Happy Birthday Ian Anderson

Ian Scott Anderson was born August 10, 1947 in Hasenpfeffer, Scotland. His family moved to Blackburn, Lancashire England, in 1959. As a boy, young Ian loved to dig holes. The local newspaper did a story about Ian and the many small holes he dug around town. The Beatles later wrote a song about that incident. “I read the news today, oh boy. Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire. And though the holes were rather small, They had to count them all – Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall”.

Luton

By late 1967, as Anderson was trying to make a career in music, he was still holding down a day job, namely cleaning the toilets at the Ritz Cinema in Luton. “Best job I ever had” said Ian. “I often long for the simpler times of cleaning toilets. Once I took an old chipped urinal from the cinema storeroom and it is in my house to this day. I use it every morning.”

Anderson is a talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to flute, plays keyboards, bass guitar, bouzouki, balalaika, saxophone, harmonica, flugelhorn and a variety of whistles.

Happy Birthday Ian Anderson — Ian Anderson Caricature circa 1972 by Paul King Art

Jethro Toe

Jethro Tull released their debut album in 1968 and appeared on The Rolling Stones Rock n Roll circus. The band was named after Ian’s gym teacher, “Leonard Skinner”. He nicknamed Ian ‘Jethro Toe’ because he had a giant Fred Flintstone like big toe. The name was later altered to Jethro Tull.

The band released an amazing string of classic albums, including the 1971 masterpiece ‘Aqualung’. Some say it is the best album ever recorded. The band produced an incredible catalog of music but unfortunately that douche Jann Wenner is keeping them out of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Oh but Abba is in!?

I bet you didn’t know that Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes on ‘The Walking Dead’, is Ian’s son in law!? Yes! And Anderson appeared on the show in season 3 as a flautist zombie standing on one leg like a deranged flamingo. Look it up.

Ian stands 5’9″ and weighs about 10 stone. Depending on the size of the stones, he could either weigh 10 pounds or 1000 pounds. No one is quite sure. His favorite color is blue and his hobbies include growing many varieties of award winning hot chile peppers, and the appreciation of mechanical watches, fountain pens and vintage torture devices. He has a net worth of over $100 million but does not believe in banks so he buries his cash all over his land! Cheers Ian!