Andy Anderson, Former Drummer For The Cure, Dead At 68
Andy Anderson, former drummer for the Cure and session musician for Iggy Pop, Hawkwind and more, has died at the age of 68.
Andy Anderson, former drummer for the Cure and session musician for Iggy Pop, Hawkwind and more, has died at the age of 68.
His death was confirmed by founding member of the Cure, Lol Tolhurst.
“Andy Anderson was a true gentleman and a great musician with a wicked sense of humour which he kept until the end, a testament to his beautiful spirit on the last journey. We are blessed to have known him,” Tolhurst tweeted on Tuesday.
Anderson had only recently revealed his diagnosis of terminal cancer on Facebook last week.
“I am and I have Terminal 4 Cancer, and there is no way of returning back from that, it’s totally covering the inside of my body, and I’m totally fine and aware of my situation,” wrote Anderson.
He first joined the Cure in 1983 after their original drummer Tolhurst transitioned to the keyboard and first played on two songs from the band’s 1983 singles collection including ‘Speak My Language’ and the ‘The Lovecats’, which became the band’s first Top 10 in the UK.
While he was only with the band for a year, from 1983-1984, Anderson contributed drums to the band’s fifth album, The Top, and their live LP, Concert: The Cure Live. He would continue to collaborate with frontman Robert Smith, playing on Smith’s side-project with Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Steven Severin, The Glove’s lone album, Blue Sunshine.
Before and after his time with the Cure, Anderson enjoyed a successful career as a session musician, first teaming up with members of Hawkwind in the 70s on various side projects under the moniker “Android Anderson” and later playing on their 1983 tour. He never recorded with Hawkwind, but made his recording debut on Nik Turner’s Sphynx’s Xitintoday album in 1978 and went on to appear on Steve Hillage’s three LPs, Green, Live Herald and Open.
Born in the West Ham neighborhood of London on 30 January 1951, Anderson also went on to work with some of biggest names in music including Iggy Pop, the Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock, Peter Gabriel and Isaac Hayes, among others. In more recent years, he worked as a solo artist, releasing material under the name of AAMuzik.
This story is still developing.
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