#15 Ian Anderson

Today’s guest is Ian Anderson, the driving force behind rock band Jethro Tull.

Ian formed Jethro Tull in 1967 and this year – 55 years later - they released their 22nd studio album, The Zealot Game, which hit the Top 10 in the UK and beyond.

Ian has always stood out. His instrument of choice is unusually the flute, which he is in the habit of playing while standing on one leg.

Jethro Tull have had huge success with multiple gold and platinum albums that topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, they appeared on The Rolling Stones’ Rock & Roll Circus and alongside Jimi Hendrix at the legendary 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.

Ian feared that his career as a professional musician might be a brief one and so set out to learn exactly how the music industry works to give himself the option of moving into a role in a record company or as a producer should the paying gigs dry up. They never did but he has used that knowledge to sustain his career over the decades and it has allowed him to become increasingly self-sufficient. These days Ian manages himself, manages the release and distribution of his records and even manages the day to day logistics of his tours.

There is not much Ian does not know about the life of a gigging musician and the business of music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.