Andrew John "Andy" Partridge is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist, born on 11 November 1953 in Mtarfa, Malta. He has been known as Sir John Johns and Melchior and rose to fame as a founding member, guitarist and chief songwriter of the pop/new wave band, XTC. He lives in Swindon, Wiltshire, England, where he was raised.
Partridge also serves as XTC's de facto art director. Except for its second album, Go 2, the band's album cover art has been based on his ideas. For example, the back cover of Rag and Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers took shape after Partridge requested "lots of rusty junk" and proceeded to create a mockup of the band members with it. XTC toured heavily throughout the late-1970s through to 1982. Partridge, suffering from the stresses of the road, and claiming severe stage fright, hit abrupt sobriety after his wife intervened and tossed out his doctor-prescribed Valium supply he had been physically dependent upon for over 13 years. This and other personal issues brought the band's tours to a standstill.
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