Andrew John "Andy" Connell (born 26 July 1961, Manchester, England) is an English musician and composer. Along with Corinne Drewery, he is part of the duo that makes up Swing Out Sister.
Connell began playing the piano at an early age. He struggled through the eight grades of classical piano playing before finally "abandoning Bach for Bacharach".
Connell played in the Manchester post-punk band The Immediates, before joining new wave funk pioneers, A Certain Ratio. He was also a member of the Manchester based jazz/pop band Kalima who were signed to Factory Records, whilst he was also a member of A Certain Ratio. A few years later he teamed up with former Magazine drummer Martin Jackson, and they released an inventive electronic album called UK Electro in 1984.
Swing Out Sister began in earnest in 1985, when Connell and Jackson teamed up with Corinne Drewery. Since the band's establishment, he has been the main composer and arranger for Swing Out Sister's music, including the UK and US top ten hit, "Breakout".
Apart from his work with Swing Out Sister, Connell has produced and arranged music for other artists, and recently he wrote the musical score for a short film called The Knickerman, directed by Sonja Phillips. He also contributed to Quando Quango's album, Pigs & Battleships.
Connell did not tour with Swing Out Sister in 2005, due to travel lag. His official statement (aka kinkladze) can be found here: Instead, Dan Swana filled in for Connell. He was chosen by Connell specifically for the 2005 tour.
Most recently, Connell and Drewery have been promoting their latest album, Beautiful Mess.
Connell is also a big fan of Manchester_City_F.C.
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