PLEASE CALL OFFICE FOR AVAILABILITY: 08447 707 788 DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED:
In a true rags to riches story, Andy Abraham was working as a dustbin man when he or rather his wife Denise applied for a certain TV show "My wife forged my signature on the application form for The X Factor because I was unsure about doing it initially, but obviously I'm really pleased she did it now! Even if I hadn't done X Factor I would still have pursued music, but it has opened so many doors for me. It's been incredible."
The show enabled him to land a management deal with esteemed management & publishing company Global Talent Group (G4, Corinne Bailey Rae) and a well-deserved album deal with Sony BMG. "Getting the deal was incredible - a dream come true. It's everything I've been aiming towards," he smiles.
41 year-old Andy grew up surrounded by music, and he soon found himself soaking up the eclectic sounds around him. "My mum was a huge influence on me musically. She listened to everything from country to old-time reggae and soul, and I listened endlessly to what she played. We listened to a lot of jazz, funk and soul too, so a real variety of styles. I still love a wide range of music now - everything from Stevie Wonder to Robbie Williams to Donny Hathaway and Fleetwood Mac."
Andy discovered that he had a natural ability for singing from a young age, but it would be some time before the British public would discover just how much he had to offer. However, as he grew older his desire to sing grew stronger and stronger and he soon found himself on stage in front of audiences of hundreds, taking part in singing competitions. "I used to go to the 291 club at the Hackney Empire. It was a big competition where you get up and sing in front of a crowd, and if you're bad they soon let you know!"
It was the tragic death of his best friend in 1998, which gave Andy the final push he needed to throw himself head-long into the world of music. Andy decided to take the plunge and go to music college, so he quit his job as a printer and signed up to the Powerhouse in Acton. Andy's biggest supporters are his devoted wife Denise and his two children Jacob, nine, and Tara, eleven. "I take inspiration from a lot of things in my music, but my family are definitely at the fore of it," he admits.
"I think the album's going to be a surprise for a lot of people. The most important thing for me was that the songs had to be great, and they are. I'm really pleased with it, there are the songs that people will know from The X Factor, plus I'm really exited to have original material on the album. " Andy enlisted the help of producer extraordinaire Nigel Wright (Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Andrew Lloyd Webber) to ensure that his first album is everything people expect from him and more. "My first session was at Angel studios in Islington, and I walked in to find a 50-piece orchestra. It was wonderful. A defining moment in my life."
The album is a mixture of fantastic original tracks and covers of some of the great classics. "I want to bring back a bit more soul and love to music. We've lost a few great guys in Luther Vandross, Lou Rawls and Barry White, and I think the only way we're going to get that kind of romance back is by someone else coming along and bringing it back. And I hope that someone is me."
