Andy Eastwood
Encyclopedia
Andy Eastwood is a vaudeville
entertainer and ukulele
player.
His interest in the ukulele and banjolele
began when his grandfather gave him his first instrument as a child, and after reading music at the University of Oxford
, where he also studied violin
and piano
, he graduated as the historic university's first musician ever to give a degree recital on the ukulele.
After cutting his teeth as a cabaret
performer, Eastwood broke into theatre
and developed a reputation as a multi-instrumental variety
act, combining his instrumental and vocal prowess with comic delivery, notably reminiscent of British film comedian George Formby, to whom (amongst others) Eastwood pays tribute in his act.
Recent years have seen him touring as an opening act
for Ken Dodd
, Danny La Rue
, Ronnie Ronalde
and also starring in a wartime revue
called We'll Meet Again.
His first CD album in 1999, was Ukulele Serenade; it featured the comic songs of George Formby and various ukulele arrangements of well known standards. It was championed by BBC Radio 2
presenter Desmond Carrington
.
Subsequent releases have included Ukulele Mania (2004), We'll Meet Again (2005), Bring Me Sunshine (2007), and Ukulele Mania Bonus Edition (2009). In addition to the ukulele
and banjolele
, he plays violin
, guitar
, banjo
, piano
, keyboards
, drums
, bass
, washboard
, and of course, vocals
, on his recordings.
In 2008 Eastwood began presenting a music programme called Andy's Attic on the internet radio station Retro Jukebox, and in 2010 he released his first DVD, We'll Meet Again.
Eastwood's TV appearances include Barrymore
, Blue Peter
, GMTV
, Today with Des and Mel
; he also taught comedian Frank Skinner
to play the ukulele for the 2006 BBC 1 show Play It Again
.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
entertainer and ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
player.
His interest in the ukulele and banjolele
Banjolele
The banjolele is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. "Banjolele," sometimes also spelled "banjelele" or "banjulele" is a generic nickname given to the instrument, which was derived from the "banjulele-banjo", introduced by Alvin D...
began when his grandfather gave him his first instrument as a child, and after reading music at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he also studied violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, he graduated as the historic university's first musician ever to give a degree recital on the ukulele.
After cutting his teeth as a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
performer, Eastwood broke into theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and developed a reputation as a multi-instrumental variety
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
act, combining his instrumental and vocal prowess with comic delivery, notably reminiscent of British film comedian George Formby, to whom (amongst others) Eastwood pays tribute in his act.
Recent years have seen him touring as an opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
for Ken Dodd
Ken Dodd
Kenneth Arthur Dodd OBE is a British comedian and singer songwriter, famous for his frizzy hair or “fluff dom” and buck teeth or “denchers”, his favourite cleaner, the feather duster and his greeting "How tickled I am!", as well as his send-off “Lots and Lots of Happiness!”...
, Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue, OBE was an Irish-born British entertainer known for his singing and drag impersonations.-Early life:...
, Ronnie Ronalde
Ronnie Ronalde
Ronnie Ronalde is a British music hall singer and siffleur. Ronalde is famous for his voice, whistling, yodelling, imitations of bird song and stage personality...
and also starring in a wartime revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
called We'll Meet Again.
His first CD album in 1999, was Ukulele Serenade; it featured the comic songs of George Formby and various ukulele arrangements of well known standards. It was championed by BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
presenter Desmond Carrington
Desmond Carrington
Desmond Carrington is a UK-based actor and broadcaster, currently best known for his on BBC Radio 2. His show went out on Sundays for 23 years from 1981 to 2004, when it moved to Tuesdays - then to Fridays...
.
Subsequent releases have included Ukulele Mania (2004), We'll Meet Again (2005), Bring Me Sunshine (2007), and Ukulele Mania Bonus Edition (2009). In addition to the ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
and banjolele
Banjolele
The banjolele is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. "Banjolele," sometimes also spelled "banjelele" or "banjulele" is a generic nickname given to the instrument, which was derived from the "banjulele-banjo", introduced by Alvin D...
, he plays violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, washboard
Washboard
A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard has become better known for its originally subsidiary use as a musical instrument....
, and of course, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, on his recordings.
In 2008 Eastwood began presenting a music programme called Andy's Attic on the internet radio station Retro Jukebox, and in 2010 he released his first DVD, We'll Meet Again.
Eastwood's TV appearances include Barrymore
Barrymore
Barrymore is a surname and may refer to:*Barrymore family of American actors*Earl of Barrymore, a title in the Kingdom of Ireland dating to 1622- See also :* Barony of Barrymore, a barony in County Cork, Ireland...
, Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, Today with Des and Mel
Today with Des and Mel
Today with Des and Mel was a British television series hosted by Des O'Connor and Melanie Sykes. The show featured celebrity guests, phone-in competitions and chat between the hosts. It was produced by Carlton Television, at The London Studios...
; he also taught comedian Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
to play the ukulele for the 2006 BBC 1 show Play It Again
Play It Again
Play It Again is a documentary series on BBC One, featuring celebrities trying to learn to play musical instruments. The series is produced Diverse Production and started on 25 March 2007 and is narrated by Tamsin Greig.-1: Jo Brand, playing the organ.:...
.
Discography
- Ukulele Serenade (1999) Label: ACE Music Catalogue No: ACE 991
- Running Wild with the band 'Red Hot & Blonde' (2002) Label: ACE Music Catalogue No: ACE 021
- Ukuelele Mania (2004) Label: ACE Music Catalogue No: ACE 031
- We'll Meet Again (2005) Label: ACE Music Catalogue No: ACE 051
- Bring Me Sunshine (2007) Label: ACE Music Catalogue No: ACE 061
- Ukulele Mania Bonus Edition (2009) Label: ACE Music Catalogue No: ACE 081
- We'll Meet Again (DVD) (2010) Label: ACE Music Catalogue No: ACE 101
- Spirit Of The Blitz with singer Lucia Matisse (2011) Label: ACE Music Catalogue No: ACE 111