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  Andy Pratt - Avenging Annie
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Andy Pratt, the Boston brat

On January 25, 1947, while the world was still licking its wounds after World War II, Andrew Sears Pratt was born in Boston. At eleven his Aunt and Uncle gave him a radio for Christmas, beginning a life-long bond to radio music. He began piano lessons himself at the age of eight, and took up guitar at the age of twelve, under the tutelage of his sister.

In 1971 he recorded his first album. Andy Pratt, Records are Like Life (Polydor 1971) Produced by Andy Pratt and Bill Riseman; engineer, Bill Riseman

Musicians: Andy Pratt, piano, guitar, bass, vocals, Rick Shlosser, drums and percussion, Bill Elliott, string arrangement on Low Tide Island, Patti Pratt, vocals
Available at www.itsaboutmusic.com and other web sites

Bill Riseman died in South America under mysterious circumstances sometime in the nineteen eighties.

In 1972 after the breakup of his first marriage Pratt wrote his most famous song, the Yes-like piano saga “Avenging Annie.” The demo soon became a hit at Brown University’s radio station WBRU. John Nagy introduced him to Clive Davis, who immediately signed Andy to Columbia Records. John and Andy took six months to make the Andy Pratt album (#58 in "Al’s personal greatest 100 albums ever made," at www.alkooper.com.) As a Columbia single, with some production advice from the ubiquitous Clive, “Avenging Annie” reached number one in Providence and New Orleans and number 76 nationally.

Andy Pratt, Andy Pratt (Columbia 1973)
Produced by John Nagy

Supported by the Beatles’ Nat Weiss, Pratt did a three-week tour of New England with an excellent band featuring now-famous jazz guitarist John Scofield, drummer Dave Samuels (Spyro Gyra), and keyboardist Russ Walden, who went on to become Judy Collins’ musical director and a skilled classical composer (see mesmerizingmusic.com). His backup singers, Erin Dickens and Pat Rosalia, went on to sing behind Greg Allman and Harry Belafonte. At Max’s Kansas City in New York, their opening act was a little-known folksinger named Jimmy Buffet. In Boston he packed the legendary Jazz Workshop for a week and was broadcast live on WBCN. He quit for a while.

After some serious upheavals Pratt returned to music in 1976 with the Resolution album, produced by legendary producer Arif Mardin.

The voice of Luther Vandross can be clearly heard on the final choruses of Andy’s beautiful song about his father’s death, Can’t Stop my Love. Treasure that Canary has been a staple of Andy’s live shows ever since.

Treasure that Canary can been seen performed live in NYC on YouTube.

Stephen Holden's rave review of Resolution, which appeared as the lead review in the June 1976 issue of Rolling Stone, can be read at the following link: http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/andypratt/albums/album/5024057/review/5941095/resolution


Andy Pratt toured America for two years as a in 1976 and 1977, and was received in many places - Ohio especially - as a major rock star.


He was dropped by the majors in September 1977, never again to have corporate support. Still he continued, laboring in obscurity and paying for it himself too.....


Andy Pratt, Fun in the First World, Enzone Records (’82), Corazong Records (’03, Age of Goodbye)
Produced by Leroy Radcliffe

“Burn up in the Fire” became a WBCN (Boston) staple. Invitations from England and Holland came, so off they flew.

Next record:
Andy Pratt, Not Just for Dancing, Lamborghini Records (’84), Corazong Records (’03, Age of Goodbye)

Produced by Leroy Radcliffe

Not Just for Dancing, or, as it is now known, Age of Goodbye, is a prophetic record. The music is eighties synthesizer dance music, country and rock.

God spoke to Andy, and gave him a miraculous prophetic and healing ministry. He got married again, divorced again, and finally met the right woman. Now, in 2006, Andy is making another stab at fame with the release of his memoir, “Shiver in the Night.” It is a good read. He is available to perform music, or do healing services. He can be reached via his web site: andy@andy-pratt.com. He wishes everyone many blessings.