would never be "as good as Eric Clapton". 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 music ...

'' (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. 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 was 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 first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed wh ...

, 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'' was a concert show organised by the Rolling Stones on 11–12 December 1968. The show was filmed on a makeshift circus stage with Jethro Tull (band), Jethro Tull, The Who, Taj Mahal (musician), Taj Mah ...

'' (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 is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

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

participation, 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 '' Walk into Light'', in 1983, in which

Peter-John Vettese Peter-John Vettese (born 15 August 1956 in Scotland), also known as Peter Vettese, is a Scottish keyboardist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. Vettese is perhaps best known for being the keyboardist for progressive rock band Jethro Tul ...

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 on this otherwise simple instrument. 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 ''Rupi's Dance'' (2003) is the fourth studio album by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson. The album was released around the same time as Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre's new solo album, '' Stage Left'', and preceded Jethro Tull's album, ...

'' in 2003. In 2003, Anderson recorded a composition called "Griminelli's Lament", in honour of his friend, the Italian flutist . 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 Born in the Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland, Shu ...

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

'' (1972), titled ''

'' 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 ''Homo Erraticus'' is the sixth studio album by British progressive rock musician Ian Anderson, who is also the frontman of Jethro Tull. Released on 14 April 2014, ''Homo Erraticus'' is a concept album, loosely connected to Jethro Tull's ''Th ...

'', in May 2014. He described it as a

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...

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

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

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 David Goodier (born 1954) is an English musician. He has been the bassist for the rock band Jethro Tull from 2007 until the band went on a hiatus in 2012, and again from 2017 when Ian Anderson started to tour again using the Jethro Tull name, ...

(all musicians of Anderson's solo band since 2012), and, since 2019, Joe Parrish, with Barre and

Florian Opahle Florian Opahle (born 1983) is a German guitarist, best known for his work with progressive rock musician Ian Anderson and later his band, Jethro Tull. He played with Anderson from 2003 to 2019 and with a reformed Jethro Tull from 2017 to 201 ...

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 ''50 for 50'' is a three-disc compilation album by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released in 2018. Released to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary, the collection includes 50 tracks, selected by frontman Ian Anderson himself ...

''. 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 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 continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'', 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 entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...

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, 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 contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours for services to music. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters) from

Abertay University , mottoeng = "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom." , established = 1994 – granted University Status 1888 – Dundee Institute of Technology , type = Public , chancellor = Alice Brown , principal = Liz Bacon , head_label = Chair of C ...

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's 1974 album ''

Now We Are Six ''Now We Are Six'' is a book of thirty-five children's verses by A. A. Milne, with illustrations by E. H. Shepard. It was first published in 1927 including poems such as "King John's Christmas", "Binker" and "Pinkle Purr". Eleven of the poem ...

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

Maddy Prior Madelaine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk 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 police ...

's first solo album ''

Woman in the Wings ''Woman in the Wings '' is the debut solo studio album by English singer Maddy Prior, the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. The album was released in May 1978 by Chrysalis Records. It was produced by Ian Anderson, Dee Palmer and Robin Black. All ...

'' (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 1985. 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 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 originally formed ...

. 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 symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orc ...

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

playing Jethro Tull song "A New Day Yesterday" at the Hammersmith Apollo in May 2010. Anderson plays flute on the

Men Without Hats Men Without Hats are a Canadian 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 synthesizers and electro ...

song "On Tuesday" from their album ''

Pop Goes the World ''Pop Goes the World'' is the third studio album by Canadian 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", which reached the Top 20 in Canada (achievi ...

'' (1987), and on the Blackmore's Night song "Play, Minstrel, Play" from their debut album ''

Shadow of the Moon ''Shadow of the Moon'' is the debut studio album by the group Blackmore's Night, released June 2, 1997. It stayed on the German charts for 17 weeks. It received a gold certification in Japan for 100,000 albums shipped to stores. Track listing ...

'' (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's 2001 album ''

XXXV 35 or XXXV may refer to: * 35 (number), the natural number following 34 and preceding 36 * one of the years 35 BC, AD 35, 1935, 2035 * ''XXXV'' (album), a 2002 album by Fairport Convention * ''35xxxv'', a 2015 album by One Ok Rock * "35" (song), ...

''. Anderson has performed with Fairport Convention 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 festi ...

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 ''Back Against the Wall'' is an album released in 2005 by Billy Sherwood in collaboration with a number of (mostly) progressive rock artists as a tribute to Pink Floyd's album ''The Wall''. A year later, Sherwood followed it with the release of ...

'', an all-star tribute album covering Pink Floyd's ''

The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/ CBS Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rock star whose eventual self-imp ...

'' in its entirety. In April 2011, Anderson performed a flute duet with astronaut Cady Coleman, during her mission aboard the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ( ...

, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the first manned 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 became the first human to journey into outer space. T ...

. 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 reun ...

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

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

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 The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with industrial rock, blues, progressive rock, and Middle Eastern music influences, dubbed " Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s and up until 2005, the band re-formed in 2011. The Tea ...

's 2014 album. He 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, ...

's 2015 album, '' Wasted on the Dream''. On 24 March 2017 the studio album '' Jethro Tull – The String Quartets'' by Anderson was released, featuring the Carducci String Quartet, conducted by John O'Hara. The official video for

Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. ...

'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.

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 1969, ...

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

Jennie Franks Jennie Franks is an English playwright and filmmaker. Career Franks co-wrote and directed an educational film about the effects of AIDS in rural Colorado titled ''Soft Smoke, AIDS in the Rural West''.''Denver Rocky Mountain News''. Denver, C ...

, 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. It was first known for its ...

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

, England, in Kilmarie House on their Strathaird Estate on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, as well as a short time in

Montreux Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approxima ...

, Switzerland. They currently live in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, 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, 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 enla ...

, 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. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

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 Leicas; and

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

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

deist Deism ( or ; derived from the Latin '' 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 is the belief that reality, the universe and the cosmos are identical with divinity and a supreme supernatural being or entity, pointing to the universe as being an immanent creator deity still expanding and creating, which has e ...

". During a video interview for ''

The Big Interview with Dan Rather ''The Big Interview with Dan Rather'' is an American television series on AXS TV, hosted by Dan Rather, in which he interviews major celebrities. In 2021 it entered into its 9th season, with close to 150 episodes total. The show Near the end of his ...

'' 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 long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

(COPD) after being diagnosed a number of years previously. He went on to state his belief that a likely cause of this condition has been the use of on-stage smoke machines 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 Isle of Skye, 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

*'' Jethro Tull – The String Quartets'' ( BMG, 2017) with the '' Carducci String Quartet'' As guest *

: ''

'' (

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. In the United States, it i ...

, 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" * Blackmore's Night: ''

'' (

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 Ed ...

, 1997); Anderson plays flute on "Play Minstrel Play" *

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 co ...

: ''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 m ...

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

Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East ...

: ''

Hundred Year Flood A 100-year flood is a flood event that has a 1 in 100 chance (1% probability) of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 100-year flood is also referred to as the 1% flood, since its annual exceedance probability is 1%.Holmes, R.R., Jr. ...

'' (

Magna Carta Records Magna Carta Records is an independent record label located in 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 democracy, '' ...

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

'' (

Cleopatra Records Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, D ...

, 2005); Anderson plays flute and sings lead vocals on "Thin Thin Ice" and plays flute on "Is There Anybody Out There?" *

Various Artists A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...

: ''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 Unnur is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Unnur Benediktsdottir Bjarklind (1881–1946), Icelandic poet and prose writer who wrote as Hulda *Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir (born 1984), former winner of the Miss Iceland pageant * ...

: ''Sunshine'' (2013); Anderson plays flute on "Sunshine" *

Anna Phoebe Anna Phoebe McElligott (born 18 February 1981) is a London-based violinist, composer, and broadcaster who performs in musical genres including contemporary classical music, contemporary classical, rock music, rock, folk music, folk, jazz music, ...

: ''Between the Shadow and the Soul'' (2014); Anderson plays flute on "A Moment's Deception" *

Boris Grebenshchikov Boris Borisovich Grebenshchikov (russian: link=no, Борис Борисович Гребенщиков; born ) is a prominent member of the generation which is widely considered to be the "founding fathers" of Russian rock music. He is the fo ...

: ''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 o ...

:
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, who first became famous as a " punk poet" in the late 1970s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Around this time, he performed on stage with se ...

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 from 1974 to 1990. Since leaving the ...

: '' 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 album ...

: ''Lost in the Ghost Light'' (2017); Anderson plays flute on "Distant Summers" * Tinkara: ''Cuori di ossigeno'' (2017); Anderson plays flute on "Maldamore" * Steeleye Span: ''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: Film * ''Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads'', a 1992 documentary film about Mississippi Delta blues music * Deep Blue (2001 film), ''Deep Blue'' (2001 film), a film by Dwight H. Little * Deep Blue (2003 ...

'' (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 rock violinist and singer best known for his work with the group Kansas, for which he was co-lead singer/"frontman" and MC along with keyboardist Steve Walsh, from 197 ...

: ''Not In Kansas Anymore / A Prog Opera'' (2021); Anderson plays flute and pennywhistle on "Pizzacato (A Slice For Baby Boy Flynn)"

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 databas ...

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. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the l ...

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