Ian Anderson Biography

Ian Anderson is the flute-playing singer of the UK rock band Jethro Tull. Formed in England in 1967, the group mixed blues, rock and folk music and had a string of successful albums between 1969 and 1977, with hit songs including "Living in the Past," "Aqualung," and "Bungle in the Jungle." Anderson was the front man and songwriter and is often credited with bringing the flute to rock music. In the late 1970s Tull’s albums turned toward English folk-rock and were not critically well-received, but loyal fans kept them in business. Their 1987 album Crest Of A Knave had them on the charts again, and Jethro Tull famously beat out Metallica to win that year’s Grammy for Best Heavy Metal Band.