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I am a
musician. My instrument of choice is the guitar. I have done some things in
my career I am proud of and some I am not. None of them do I regret. I don't
believe my triumphs or successes can be measured by who I have played with
or how many records have been sold. This is why I am writing my own
biography. But for the purposes of clarity I will name some artists I have
worked with who have been very much a part of my journey as a musician.
How I came to play with certain artists and musicians can be traced back to
recognising or having an instinct for opportunities when they have been in
front of me. I don't mind saying this is what I am most proud of. Being
invited in the mid eighties by percussionist Miles Bould to collaborate
together on some demos was one such opportunity which proved to be an
important one. This led to him recommending me to play on Julia Fordham's
album Porcelain (1988), produced by Hugh Padgham. He would go on to
produce Phil Collins' album But Seriously which was the best selling
album of the year ('89/'90) and included the world-wide hit Another Day
in Paradise. Hugh invited me to play on this album which got me noticed
by many artists and producers including Sting who I have been working with
ever since. I have recorded every album Sting has produced since The Soul
Cages. I have performed over one thousand concerts with him since 1990,
spanned over five world tours. He is perhaps the most influential artist to
my career and certainly the one I have been with the most.
Towards the end of the eighties I became more prolific as a session
musician. Pino Palladino and Manu Katché were often in the studio with me.
They have been hugely influential to my approach as an instrumentalist. What
I have learnt from them is incalculable. We played on many albums for
various artists around Europe and beyond.
I joined The Pretenders in 1989. The opportunity of joining Sting's band
came around the same time which put me in the agonising position of having
to make a choice between the two. To this day I still don't know if I made
the right one but judging by how I feel today I suspect it was. Playing with
Sting opened the door to countless opportunities. I have played on at least
one hundred albums since I met him. My confidence in my own abilities as a
musician has grown as a result. I have recorded four solo albums and
co-written songs for various artists. Some successful, some not. All of them
worth it. The most significant thing I have learnt from Sting is the
importance or quest for growth as a musician. This is why I am still a
student of music and my fascination for different genres and disciplines
never wavers.
I don't see the need to name any more names. These can be found in various
discographies on my career. But the single most influential person in my
career would have to be my sister Julie who got me started on the guitar
when I was very young. I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to an American
father and Irish mother. The soundscape to my childhood was The Beatles, The
Rolling Stones, Bossa Nova music, Tango music, Argentine folklore and church
music, classical music, Irish folk music and the blues. I went to high
school in the USA (Wisconsin) which gave me an understanding of American
culture and music. I moved to London, England to study classical guitar and
composition at the Guildhall School of Music when I was 18 and have lived
here ever since.
I am a proud father to six children. I am very happy with my life and my musical journey continues.
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