Andy Pratt

A Massachusetts native, Andy Pratt graduated from Harvard University with a degree in literature in 1968. After graduation, he played in several Boston-area bands and built Aengus Studios in Fayville, MA, where he honed his producing techniques. He exploded on the music scene in 1973 with his Columbia Records hit single “Avenging Annie,” (#78 Billboard Hot 100) ostensibly a song about Annie Oakley and Pretty Boy Floyd, based on Woody Guthrie’s “Ballad of Pretty Boy Floyd,” but also a metaphor for the end of his first marriage. The Who’s Roger Daltrey liked “Avenging Annie” so much he included a cover of it for his 1977 album, One Of The Boys — but Daltrey couldn’t hit Andy’s high notes! For the next four years Andy rode the wave of rock stardom, touring the world and sharing the stage with — among countless others — the Band, Foreigner, T-Bone Burnett and Luther Vandross. In 1975, after the death of his father, Andy enrolled in Boston’s Life Institute in search of the meaning of life. He continued to release albums, notably 1976’s Resolution, and ultimately moved to Europe and converted to Christianity. Pratt has since returned stateside, and has released several albums for the artist-friendly label It’s About Music, and wrote a memoir, 2006’s Shiver In The Night, about his life and musical experiences. Pratt continues to record and play in the New England area.

(by Stephen Haag)