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Andy Cox

Andrew Cox (born 25 January 1956) is a best known as a founding member of the revival band The Beat (released as the English Beat in ) and the band Fine Young Cannibals. Born in , , Cox co-founded The Beat in 1978 alongside vocalist and Dave Wakeling, bassist David Steele, and drummer Everett Morton, blending elements of , pop, soul, , and in their music. The band achieved significant success in the UK, scoring five top 10 singles on the Official Charts, including "Mirror in the Bathroom" (number 4, 1980), "Hands Off... She's Mine" (number 9, 1980), and a cover of "Can't Get Used to Losing You" (number 3, 1982). Their debut album, I Just Can't Stop It (1980), and follow-ups Wha'ppen? (1981) and (1982) captured the energy of the late-1970s two-tone movement, earning critical acclaim for their socially conscious lyrics and rhythmic innovation. The Beat disbanded in 1983 amid internal tensions, but their influence endures in the and genres. Following the breakup, Cox reunited with Steele to form in 1984, recruiting vocalist and actor to complete the trio. The band's self-titled debut album (1985) produced UK top 40 hits like "Johnny Come Home" (number 8) and a cover of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" (number 8), showcasing a shift toward and . Their sophomore release, The Raw & the Cooked (1989), became a global smash, topping charts in the UK and , driven by the infectious single "She Drives Me Crazy" (US number 1, UK number 2) and "Good Thing" (US number 1, UK number 7). The album's eclectic production, drawing from , punk, and dance influences, solidified Fine Young Cannibals as a commercial force, though the band entered a hiatus after 1990 and has reunited sporadically for performances since. Throughout his career, Cox has been recognized for his versatile guitar work, contributing to soundtracks and experimental projects beyond his band affiliations.

Early life

Birth and upbringing

Andy Cox was born Andrew Cox on 25 January 1956 in , West Midlands, . in the period was a major industrial center characterized by its working-class communities and increasing multiculturalism, driven by post-World War II immigration from the Caribbean via the Windrush generation, which brought vibrant influences from genres such as , , and into the city's cultural fabric. This diverse environment, amid the backdrop of economic revival and social challenges like rising in the 1960s and 1970s, provided a rich backdrop for the formative years of local youth, setting the stage for emerging musical interests in the region.

Musical influences and beginnings

Growing up in , Andy Cox encountered the late 1970s cultural wave of the 2 Tone movement, a British youth subculture that blended , and to confront social tensions like racial division and economic hardship in industrial cities. This movement, originating in with and extending to with , created a vibrant scene of live gigs and independent releases that captivated young people across the . The Beat, formed in 1978, drew from influences including , , and , which shaped the band's sound and Cox's contributions as guitarist. Limited details are available on Cox's pre-professional musical activities, though the music scene in the and circuits provided opportunities for local musicians during this period.

Musical career

The Beat

Andy Cox co-founded the ska band The Beat in 1978 in , England, alongside (guitar and vocals) and David Steele (bass), emerging from the local and scenes. The trio, soon joined by drummer Everett Morton and toaster , signed their debut single "" to ' 2 Tone Records label, which championed the ska revival movement blending energy with Jamaican influences. As the band's rhythm guitarist, Cox contributed tight, syncopated riffs that helped fuse ska's offbeat grooves with pop sensibilities, defining The Beat's energetic sound. The Beat released three studio albums during their run: (1980), Wha'ppen? (1981), and (1982), all issued on the band's own Go-Feet Records imprint after their initial 2 Tone association. These records spawned nine Top 40 singles, including the upbeat cover "" (peaking at No. 6), the urgent "" (No. 4), and the reggae-inflected "Can't Get Used to Losing You" (No. 3). The albums themselves achieved strong chart success, with and Wha'ppen? both reaching No. 3, while hit No. 21, cementing the band's role in the 2 Tone era's cultural push against racial and social divides. In the United States, where the band performed as The English Beat to avoid confusion with a local act, they found a dedicated audience in the scene, with albums charting modestly on the : at No. 142, Wha'ppen? at No. 126, and at No. 39. Their cover of "Can't Get Used to Losing You" was released as a single in the US in 1983, where it received airplay but did not enter the (bubbling under in May 1983). However, internal creative differences led to the band's disbandment later that year, ending their original run after five years of touring and recording.

Fine Young Cannibals

Following the dissolution of The Beat in 1983, guitarist Andy Cox and bassist David Steele reunited in 1984 to form with vocalist , drawing on their prior and pop experiences to craft a new direction. The band's name derived from the 1960 film , starring and . Cox's angular, clean-toned guitar style, influenced by his time in The Beat, helped shape the trio's initial sound, blending rhythms with soulful pop elements. The group's self-titled debut album, , arrived in December 1985 via London Records and I.R.S. Records, featuring tracks like the upbeat "" and the melancholic "." "" became their first hit, reaching number 8 on the , while the album itself peaked at number 11 on the and spent 27 weeks in the Top 100, marking moderate commercial success in the UK but limited impact elsewhere. Cox's rhythmic guitar riffs provided a crisp, driving backbone to the album's eclectic mix of covers and originals, evoking and Stax influences alongside edges. The band achieved breakthrough success with their second album, The Raw & the Cooked, released in January 1989, which topped charts in the UK, , , and . Key singles included "She Drives Me Crazy," which peaked at number 5 in the UK and number 1 on the , "Good Thing" at number 7 in the UK and also number 1 in the , and "Don't Look Back" reaching number 21 in the UK. The album sold over three million copies worldwide, propelled by its polished pop-soul fusion and Cox's signature guitar lines that added a sharp, percussive texture to the tracks' infectious hooks. In 1990, won for Best British Group and Best British Album for The Raw & the Cooked. That year, they released the remix compilation The Raw & the Remix, featuring club-oriented versions of their hits produced by artists like Smith & Mighty and . The band entered a hiatus after issuing the 1992 greatest-hits collection The Finest, effectively disbanding amid creative differences, though Cox continued contributing to the group's legacy through occasional reunions and archival releases. Throughout their run, Cox's economical yet inventive guitar playing was central to ' eclectic pop-soul identity, bridging their punky origins with mainstream accessibility.

Later projects and collaborations

Following the success of , Andy explored electronic and through side projects in the late 1980s. In 1988, during a band hiatus, collaborated with longtime partner David Steele under the pseudonym Two Men, A and a to release the instrumental single "Tired of Getting Pushed Around." The , produced by and Steele, peaked at No. 18 on the and featured trumpet by Graeme Hamilton, blending rhythmic percussion with minimalist synth elements. That same year, Cox and Steele extended their production work by teaming up with British rap duo the on the single "Heat It Up." Released on , the track fused hip-house beats with the duo's energetic rhymes and reached No. 21 on the , marking a brief foray into rap-infused . Cox handled production alongside Steele, engineering the extended mixes that highlighted acid house influences from remixes by artists like . In 2002, Cox shifted toward experimental electronic and ambient sounds by forming the duo Cribabi with Japanese vocalist and guitarist Yukari Fujiu, whom he met through mutual studio connections in the UK. The pair's debut album, Volume, was released in 2002 on Cox's own Fidela Records label, showcasing a blend of pop structures, glitchy electronics, and Fujiu's ethereal vocals across tracks like "Disappear" and "Beautiful Mistake." Recorded in informal settings including Fujiu's Tokyo kitchen, the album emphasized improvisational garage-band aesthetics with ambient textures and subtle guitar work drawing from Cox's earlier rhythmic techniques. Post-2002, Cox's activities remained low-profile, focusing on occasional live performances with Cribabi, such as a 2022 appearance at in the UK, and experimental productions including bicycle-based sound installations explored in radio features around 2007. While no major releases followed , Cox contributed guitar elements to select film soundtracks, maintaining a selective involvement in niche electronic and ambient projects up to 2025.

Personal life and legacy

Family and residence

Andy Cox has maintained a notably private personal life, with scant public details available regarding his or relationships. He met musician Yukari Fujiu in after she relocated from for professional reasons, an encounter that sparked their musical partnership in the band Cribabi. Beyond this , no verified information exists on any long-term romantic involvement, , or life, including children. Cox considered traveling to to engage further with artists around the time of Cribabi's formation, potentially influencing periods spent abroad, though specifics remain undocumented. As of 2025, he resides discreetly outside the public eye, with his current location undisclosed in available sources.

Influence and recognition

Andy Cox played a pivotal role in the late 1970s ska revival as the guitarist for The Beat, a band that fused punk energy with Jamaican rhythms to create an urgent, socially conscious sound emblematic of the 2 Tone movement. Emerging from Birmingham's multicultural scene, The Beat's music addressed racial tensions and , helping to popularize among a broader audience and influencing subsequent waves of ska-punk and alternative acts. Cox's rhythmic guitar work, often employing tight, offbeat strumming patterns, provided the driving backbone for hits like "," which exemplified the band's blend of urgency and groove. Transitioning to Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) in 1984 with bassist David Steele, Cox bridged the gap between ska's raw energy and polished 1980s pop, contributing to a sound that incorporated soul, covers, and funky rhythms. This evolution influenced by demonstrating how elements could merge with danceable pop structures, paving the way for genre-blending acts in the decade's mainstream. Cox's guitar style proved eclectic, shifting from the choppy, percussive ska lines of The Beat to sleek, riff-driven in FYC tracks like "," where his clean-toned arpeggios and melodic hooks added a distinctive pop sheen. FYC's success culminated in two major awards at the 1990 : Best British Group and Best British Album for The Raw & the Cooked. Cox's contributions have been retrospectively highlighted in music histories of the 2 Tone era and pop, with publications noting his and Steele's role in sustaining the movement's legacy through FYC's global hits. In 2025, to mark the band's 40th anniversary, a career-spanning compilation titled FYC40 is set for release on November 21, alongside Roland Gift's solo performances celebrating ' music, underscoring Cox's enduring impact on alternative and .

References

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