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From Leigh to Las Vegas – A brief biography
As a small child, Andy Prior would listen to his favourite albums of Glenn
Miller and Frank Sinatra and dream of one day having a band of his own. From
humble beginnings in a small, run-down mining community in the North-West
of England, Andy nurtured his dreams throughout his teenage years and began
studying the trombone. With a bandleader father and a mother trained as an
opera singer, Andy cut his musical teeth in the highly disciplined world of
brass band music and it was here that his musical talents began to surface.
It was not long before he was performing around the world with the Wigan Youth
Jazz Orchestra and the NDO. He was awarded the Don Lusher Trophy for Best
Soloist in the BBC Radio Big Band competition. For most musicians, such recognition
at an early age would represent a fulfilment of childhood dreams, but Andy
still had a passion that burned within - to sing those incredible, well-crafted
songs he heard his heroes perform. Unlike the copycat culture of today, Andy
was inspired by the way that Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, Matt
Munro and others made the songs their own, and he wanted to do the same for
himself, in front of a band that would play the music the way he heard it.
After making his singing debut at 16 with the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra,
his “Sounds of Sinatra” show was such a resounding success that
when the Orchestra toured Hong Kong and China, Andy was already front page
news. So, in 1984, Andy started his big band, using a mixture of young talent
and ex-professionals from his local area and began honing his skills as a
bandleader and song stylist. Within a short time, he was invited to join the
Eric Delaney Band at the world-famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom. The season
was a tremendous success, with people coming from all across the country to
see the legendary drummer and his new singing sensation, Andy Prior.
The time was right for Andy to begin touring with his own band and, with Delaney’s
blessing, he did just that. This new, young, dynamic ensemble, fronted by
a man with a unique singing style who plays a mean trombone (and can make
‘em laugh too!) was soon making waves throughout the music industry.
Offers of work came thick and fast and Andy Prior was on his way.
His talents were featured on national television (Pebble Mill, The Generation
Game, Talking Telephone Numbers…), he was a winner on Opportunity Knocks,
the first resident bandleader at the Tower Ballroom for 25 years and he was
packing theatres across the UK. All this at a time when big band music was
deemed unpopular! He was the first and only performer to tour with a show
celebrating the music of Frank Sinatra whilst the great man was still alive.
Ol’ Blue Eyes even endorsed the show! The tour was an outstanding success,
playing to capacity crowds at the London Palladium, Bridgewater Hall, Symphony
Hall, St.Davids Hall….the list goes on.
After Sinatra’s passing in 1998, tribute shows began to flood the market
but Andy Prior stayed true to himself and was rewarded for this when, in 2002
he was invited by the legendary Billy May to front his Orchestra in the world-famous
Stardust Hotel, Las Vegas. Billy had been a hero of Andy’s since childhood-
a soloist with Glenn Miller and later, Sinatra’s musical arranger. In
Vegas, Prior was celebrated not only as possibly the last great bandleader,
but also as the torch-bearer for the future. What gives Andy Prior a unique
place in history is the fact that although all the great bands had star vocalists,
this bandleader is the star vocalist!
Andy Prior is currently celebrating 20 years as a bandleader and this being
recognised by Andy being featured in his own television series, “Andy
Prior’s Big Band Show” (ITV Granada) broadcast in July 2004, the
first big band show to be shown on British television in over 30 years. The
guest list alone is testament to his standing in the entertainment world-
Peter Kay, “Corrie” star Bill Tarmey, jazz diva Jacqui Dankworth,
Sony Music Artist and British Jazz Award Nominee Clare Teal and Pete Waterman’s latest discovery, the
phenomenal Lauren Waterworth.
The future is bright for Andy Prior….
