Andrew James Summers was born in Poulton-le-Fylde on 31 December 1942, though he grew up in Bournemouth. After several years of piano lessons, he began playing guitar at age 10. His love for the instrument grew after he saw Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie perform in London, and by 16, he was playing in local clubs. Summers later moved to London at 19 to form Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, and his early influences included jazz greats like Kenny Burrell, Miles Davis, and Wes Montgomery. Summers’ career in the 1960s saw him play in various bands, including the psychedelic Dantalian’s Chariot, where he met Jimi Hendrix. In the late ’60s, he briefly joined Soft Machine and Eric Burdon and the Animals, recording albums with both. After studying classical guitar at California State University, he returned to London in 1972, collaborating with artists like Joan Armatrading and Kevin Ayers.
In 1977, Summers joined The Police, replacing the band’s original guitarist, Henry Padovani. Alongside Sting and Stewart Copeland, Summers became a key member of the iconic trio, contributing to major hits like “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Message in a Bottle.” The band disbanded in 1984 after seven successful years. Summers’ solo career began in the 1980s with albums like XYZ and I Advance Masked (with Robert Fripp). He also collaborated with Sting on various projects, including the album …Nothing Like the Sun. Throughout his career, Summers has explored jazz, rock, and instrumental music, and has composed soundtracks for films such as Weekend at Bernie’s. After reuniting with The Police for a highly successful tour in 2007, Summers continued to make music, forming the band Circa Zero in 2013 and later a Police tribute band, Call the Police, in 2017.
The background image shows The Police, featuring: Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland performing on stage during a live concert in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA on 31 July 2007.


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