Biography
A pianist schooled in classical technique who moved to bass in time for his debut professional booking at fifteen, Andy Fraser earned his greatest renown as principal songwriter and bassist for the pioneering British blues-rock group Free. After the band disintegrated amid drug dependency and internal conflict, he collaborated with additional players and eventually earned recognition in Los Angeles as a successful tunesmith.
London-born in 1952, Fraser began piano studies at five. His classical background eased a shift to guitar, yet switching to bass—still an uncommon route to rock prominence—proved decisive. Friendship with Sappho Korner, daughter of blues pioneer Alexis Korner, led to an introduction that secured the teenager an audition with John Mayall. Fraser’s stint in the Bluesbreakers, whose lineup then included eighteen-year-old Mick Taylor soon to join the Rolling Stones, ended at sixteen. Alexis Korner next introduced him to guitarist Paul Kossoff, who, together with drummer Simon Kirke and singer Paul Rodgers, had been seeking a bassist; the quartet became Free. With further assistance from Alexis Korner, the band secured a contract from Island Records head Chris Blackwell and helped define the second wave of heavy British blues-rock alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Their high point arrived with the Fraser-co-written and produced single “All Right Now,” a critical and commercial triumph.
Despite widespread acclaim and sales, Kossoff’s drug struggles and tensions with Rodgers fractured Free in 1971 and again in 1972. Fraser continued forming groups. During the first split he assembled Toby with guitarist Adrian Fisher and drummer Stan Speake; the project dissolved when he rejoined Free in 1972. His final departure from Free occurred later that year. He remained with the Sharks—fronted by Snips, featuring guitarist Chris Spedding and drummer Marty Simon—for a single album before launching the Andy Fraser Band alongside drummer Kim Turner and keyboardist Nick Judd. After two releases the ensemble disbanded. Fraser relocated to California, assembled the Stealers, and ultimately withheld their recordings; one track, “Every Kinda People,” reached Robert Palmer and became a major hit on his 1978 album Double Fun.
Thereafter Fraser concentrated on songwriting, supplying material later recorded by Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Ted Nugent, Paul Carrack, and Rod Stewart. Returning as a solo performer in 1984, he issued Fine, Fine Line and assumed vocal duties. Personal matters surfaced prominently: Fraser acknowledged his homosexuality, survived cancer, and was diagnosed with AIDS. Activity continued on a limited, intermittent basis. He rejoined Paul Rodgers at Woodstock ’94 and released the solo album Naked... and Finally Free in 2005. In 2006 he made his first stage appearances since 1994, performing twice in California. Fraser died at his California residence in March 2015 at the age of sixty-two.
London-born in 1952, Fraser began piano studies at five. His classical background eased a shift to guitar, yet switching to bass—still an uncommon route to rock prominence—proved decisive. Friendship with Sappho Korner, daughter of blues pioneer Alexis Korner, led to an introduction that secured the teenager an audition with John Mayall. Fraser’s stint in the Bluesbreakers, whose lineup then included eighteen-year-old Mick Taylor soon to join the Rolling Stones, ended at sixteen. Alexis Korner next introduced him to guitarist Paul Kossoff, who, together with drummer Simon Kirke and singer Paul Rodgers, had been seeking a bassist; the quartet became Free. With further assistance from Alexis Korner, the band secured a contract from Island Records head Chris Blackwell and helped define the second wave of heavy British blues-rock alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Their high point arrived with the Fraser-co-written and produced single “All Right Now,” a critical and commercial triumph.
Despite widespread acclaim and sales, Kossoff’s drug struggles and tensions with Rodgers fractured Free in 1971 and again in 1972. Fraser continued forming groups. During the first split he assembled Toby with guitarist Adrian Fisher and drummer Stan Speake; the project dissolved when he rejoined Free in 1972. His final departure from Free occurred later that year. He remained with the Sharks—fronted by Snips, featuring guitarist Chris Spedding and drummer Marty Simon—for a single album before launching the Andy Fraser Band alongside drummer Kim Turner and keyboardist Nick Judd. After two releases the ensemble disbanded. Fraser relocated to California, assembled the Stealers, and ultimately withheld their recordings; one track, “Every Kinda People,” reached Robert Palmer and became a major hit on his 1978 album Double Fun.
Thereafter Fraser concentrated on songwriting, supplying material later recorded by Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Ted Nugent, Paul Carrack, and Rod Stewart. Returning as a solo performer in 1984, he issued Fine, Fine Line and assumed vocal duties. Personal matters surfaced prominently: Fraser acknowledged his homosexuality, survived cancer, and was diagnosed with AIDS. Activity continued on a limited, intermittent basis. He rejoined Paul Rodgers at Woodstock ’94 and released the solo album Naked... and Finally Free in 2005. In 2006 he made his first stage appearances since 1994, performing twice in California. Fraser died at his California residence in March 2015 at the age of sixty-two.
Albums
